Liquid Yeast..

I live in the Middle of nowhere so I've never been able to consult someone on anything with my brewing.. I've only made a couple batches so far but would really would like to start using better strains of yeast. I have the fear of if the yeast won't turn out right and don't know how to tell. I also wonder what types of yeast people would recommend. I also have to order everything I use offline, but during the winter it would be cold coming through the mail so should I only order different yeasts in the winter?

Thanks for any advice.

First, liquid yeasts are typically shipped with a cold pack making sure they stay viable until they arrive at your door.

Wyeast and White Labs are the two main producers of liquid yeast in the US. Both are excellent and give brewers a nice variety of flavor/aroma profiles that can be imparted into their beers. They typically have a 3-6 month shelf life as long as they are refrigerated. Wyeast are a bit longer.

Good luck!

Thanks so much! Helps a lot!

there really is a LOT of information on the wyeast web page itself, more than I have expected, i would definitely recommend reading there and researching what they have to say about specific strains.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/

In regards to what types to use, that is going to depend a lot on the recipe. Wyeast and White Labs both have dozens of different strains for different styles. For example, here's a list of the strains offered by White Labs:

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_strains.html

A good rule of thumb is use a yeast strain that's similar to the traditional strain for that style. For example, WLP001 is good for American Pale Ales and IPAs, WLP004 for dry stouts, WLP300 for traditional German hefeweizen, etc. But there's really no right or wrong, just "on style" and "not on style". And you can get lots of exciting results using the "wrong" yeast for a particular recipe, so don't feel like your hands are tied.

Also, when you start using liquid yeast, yeast starters are highly recommended both to ensure you're pitching enough yeast, and to ensure it's viable after being shipped. There are lots of resources online about how to make a starter.

This time of year you don't really need a coldpack. Most parts of the country are cold enough. If you decide to wait a few months, then you should add a cold pack to the order. Always keep some dry yeast as a backup and if there is any doubt, please make a starter.

Absolutely venture into liquid yeast. You'll be fine!

Starters are necessary for most beers (at least, if you want really good beer), but they are stupidly easy to make - way easier than beer.