I think I'm done with WYeast

How about a nice Kolsch strain for a good clean beer? As far as I know there is not a good dry alternative for that. I just tried the White Labs Super San Diego Yeast and that seemed like a very clean yeast. Sure you can use US 05 but I always get a pear ester from it. My point was simply that there is not as large of variety from dry yeast. I know I could not have gotten the flavor I wanted from my Lost Abbey Judgment Day clone with a dry yeast. And I think my clone is spot on going by memory.

I haven't seen it said here but the inner pack is just a nutrient. It gives the yeast a small amount of food. The swelling is when the yeast produce some co2. This is only a test for viability. Wyeast even states on their website that the pack may not swell at all and the yeast might still be good.

I have made starters without using the nutrient pack and everything went fine.

In order to get the right cell counts for any but very low gravity beers you need to make a starter.

Can you ferment a batch without making a starter? Yes. There will be a lag time while the yeast reproduce to cell counts sufficient to ferment the wort.
When you under pitch and nothing happens for a couple of days don't blame the yeast. Blame yourself for not pitching enough yeast cells.

Also I read a lot about people tossing starters that they thought didn't go without taking any gravity readings. Sometimes starters ferment fast. I have had some that I did in the evening and were finished by morning. So while I was asleep all of the visible signs of fermentation had occurred and finished.

Learn more about yeast and don't blame the manufacturers for things you do wrong. Wyeast is one of the best yeast producers going.

MarcusKillion said:

So I hear but myself I just want a normal beer and not a beer full of pepper , bananas , pumpkin , fruit or anything else that does not belong in a beer .
but that is just me and some like that stuff . My cousin loves my holiday ale but I think it tastes like a desert of some kind for x mas dinner .
I may just switch over to Pabst Blue Ribbon light . a nice flavorless beer tinted water product . MMMM Good . I don't think it even uses yeast . or grains or ....

Click to expand...

I can't tell if you're trying to be funny, sarcastic, or just either stupid or a jackass there.

Seriously, I'm not making Belgians, so pretty much all those fruit flavors mentioned are NOT present. As I had posted earlier, I didn't like what Wyeast 1469 gave a beer (stone fruit esters) so I won't use it again. There are plenty of other English ale yeasts from Wyeast that I'll use. I might even give some White Labs strains a shot at some point (besides WLP099 which I have used already).

IMO, using one [neutral] yeast, at the exact same temp, for everything is like eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of your life. NO variations on it, just the same thing forever more. Sure, you'll be alive, but is that really living?

Golddiggie said:

I can't tell if you're trying to be funny, sarcastic, or just either stupid or a jackass there.

Click to expand...

I don't believe he came here looking for help, which is quite unfortunate.

Im a bit hesitant of Wyeast now, after i did the same Belgian Hefe with WLP300 and then another with Wyeast 3068 which i believe should be the same strain.

The Wyeast had two packs used because it was a rushed brew(only 3 weeks total until it was for a party) so i couldnt do a starter. It came out with a really pungent sulfur smell that took many weeks in the keg to go away, i never had that problem with the WLP300...maybe just other factors but it was the first time i've used Wyeast so it makes me a bit hesitant.

FuzzeWuzze said:

Im a bit hesitant of Wyeast now, after i did the same Belgian Hefe with WLP300 and then another with Wyeast 3068 which i believe should be the same strain.

The Wyeast had two packs used because it was a rushed brew(only 3 weeks total until it was for a party) so i couldnt do a starter. It came out with a really pungent sulfur smell that took many weeks in the keg to go away, i never had that problem with the WLP300...maybe just other factors but it was the first time i've used Wyeast so it makes me a bit hesitant.

Click to expand...

Don't you think with the thousands and thousands of people on here that use Wyeast, if there was a problem we would know about it already?

Here is my take on the matter. Yes, I've done a lot of research on yeast, if for nothing else, the idea of a starter made no sense to me at first. "Why start a yeast in something that is already wort, just to add it to more wort later. What was the point?" I always asked myself. Then yeah, I finally grasped the concept of underpitching and the stress it can cause. So far, as a beginner (August 2012) I find myself liking beers I can make with the cleanest yest possible. So, I've been pretty good with the dry strains available. And so far I want to stick there. I haven't been able to justify to myself the cost of using a liquid yeast, then building a starter, then possibly another to get it to pitching vitality. Yeah, maybe I just like eating eggs and bacon every morning. I guess it suits me. Especially when I can get those bacon and eggs for $3 as opposed to possible $10 by the time it's ready for a possibly different flavor.

Granted, I haven't brewed anything yet that has called for anything I can't get dry. So, that's probably why I haven't yet, but will eventually go for a liquid strain. If I'm using a simple Ale yeast though, and have the option to go with US-05 dry, I see no reason to go with a liquid version and spend 2 - 3 times as much for the same result.

I think liquids are great for getting that special flavor you can't find in a dry yeast, but in head to head, apples to apples comparison, I've seen no reason to go to a liquid yeast yet. Take this with a grain of salt though. I'm only 4 batches into all-grain. Eventually I'm sure I will need a liquid yeast strain that doesn't exist dry. For my needs now though, producing what I want to drink at this time, I personally see no reason to spend more for what works perfect in a dry version. Liquid versions definitely have their place, but if there is a dry version available for what I'm brewing, that is my first choice above and beyond anything else.

pabloj13 said:

Don't you think with the thousands and thousands of people on here that use Wyeast, if there was a problem we would know about it already?

Click to expand...

Yea im not saying i will never use them again, but it will definatly be in the back of my mind if I have less than stellar results with whatever my next Wyeast brew is...

Both of my LBS primarily carry White Labs, and any Wyeast they have are the same price.

mccumath said:

I don't believe he came here looking for help, which is quite unfortunate.

Click to expand...

nope . was not looking for help on this . Just giving my opinion on a thread entitled " I think I am done with Wyeast "
Like I said . May have just been my bad luck for a couple times or did something wrong perhaps but I just do not like the stuff.
Now as far as help goes I read every reply and soak up the good info contained and if I decide to try some more liquid yeast I will refer back to what I have read here.

Just so as not to make another reply taking up space I will also reply as to eating the same thing for breakfast every day . I like that . I like to drink a lot of nut brown that I do how ever change up the grain bill and hops a bit on each time but use the same yeast normally . I also toss in some other types jsut to try them out . Pilsner dry hopped , canadian dry hopped , other various kits and recipies but my most often drank is nut brown .
heck I drank colt 45 every day for many years and still liked it every time .

This thread is funny. If your yeast is old. If it's been unrefrigerated for a long period of time, or hit high temps. If you don't know how to make a starter or properly care for it....it's not going to work. Wyeast didn't do any of that. Wyeast pac man is my house yeast and it's awesome.

Edit: Wyeast has hundreds of strains. Saying "I don't like Wyeast" is like saying I don't like gasoline, when maybe the reality is you got a bad tank of gas from a shady gas station.

I love this thread. Lots of experienced homebrewers and professionals talking realistically about how yeast effects beer. Ie: flavor, color, smell, floculation, attenuation, clarity. And a ton of noobs who think yeast is a simple issue. In one post somebody will complain about a beer being too sweet and then say that he likes his yeast. Hilarious. If your beer is not awesome, and you are simply dumping dry yeast in it will be hard to improve. Understanding the yeast life cycle and learning to nurture your yeast will give you the tools to fine tune your process to get a result you like.

At a minimum, for those of you using dry yeast, at least look into the importance of pre-hydrating the yeast, understanding its level of attenuation, its proper temp range and what types of esters the yeast will produce.

Good luck to all.

ps: There are a lot of mentions of US-05 on this forum. Surely a decent clean fermenting yeast. I challenge anyone who uses this yeast to ferment a beer with wyeast 1272 at 68 degrees and tell me the flavor isn't cleaner, you didn't achieve the same attenuation and the real benefit is that this yeast flocculates extremely well when given a wort that has undergone a strong boil.

HopLife said:

I love this thread. Lots of experienced homebrewers and professionals talking realistically about how yeast effects beer. Ie: flavor, color, smell, floculation, attenuation, clarity. And a ton of noobs who think yeast is a simple issue. In one post somebody will complain about a beer being too sweet and then say that he likes his yeast. Hilarious. If your beer is not awesome, and you are simply dumping dry yeast in it will be hard to improve. Understanding the yeast life cycle and learning to nurture your yeast will give you the tools to fine tune your process to get a result you like.

At a minimum, for those of you using dry yeast, at least look into the importance of pre-hydrating the yeast, understanding its level of attenuation, its proper temp range and what types of esters the yeast will produce.

Good luck to all.

ps: There are a lot of mentions of US-05 on this forum. Surely a decent clean fermenting yeast. I challenge anyone who uses this yeast to ferment a beer with wyeast 1272 at 68 degrees and tell me the flavor isn't cleaner, you didn't achieve the same attenuation and the real benefit is that this yeast flocculates extremely well when given a wort that has undergone a strong boil.

Click to expand...

IMO/IME, yeast selection is just as important (more so in many cases) than any other single ingredient in a batch. The only thing that comes close to being as important (or maybe even equal) is the water you brew with. Not taking care with either will give you less than desired results without blinking. I filter my water at home (under sink unit) that gives me great brews. I also know how to yeast wrangle, to get the best from the beautiful beasties...