Different types of yeast

I'm about to order my second kit, I see lots of options for different yeast:

1). Dry

2) premium dry yeast

3) wyeast activator

4) white labs vial

What are the major differences and what would everyone recommend and why?


Thanks for any responses!

I think your major doubt is whether to use dry or liquid yeast.
Generally, liquid yeast provides more strains so you can brew more beer styles, but it comes in less amount than dry yeast, so you'll probably have to propagate it in starter, depending on batch size and OG.

What kit and where are you ordering from?

dry yeast is most likely going to be a 6 gram packet of coopers, muntons, or muntons gold. In my opinion I would pass on these yeast. Premium will either be a danstar or fermentis produce. Both are excellent sources of viable dry yeast that have a high enough cell count to directly pitch to your wort. So in my opinion I would pass on the "basic" yeast and upgrade the to premium dry and if you need a very specific yeast opt for the liquid form.

BradleyBrew said:

Premium will either be a danstar or fermentis produce. Both are excellent sources of viable dry yeast that have a high enough cell count to directly pitch to your wort. So in my opinion I would pass on the "basic" yeast and upgrade the to premium dry and if you need a very specific yeast opt for the liquid form.

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+1. Unless you are brewing a style whose flavor profile is yeast-dependent and requires a strain only available in liquid, I'd go with dry simply for its ease of use- for your second brew, there are other parts of your process you need to focus on without worrying about making starters, etc.

That being said, unless you're making a really high gravity beer, you can get away with using liquid without a starter. It might not be ideal, but it will still make good beer.

Let us know when you pick a style to brew and we can give more specific recommendations. Happy brewing!

Agree, go with the premium dry (assuming it is Danstar or Fermentis) Being only your second batch, you're probably not ready to deal with a starter and you can make a lot great beers with the selection of dry yeasts out there. Be sure to properly re-hydrate it and enjoy the brew. There are some styles that really benefit from the liquid strains available, but more and more dry strains seem to be popping up.

I think it's been all summed up. Liquid = more styles but you usually make a starter, Dry less styles but yet still very good, viable and you only "need" to rehydrate.

I put need in quotations because there is a big debate still on the question of rehydrating or not dry yeast. Some say you must, others say you don't.

I always rehydrate but I do so only when I know my wort is at pitching temperature.

Kaz said:

Being only your second batch, you're probably not ready to deal with a starter .

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I don't like this! Starters are retarded easy. Starters the way they are done by many HBT members are hard.

To make a starter you pitch your yeast into a mason jar 3/4 full of unboiled wort. Shake it every 10 minutes or so while you boil and cool. Your yeast has probably doubled in numbers and is ready to attack your wort and make it into beer.

If you do the super compliucated stir plate/flask/voodoo route that some do you'll make a great starter. I'll even agree it's a better starter than without. But you can make a fine starter without any of that equipment.

Halbrust said:

I don't like this! Starters are retarded easy. Starters the way they are done by many HBT members are hard.

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Starters are easy, but I think for a second batch, one is better off sticking to the simpler dry yeast and focusing on perfecting their process, sanitation, equipment usage etc. I make starters with a stir plate and they are just as easy as making them in a mason jar with the exception that I getter better growth in the same amount of time.

Halbrust said:

I don't like this! Starters are retarded easy. Starters the way they are done by many HBT members are hard.

To make a starter you pitch your yeast into a mason jar 3/4 full of unboiled wort. Shake it every 10 minutes or so while you boil and cool. Your yeast has probably doubled in numbers and is ready to attack your wort and make it into beer.

If you do the super compliucated stir plate/flask/voodoo route that some do you'll make a great starter. I'll even agree it's a better starter than without. But you can make a fine starter without any of that equipment.

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I think if you are pitching yeast into unboiled wort and then boiling it, you are screwing up royally! Yes, starters are super easy but this advice is just plain wrong! To make a starter add 4 cups water/1 cup DME and boil for 10 min. Cool to 70F-ish transfer into a jar or something and shake it everytime you walk by it. 24 hours later you have a perfect ~1 liter starter. Nothing to it.

WildGingerBrewing said:

I think if you are pitching yeast into unboiled wort and then boiling it, you are screwing up royally! Yes, starters are super easy but this advice is just plain wrong! To make a starter add 4 cups water/1 cup DME and boil for 10 min. Cool to 70F-ish transfer into a jar or something and shake it everytime you walk by it. 24 hours later you have a perfect ~1 liter starter. Nothing to it.

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I'm not boiling the starter
I'm saying I make the starter while I boil and chill the wort.

Halbrust said:

I'm not boiling the starter
I'm saying I make the starter while I boil and chill the wort.

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haha I understand that. But somebody that didn't know howto make a starter wouldn't

Halbrust said:

I'm not boiling the starter
I'm saying I make the starter while I boil and chill the wort.

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So are you making a starter while brewing? I would think it needs a good 24 hours minimum to reproduce and make enough happy yeast cells that they'll just go in and attack that wort making delicious beer. Of course my first starter was made 24 hours ago and is sitting around looking dead so Im no expert.

As to the OP, I would tend more towards some of the posts recommending you go dry yeast for now. It's just one more variable to figure out and learn about. At this point you should focus on process, sanitation, fermentation temps, etc. If you want to go liquid yeast, go for it, it's not that hard or complicated. But if this business about starters has you wondering and asking questions....well then I would go dry yeast, and while that one is fermenting you can look up more.

Good advice from Odin. Or just buy a Wyeast smack pack and smack it. There was a time that I never made starters, I just added the smacked pack once the wort cooled down to pitching temps. Simple. I'm not saying it's ideal, but it's beer man. Just make it. If you screw up, you still get beer!

I don't have numbers to back it up. But I know a 2 hour starter makes good beer and starrts fermenting quickly after pitching.

I was taught/told that doing it as I described gives the yeast a low gravity environment of identical sugars.

There will be "some" growth for sure. I believe it will be a fair amount, and guess it is substantial (why I said double).

Halbrust said:

I don't have numbers to back it up. But I know a 2 hour starter makes good beer and starrts fermenting quickly after pitching.

I was taught/told that doing it as I described gives the yeast a low gravity environment of identical sugars.

There will be "some" growth for sure. I believe it will be a fair amount, and guess it is substantial (why I said double).

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Sounds like another yeast experiment for Woodland Brewing.

At 2 hours, I wouldn't call it making a starter, I would call it wasting time and precious wort. I'm sure you make great beer, but it would probably be just as good if you skipped the 2 hour yeast thing. I'm not knocking your process, just your nomenclature. A yeast starter is meant to check yeast viability and/or increase the cell count, I don't think you will accomplish either in just 2 hours. Depending on the differences in temperature, pH and sugar concentrations, it could take the yeast 2 hours just to get over the environmental change and get to work. But, if it works for you then stick with it.

+1 on sticking with dry for a little while and working on process. Once you are comfortable with the other variables, from the wort creation to the fermentation, step up to starters and taste the difference for yourself. I find the incremental "wow, it got even better when I did this" revelations as you try your next batch where you ironed out/improved a specific aspect of the process to be satisfying and rewarding. Tasting the difference made by changing one thing really helps you learn why things are done the way they are.

I disagree with sticking to the dry yeast. There is nothing hard in making a starter.

I also disagree with a 2 hour starter, that to me sounds more like you're waking up your yeast and getting them started for the wort. You won't have the proper pitching rate at 2 hours.

I'll use MrMalty or Beersmith to give me an idea as to the size of a starter I need to make. I'm made all my starters without a stir plate (though I am getting one for xmas . I make them 3-4 days in advance depending on the starter. Usually it's 48 - 72 hours in the starter then I crash cool it to get them to drop out. On pitching day I bring it back to room temperature, decant off the yeast cake and pitch the yeast.

Many parts of brewing take time to master, I would not wait until you get them all right all the time. Sanitization is easy...sanitize everyting. Then when it comes to milling, mashing, sparging, boiling..... You'll get the hang of it with every brew you make.