Dry vs Liquid yeast.

[maxbing]

I used my fist liquid yeast on Thursday and it set almost dormant for 48 hours there was nothing on top of the beer it looked like black coffee in the Carboy (Robust Porter). I was planing on posting this morning asking what i did wrong but this morning is foamed up and out the blow off tube.

This is my 6th batch I have been doing well with dry yeast up till now. My question is what is the real difference that dry vs liquid yeast make in the final product?

Thanks

 

[Pivzavod]

With liquid yeast you get more consistent results and for some styles the yeast attributes to the specific taste (Belgians, Hefes, etc). Liquid yeast is a specific strain while dry yeast is just generic yeast.

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

Each yeast strain has a different flavor.
There are many more strains available as liquid because not every strain can tolerate the process used to make dried yeast.

Liquid yeasts have fewer viable cells per vial than are in a packet of dry yeast.
So it takes longer for them to get going.
It is good practice to make a starter to increase the cell count.

 

[chase]

Did you make a starter? That can make a huge difference.

The main difference is the difference in cell number between the two. My understanding (I've never researched this) is that dry yeast packets contain enough viable cells for almost any beer, excluding the really high OG ones. Liquid yeast contain about half as many, and need to made into a starter. The starter roughly doubles the cell count.

Having the proper amount of cells at pitching, is very important. When yeast grow, they produce some off flavors. If you pitch the proper amount of cells, there is less growth, and therefore less off flavors. They also start the fermentation quicker. A wort with sufficient yeast and oxygen, will start fermenting in less than 24 hours, usually more like 12-18. If you under pitch, it can take much longer.

 

[Eischman]

What do you suggest (strain)for a HefeWeizen?

 

[Pivzavod]

Hefe strain

I am getting this kit next week - http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=3480

 

[Maveric777]

What do you suggest (strain)for a HefeWeizen?

I ordered a Whit Labs Hefeweizen Ale Yeast (WLP300) to go with the kit I ordered from MoreBeer.com...

 

[Willy Boner]

There is a big difference between an American Hefeweisen and a real German Hefeweisen. The American ones are more neutral in flavor compared to the clove/banana overtones of the German ones. Just so you know, you may want to sample an imported German one first.

 

[cuinrearview]

+1 on WLP300

 

[maxbing]

Did you make a starter? That can make a huge difference.

The yeast had a inner pack that you break and let it sit for 3 hours while it swelled up.

it was a little cold too 62-65. Could that slow things as well?

 

[Pivzavod]

If it had inner pack then its Wyest Activator. If it swelled up it means you properly activated it and mixed yeast nutrients and no need to make a starter. My last 2 batches have been with liquid yeast and I tried both brands. My next 2/3 batches are with Wyeast Activators and I am planning to use that as my liquid yeast brand. I plan to smack my Hefe Wyeast yeast and leaving it overnight (more then 3-6 hours) and brewing next day. It should let the yeast nutrients kick start the yeasties more. 62-65 should be fine for an ale yeast.

 

[Willy Boner]

I used the Wyeast German Wheat 3333. It made a great ale.

 

[flowerysong]

Liquid yeast is a specific strain while dry yeast is just generic yeast.

No.

Both liquid and dry yeast come in various strains; there is a wider range of yeasts available in liquid form since the ability of different strains to survive the dry yeast production process varies greatly. Danstar's dry Nottingham is a specific strain of yeast just as much as any White Labs product (White Labs even had liquid Nottingham as one of their limited-release selections).

 

[Eischman]

I am a big Hacker-Pschorr fan! But I also Like Goose Islands 312.
Somewhere inbetween would be nice!

 

[CBBaron]

Liquid yeast is a specific strain while dry yeast is just generic yeast.

Wrong! Most of the popular yeasts are specific strains, including US-05, S-04, Nottingham and Windsor. There are some more generic dry yeasts like Muntons and Coopers but I prefer to use the better varieties.

I have read that dry yeast packages may contain small percentages of organisms that are not the yeast strain while the liquid vials are 100% the yeast strain desired. The relative populations make this not a problem for dry yeast products but some people claim the beer produced is more likely to have small off-flavors. A recent episode of Basic Brewing tried to ferment several small batches of hopless beer using different yeasts. The dry yeast beers all ended up with a sour taste while the liquid yeast tasted like unhopped beer. Even a small amount of hops in the brew prevented the sourness. The sample size was small but it seemed to indicate a small difference in quality between the two.

In practical use the high quality dry yeasts like Nottingham, S-04 and US-05 are good yeasts to use for the appropriate beer styles. Liquid yeasts come in many more strains and usually have several different strains for each style, each of which will produce subtle differences.

Craig

 

[Talloak]

I am about to brew a partial mash steam style beer. I purchased a Wyeast 2112 Activator. After I 'smack my pack', should I put it back in the fridge where it is being stored now, or should I store it at pitching temp?

Did I just answer my own question?

 

[Nurmey]

You did just answer your own question. Leave it out.

 

[The Bone2]

Dry yeast = no starter

Liquid Yeast = starter

Wyeast Smack Pack = no starter

 

[ABurgh]

I just ordered Midwest's Irish Stout w/Irish Ale Wyeast Propagator 1084. This will be my first liquid yeast, and planned on making a starter, right?

 

[Yooper]

Yes, with liquid yeast it's good practice to always make a starter.

Oh, I know the package says that it's "pitchable" as is, but that doesn't mean it's optimum. If you want to see some interesting info on pitching rates, check out mrmalty.com and click on the pitching calculator. It takes things like the age of the yeast, the OG of the wort and the optimum pitching rate into account and tells you the recommended amount of a starter to use.

 

[Talloak]

If Wyeast Activators (smack pack) are high quality yeast delivered at pitchable rates, why should I purchase anything else. Assuming I can find every strain I require...

 

[CBBaron]

Dry yeast = no starter

Liquid Yeast = starter

Wyeast Smack Pack = no starter

Wyeast Smack Packs contain no more viable yeast than do WhiteLabs tubes. It is recommend for best results to make a starter with both types. Either format contains less than half as many yeast cells as an 11g dry packet.

The only exception is when you are making a low gravity beer like a Mild then a Smack pack or tube is sufficient. That is not to say it won't work if you direct pitch a Wyeast Smack Pack or Whitelabs tube just that it is not optimal.

Craig

 

[CBBaron]

If Wyeast Activators (smack pack) are high quality yeast delivered at pitchable rates, why should I purchase anything else. Assuming I can find every strain I require...

Wyeast Activators and WhiteLabs both provide high quality yeast in a wide range of strains. The Activator packs and White labs tubes provide similar amounts of yeast. These can be direct pitched but in most cases you will be under pitching if you do so. In most circumstances you should make a starter when using liquid yeast.

Craig

 

[maxbing]

OK I have a question.

If the concern is that if you don't pitch enough yeast there will be off flavors from the the yeast multiplying, wouldn't you get the same off flavors by dumping the starter yeast and wort in your fermentor? I don't understand the difference.

Thanks