Two questions on dry yeast

I'll preface this by saying I've searched the forums for the answer and haven't found satisfactory answers...

1. Why would I ever buy WLP001 over US-05? I've only purchased White Labs yeast so far in my brewing experience until recently. WLP001 is 4x more expensive at my LHBS on a per-cell basis and they're supposedly the same strain.

2. Everyone on these forums respond to questions about starters and dry yeast by saying there's no reason to. However, listening to Jamil's podcast, he explained that a benefit to starters, aside from increasing cell count, is that you get the yeast already producing the necessary enzymes to break down malt. So wouldn't that apply to dry yeast as well? It seems that's enough reason to make a starter...to reduce lag time when pitching. So are there any reasons NOT to do a starter with dry yeast other than it's perhaps unnecessary?

Cheers!

S-05 = Wyeast 1056 = WL ?? (someone will fill this in hopefully).

Making a starter with dry yeast is not necessary because it is easier (and cheaper, usually) to just open a second pkt of dry yeast. Rehydrate the yeast and you're good to go. I've used lots of liquid and dry, and I'm here to tell you that the dry is ready to rip if rehydrated. If you want to make a starter, though, more power to you, it can only help.

They will consume nutrients that normally would be nutrients + 5 gallons of wart let's reproduce and chow down. Instead they consume nutrients + ,25 gallons of wart and say where the he'll is dinner?

That supposed to say wort I blame my iphone

Oh and hell not he'll. Like I would take the time to find a freaking apostrophe.

passedpawn said:

S-05 = Wyeast 1056 = WL ?? (someone will fill this in hopefully).

Click to expand...

As the OP said it's WLP001.

For that yeast I'd go S-05, or cultivate from SNPA.

Dry yeast supposedly has all the nutrients it needs to start. Using a starter defeats that. Not sure about the details.

I generally use liquid yeast, because most strains I use are not available in dry. Since I freeze, save some of the initial strain, and harvest/re-use my yeast, it works out pretty cheap.

Really no reason to make a starter with dry yeast, the manufacturer goes to great lengths to load up the nutrient reserves of the dry yeast so why waste that with a starter? The only reason I ever do a starter is to build cell count for pitching when using liquid yeast which I only use when I need a special strain such as Wyeast 1469 for my special bitter

MikeSteele said:

I'll preface this by saying I've searched the forums for the answer and haven't found satisfactory answers...

1. Why would I ever buy WLP001 over US-05? I've only purchased White Labs yeast so far in my brewing experience until recently. WLP001 is 4x more expensive at my LHBS on a per-cell basis and they're supposedly the same strain.

Click to expand...

You simply don't. Some people note differences between the liquid and dry. Some say there is none. Try both and if you find the dry equivalent satisfactory, you stick with it. Personally (because it wouldn't be a HBT post if I didn't give an opinion), dry is exactly the same thing, only cheaper.

2. Everyone on these forums respond to questions about starters and dry yeast by saying there's no reason to. However, listening to Jamil's podcast, he explained that a benefit to starters, aside from increasing cell count, is that you get the yeast already producing the necessary enzymes to break down malt. So wouldn't that apply to dry yeast as well? It seems that's enough reason to make a starter...to reduce lag time when pitching. So are there any reasons NOT to do a starter with dry yeast other than it's perhaps unnecessary?

Cheers!

Click to expand...

The reason you make a starter is to insure proper cell count, yeast health and viability. You can do all of this with rehydratation and pitching multiple packs if need be.

Thanks for the responses. It seems to me that unless I want a specific strain from White Labs or Wyeast that I can't get dry, there's no great reason liquid.

MikeSteele said:

Thanks for the responses. It seems to me that unless I want a specific strain from White Labs or Wyeast that I can't get dry, there's no great reason liquid.

Click to expand...

That's my approach in a nutshell. And I'm starting to reuse/wash yeast this month to save on the liquid yeasts I know I'll use repeatedly.

I use Nottingham, S04 and S05 usually. 04 for English ale, 05 for American and Nottingham for anything I don't want yeast flavour in... and it's cheap. Got a pumpkin ale on the go now, rehydrated and Mr malty pitch rate and its showing signs (air lock bubbles and krausen) in under 6 hours.

As for liquid, I've used 1 vial of wlp550 for 4 batches and still got some washed. I sometimes save wort in the freezer to make starters with.

Also got some wlp300 which I washed to use going forward. I'd like to try harvesting from bottles some time soon as an experiment.

So all in all... dry for most, liquid for special styles.

I did a split batch once. Split a 10 gallon batch of APA, fermented 5 gallons of it with a rehydrated pack of US-05 and the other with a healthy yeast starter of Wyeast 1056 (WLP 001 Equivelant). I am here to tell you the differences between the two beers was very obvious. The US-05 beer was drier, more hop presence, not as smooth, and some detected dead yeast odor (very faint). The 1056 turned out at the same final gravity, but seemed to have more body. There was less hop flavor, but the beer was more balanced, and no apparent flaws in the aroma. I did this comparison as scientific as I could and did completely blind taste tests. The US-05 is great if you don't want the extra cost of the yeast and the work involved in making a starter, it will make good beer. If you were going to enter it into a competition however, I would err on the side of caution and use the liquid yeast culture, may give you the edge you need to win some ribbons! Just my $.02

I find that the few times I did use the dry yeasts, I got too much yeast bite and the beer turned out awful to say the least. Maybe it was my process or its psychological but I don't like using dry yeast.

When I use US-05 I get a 'peachy' flavor that is not present in 001 or 1056.