what happens if you combine 2 different yeasts?

what happens if you combine 2 different yeasts in a wort?

do they effect each other negatively?

Sounds like a great idea for a experiment. 3 beers one yeast A, 1 Yeast B, and one yeast AB.

Let us know the results.


I would suspect you would get qualities of both yeasts in your beer. Downside is they could be good or bad qualities, or they may not compliment each other.

Or you could create a mutant strain that will take over the world.

Basicly, from what I understand, you have just altered the yeast strain. Perhaps for the better, perhaps not? Whether the effect will be negative or not is anybody's guess. Ideally, you would hope for the positve traits from each yeast, but like w/ children, you get what you get...

Also, one yeast might dominate so your mix of two may not be that different than of the parent yeasts?

Starting out, I was told that one yeast strain would dominate the other and you'd only see the effects of one. The advice was to brew two half-batches, one with each strain I wanted, and then combine them after fermentation was complete.

However, I've known brewers to experiment with house yeast blends successfully. I'd suggest making a starter with each yeast individually, then blend the starters before pitching.

Airplanedoc said:

Sounds like a great idea for a experiment. 3 beers one yeast A, 1 Yeast B, and one yeast AB.

Let us know the results.


I would suspect you would get qualities of both yeasts in your beer. Downside is they could be good or bad qualities, or they may not compliment each other.

Or you could create a mutant strain that will take over the world.

Click to expand...

it does sound like a good test too bad i dont have the equipment for it
maybe one of these days

the idea would be to get 2 yeasts that produce similar flavors and aromas

ooops...doublepost, sorry

I use a 50/50 blend of WLP500 and 530 for almost all of my Belgians.

I just made a pilsner with 3 yeast strains!

Not because I wanted to at all. The first yeast strain was a CA Lager yeast (the Anchor Brewing strain I think). I wasn't too excited but I was at my buddy's shop and smacked the wrong pack and pitched it anyways. Didn't want him to pay for my mistake. After a week the Gravity had not moved so I ask SWMBO to pick up two smack packs of Pilsner Yeast figuring that since the first yeast didn't take off, I could use what I wanted and didn't want to wait any longer for a start- Hence the 2 smack packs.

When she got home she had bought 2 smack packs of different Pilsner Yeast- Czek and something else. After giving my buddy some grief for his employee letting her walk out with 2 seperate strains I pitched them. I figured oh well they are at least both Pilsner strains and she had already smacked them in order to help me out...

So far it tastes like crap. I hig FG over the weekend after a month in primary and am going to rack off the yeast and lager it. We'll see what happens when I bottle it.

I did an IPA with *some* White Labs Australian Ale yeast... which exploded all over me. I re-pitched with Wyeast Belgian Abby Ale II.

The beer turned out great, but I doubt the ozzy yeast did much to contribute to that.

bernerbrau said:

Starting out, I was told that one yeast strain would dominate the other and you'd only see the effects of one. The advice was to brew two half-batches, one with each strain I wanted, and then combine them after fermentation was complete.

However, I've known brewers to experiment with house yeast blends successfully. I'd suggest making a starter with each yeast individually, then blend the starters before pitching.

Click to expand...

I think this is sound advice.

To "guarantee" a blend of characteristics from both, your best bet is to ferment separately and blend post-fermentation. Especially if they're totally different strains with different lag times. No worry about competition.

If you want a "house strain", I've heard something as crazy as buying a ton of different yeasts, pitching them all and seeing what happens. If you wash yeast, it's not too difficult to accumulate a bunch of different types. I gotta try that sometime...

That's the joy of homebrewing...do what you want, brew what you want. Just make sure to post the results so we can learn from your success/(failure)