What are the benefits of liquid yeast compared to dry?

[MrSpiffy]

It depends. If it's a relatively small starter in a 5 gallon batch, I just toss it all in. But for a large starter (like for lagers), I chill the starter and then decant the spent wort before pouring into my wort. A small starter won't really matter in 5 gallons of wort. But if it's a 4 liter starter, I don't want oxidized hopless beer added to my wort, so I decant it.

Sounds easy enough! Thanks again!

How many smack packs do you think they would sell if they told you that you had to buy a 2L flask and a stir plate and had to find time to make a starter a couple days in advance to get the same pitch rate as a single pack of dry yeast? Marketing must know what they are doing

I dunno. I'd still use liquid yeast. In fact, I'll still get a flask. You don't NEED a stir plate, but you'll need less starter to get the same amount of yeast if you do use one. (At least, according to Mr. Malty.) You could even just shake it up every so often.

 

[By-Tor]

I personally like liquid yeasts for the variety and the feeling that I'm brewing "the right way". That's just how I feel

What is brewing the right way? There are poeople in South America who start fermenting by stiring with a stick they have had for many years. Held within the crevices of this stick is there path to full fermentaton, every time.

 

[Darwin18]

I personally like liquid yeasts for the variety and the feeling that I'm brewing "the right way". That's just how I feel

What is brewing the right way? There are poeople in South America who start fermenting by stiring with a stick they have had for many years. Held within the crevices of this stick is there path to full fermentaton, every time.

Let me help you with that, since you obviously didn't read the rest of my quote.

I personally like liquid yeasts for the variety and the feeling that I'm brewing "the right way". That's just how I feel - nothing like progating liquid yeast, making a great starter, and seeing it take off a couple hours after pitching. I never got that feeling sprinkling packets of dry yeast into the wort. There is nothing wrong with dry yeast and it makes excellent beer, just how I feel. Your opinions will vary.

 

[By-Tor]

"The right way" is what works i suppose. Or what you like best.

 

[jbsg02]

From listening to the brewing network, liquid yeasts are able to use some of their "reserves" to keep themselves healthy, which is one of the reasons they need a starter with lots of oxygen to replenish it. Dry yeasts can't keep themselves healthy after they are dried and yeast health could be a bigger concern.

 

[Denny]

Look, you don't have to believe mrmalty, Wyeast, or anybody but yourself. Make a batch direct pitching a smack pack. Then brew exactly the same recipe again and use a correctly sized starter. Do a blind triangle tasting and decide which one you prefer. That's what I did to reach my conclusion. I've made starters for every batch since.

 

[MrSpiffy]

Denny, that's a great thing to try. It's better than just believing what other people say. Making two batches (or splitting a batch in half) and pitching separately like you did is a perfect test to really see if it makes a difference.

After reading Mr. Malty, it makes a lot of sense that pitch rates matter. Tired yeast can't work as well. The starter helps the yeast perform at an optimum level during fermentation. If only I had known this before I made my first batches, I would have definitely made a starter for each.

 

[Heavyfoot]

What I'd like to know is why wyeast wouldn't just make smack packs with the right number of cells to make a starter totally unnecessary for normal gravity beers. Can't see it costing that much more per pack to produce. I'd pay a buck or two more to not have to make a starter.

 

[TimTrone]

What I'd like to know is why wyeast wouldn't just make smack packs with the right number of cells to make a starter totally unnecessary for normal gravity beers. Can't see it costing that much more per pack to produce. I'd pay a buck or two more to not have to make a starter.

The moment the packs are made I'd bet that there's a sufficient amount of cells for average brews. However, even in the best case it still takes about a month or two for it to reach the consumer. In that time some of the viability goes down.

Making a starter only takes 15-20 minutes, but I understand people don't always have free time. I use dry yeast anytime I would be using 1056(05) or 002(04).

 

[Special Hops]

Only advantage to liquid yeast IMO is that it has lots more variety you can't get with dry.

Dry is cheaper & easier.

I use dry for 80% of my beers. Only liquid when I am making something using a strain not available in dry form.

 

[jsmcclure007]

The variety of yeast strains is amazing. The immediate feedback verifying viability is very. Reassuring Dry yeast is probably just great for most stuff. I like to "feel" a puffy yeast bag prio4 to pitching. If I was a starving student it might not be worth it but, for the time being, it's worth it. It's all good

 

[tom_gamer]

This could totally be in my head but all beers/meads that I have made with liquid have turned out much better than with dry. Again this could be an accident.

 

[Denny]

What I'd like to know is why wyeast wouldn't just make smack packs with the right number of cells to make a starter totally unnecessary for normal gravity beers. Can't see it costing that much more per pack to produce. I'd pay a buck or two more to not have to make a starter.

According to what Wyeast has said, it would cost enough more to make an impact.

 

[Denny]

However, even in the best case it still takes about a month or two for it to reach the consumer. In that time some of the viability goes down.

That depends on where you live. I've gotten smack packs with dates only a day or 2 before I receive them.

 

[Wobbegong]

That depends on where you live. I've gotten smack packs with dates only a day or 2 before I receive them.

Agreed. I regularly see smack packs just a few days old at my LHBS.

 

[TimTrone]

You guys are lucky. My LHBS doesn't sell any out of date yeasts, but they're all at least a month old. I've gotten a few packs online that we're about a week old, but that was rare.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

How many smack packs do you think they would sell if they told you that you had to buy a 2L flask and a stir plate and had to find time to make a starter a couple days in advance to get the same pitch rate as a single pack of dry yeast? Marketing must know what they are doing

... And, once you have all that equipment you might as well pick up some mason jars and start ranching... Another yeast customer bites the dust!!!

 

[johnp]

You can harvest and wash liquid yeast and get a few batches out of 1
smackpack or vial for about 7 bucks.That`s the advantage if there is any
plus diversity.But US-05 is the cheapest most reliable yeast I have ever used
at about 3 bucks a pack,also fits many styles.

You can't wash and reuse dry yeast?

 

[stratslinger]

You can't wash and reuse dry yeast?

Sure you can... It's just that dry yeast tends to be so inexpensive that most folks don't bother.