Using yeast other than recommended...

So, I have been saving my yeast from various batches in order to save $7.00 on liquid y east. If I use a different yeast, say "White Labs Irish Ale" yeast instead of California Ale V will I have bad results? The beer i'm going to make is arrogant bastart or an IPA.

Is there a guide to yeast strains and how they taste?

Mike-H said:

So, I have been saving my yeast from various batches in order to save $7.00 on liquid y east. If I use a different yeast, say "White Labs Irish Ale" yeast instead of California Ale V will I have bad results? The beer i'm going to make is arrogant bastart or an IPA.

Is there a guide to yeast strains and how they taste?

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I've noticed that, to a certain extent, the characteristics that strains give to the beer are intensely subtle. Many of what I consider to be middle-of-the-road ale yeast strains, they don't vary that much from strain to strain. Where I've noticed the most difference is with hefe/wheat/wit yeasts, and with belgian abbey strains.

As for "screwing up" a beer, that's very hard to do just by subbing yeast strains. The only conceivable way I could think you'd screw it up is if you were going for a very specific style, like Bavarian Hefeweizen, and you used a spicy belgian abbey strain, etc. Especially if you were entering it in a competition. But even if you were to make such a crazy substitution, it would still be great beer (all other things being equal), as I'm sure that not too many people are sitting around their bar at home worrying about the stylistic inequities of a batch as compared to the BJCP guidelines.

In your case, USE THE FREAKIN' YEAST, baby! An Irish Ale strain will be great for an IPA or Arrogant Bastard clone.

Thanks for the reassurance. That is exactly what I figured.

I would go to White Labs' site and compare the key characteristics of the two strains, make sure that the attenuation of one isn't dramatically different than the other for example. I've been tending to stick with dry yeast anyway, as I just want something clean, simple, cheap, and effective.

Other than attenuation, in an IPA it would be very difficult to notice the difference between these two yeasts. The Irish might have problems if you push the ABV too high.

the_bird said:

I've been tending to stick with dry yeast anyway, as I just want something clean, simple, cheap, and effective.

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Nottingham, my friend . . . . Nottingham.

Yup. Nottingham and Safale-56. Haven't failed me yet!