Faster Carbing with Champagne Yeast at Bottling?

[foxyaardvark]

So I know for higher gravity brews its sometimes good to add champagne yeast at the time of bottling for better carbonation. My question is: Why not do this for all beers in order to get faster carbonation? I was under the impression that because champagne yeast only eats the bottling sugar it will not interfere with any flavors of the beer. Would there be any drawbacks to adding champagne yeast to any style beer in order to get faster carbing? I figure its quite cheap and easy so I am curious to hear what you all have to say.

 

[helibrewer]

It's more alcohol tolerant, I'm not sure it's any faster.

 

[kingwood-kid]

The advantages of champagne yeast are that it can handle roughly 16% ABV, provides dependable carbonation because it eats only simple sugars, is dirt-cheap, will kill most beer and wild yeasts (although not Brett), and is healthy and viable. For most beers, these aren't useful enough characteristics to not just rely on the free and viable yeast already in solution. Unless your beer is over 9-10% ABV, has been sitting in secondary for a year, or somehow got treated with campden, champagne yeast won't help you at all. If you want to speed things up, just put your bottles as close to 85 degrees as you can and lay them on their sides. You can even rotate them if you like.