Hey guys, I am getting ready to do my first extract, an American brown ale and I'm really searching through alot of info on different yeast strands. So I am wondering what is your favorite yeast and why and does anyone know of any good sites out there that could help.. Thanks also any suggestions on what to use?
What yeast are you using?
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LovesIPA
Well-Known Member
Yeast guide: http://www.yeastcalc.com/guide%20to%20yeast.htm
Make sure you use a yeast calculator and pitch the correct amount of yeast. One smack-pack, vial, or dry packet isn't enough for a 5 gallon batch.
For an ale, you can't go wrong with WY1056 or WLP001.
Make sure you use a yeast calculator and pitch the correct amount of yeast. One smack-pack, vial, or dry packet isn't enough for a 5 gallon batch.
For an ale, you can't go wrong with WY1056 or WLP001.
People do have favorite yeast strains but each style of beer will have match yeast strains...though you can use any yeast for any beer, it just won't come out exactly like that style. My favorite yeast could be a hefe yeast. You wouldn't really want to use that for a brown ale.
Lately I have been using US-05 dry yeast.
Lately I have been using US-05 dry yeast.
homebrewhaha
Well-Known Member
American Brown I'd probably go pretty basic like Safale US-05, Wyeast 1056 American Ale, or White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast.
The manufacturer websites are really great for getting basic information on different strains like optimal fermentation temperature, etc.
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_strains.html
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm
http://www.fermentis.com/brewing/homebrewing/product-range/
The manufacturer websites are really great for getting basic information on different strains like optimal fermentation temperature, etc.
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_strains.html
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm
http://www.fermentis.com/brewing/homebrewing/product-range/
kombat
Well-Known Member
First time brewing? Just rehydrate and pitch 1 packet of Fermentis US-05.
LovesIPA gave good advice, but it might be a little overwhelming for a brand new brewer. For your first time, just go with a foolproof dry yeast with good attenuation and a neutral profile, like US-05. You have lots of time to explore liquid yeasts after you nail down your basics.
LovesIPA gave good advice, but it might be a little overwhelming for a brand new brewer. For your first time, just go with a foolproof dry yeast with good attenuation and a neutral profile, like US-05. You have lots of time to explore liquid yeasts after you nail down your basics.
homebrewhaha
Well-Known Member
FYP. One is enough for low gravity beers.
Brulosopher
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WLP090 San Diego Super yeast is fantastic!
LovesIPA
Well-Known Member
Until I started doing some reading on yeast, I thought this was true too. The more I learn about this hobby, the more I realize how little I know about it.
You can ferment a 1.060 beer with a single pack/vial of yeast but the correct amount of yeast to pitch for that beer is about 200 billion cells. One package contains 100 B cells on the date it was processed and packaged but that number continues to drop as time passes. By the time three months have gone by, the number of viable yeast cells has dropped by roughly 50%.
But kombat is right, if you're just getting started, pitch one package of yeast and call it good. You will still make good beer. Just be aware that if you want to make great beer, pitching the correct amount of yeast is critical.
Rehydrating dry yeast can cut lag time. and it isn't hard to do. This wakes the yeast up & gives it strong cell walls foe being pitched into heavy wort to do it's thing.
Boil 1.5C of water in a small saucepan for a couple minutes. Cover & cool down to 90F. Pour into glass measuring cup to make it easy to pour later. Pour dry yeast packet in & stir lightly to mix with sanitized implement of your choice. cover with plastic wrap & let it work for 30 minutes. Go get fermenter santized,wort & top off in FV,whatever while you wait for the yeast to hydrate. When ready to pitch,make sure the resulting yeast cream is within 10 degrees of current wort temp. Maybe ad some of the wort a little bit at a time,mix,& check with thermometer & repeat till it's within 10 degrees of wort temp. But this must be done gradually,a little bit at a time to acclimate the yeast to the wort temp. This way,the yeast dosen't shock when added to the much cooler wort.
As a point of interest,If I hadn't over chilled the darn wort on my dark pseudo-lager,the WL029 yeast would've started fermenting about as fast straight out of the vial as the lighter colored one did with a starter. It did say on the White Labs vial that pitching the vial is good for up to 1.070 wort. I think if the vial is fairly fresh,that this is basically true. I got 2 vials of the WL029 with a previous order from midwest. Since they have high turnover,I have to assume from it's performance that it was pretty fresh.
Boil 1.5C of water in a small saucepan for a couple minutes. Cover & cool down to 90F. Pour into glass measuring cup to make it easy to pour later. Pour dry yeast packet in & stir lightly to mix with sanitized implement of your choice. cover with plastic wrap & let it work for 30 minutes. Go get fermenter santized,wort & top off in FV,whatever while you wait for the yeast to hydrate. When ready to pitch,make sure the resulting yeast cream is within 10 degrees of current wort temp. Maybe ad some of the wort a little bit at a time,mix,& check with thermometer & repeat till it's within 10 degrees of wort temp. But this must be done gradually,a little bit at a time to acclimate the yeast to the wort temp. This way,the yeast dosen't shock when added to the much cooler wort.
As a point of interest,If I hadn't over chilled the darn wort on my dark pseudo-lager,the WL029 yeast would've started fermenting about as fast straight out of the vial as the lighter colored one did with a starter. It did say on the White Labs vial that pitching the vial is good for up to 1.070 wort. I think if the vial is fairly fresh,that this is basically true. I got 2 vials of the WL029 with a previous order from midwest. Since they have high turnover,I have to assume from it's performance that it was pretty fresh.
beergolf
Well-Known Member
Here is an interesting link about the different yeast strains (White Labs-Wyeast) and which commercial breweries use which yeast.
http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm
http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm
Saved that bad boy for later! Thanks golf. I must say also that the WL029 German ale/kolsh yeast I used on the current two batches is the steadiest fermenter I've ever experienced! 1 light colored,the other dark "pseudo-lagers". OG's were 1.055 light,1.046 dark. The bubbles from the start right till the end of initial fermentation were like very evenly timed short machinegun bursts. And I mean constant,evenly timed machine gun bursts. Like it was friggin programmed or something. The Fermenator. Man,if White Labs other yeasts are like that,I'll be buying more to wash like I will these two batches worth of the WL029. Might just try the Burton yeast next,since I have the Burton water salts already. I'm already thinking of modding my Buckeye Burton ale recipe to PM for some more flavor complexities I have in mind.
But it's def NOT gunna be cheap,as it already has two cans & a three pound bag of extracts in it. Add a PM,& double the hops,& well,....
:cross:
But it's def NOT gunna be cheap,as it already has two cans & a three pound bag of extracts in it. Add a PM,& double the hops,& well,....
:cross:
I would just toss in a pack of Safale US-05 dry. You won't be dissapointed
Xpertskir
Well-Known Member
The US-05 advice is good for your situation. Its a forgiving and all purpose yeast, and using dry for your first few times will remove some variables for you.
To answer your questions my favorite and house yeast is WLP007
It ferments fast
Floculates fast
Gives great attenuation
If you ferment low, its extremely neutral
If you ferment in the medium to high 60's you can get typical English ale esters
A lot of popular and good breweries agree with me...Surly is a shining example and Stone as well they both use this as their house strain.
To answer your questions my favorite and house yeast is WLP007
It ferments fast
Floculates fast
Gives great attenuation
If you ferment low, its extremely neutral
If you ferment in the medium to high 60's you can get typical English ale esters
A lot of popular and good breweries agree with me...Surly is a shining example and Stone as well they both use this as their house strain.
LoloMT7
Well-Known Member
I'm with you Xpertskir I like WLP007 it is an excellent choice us-05 i don't like myself. A lot depends on your recipe. Lots of types out there though. Over/under pitching is another subject altogether but some threads I've seen say it is worse to over pitch yeast then to under pitch though and when was the last time you counted to a billion anyways.. no one ever pitches the right amount of yeast that said i do make starters for my liquid yeast to make sure they are viable etc...
that said i do make starters for my liquid yeast to make sure they are viable etc...feinbera
Well-Known Member
+1 on the US-05 -- if this is your first batch, there are going to be a ton of variables, a yeast that "just works" will take some of them out of the equation.
(also, it does make good beer... I'm seven batches in, two all-grain, and I still go to my trusty packet of US-05 when it's time to pitch)
Finally, something I wish somebody had told me before I did my first batch -- no matter what it says on the packet, keep that sucker between 60° and 65° during the active phase of fermentation, unless you want a cloudy beer that tastes like banana!
(also, it does make good beer... I'm seven batches in, two all-grain, and I still go to my trusty packet of US-05 when it's time to pitch)
Finally, something I wish somebody had told me before I did my first batch -- no matter what it says on the packet, keep that sucker between 60° and 65° during the active phase of fermentation, unless you want a cloudy beer that tastes like banana!
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