yeast
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Baron von BeeGee
Beer Bully
Many, many more varieties is the main advantage.
there are more varieties of yeast avaialble in liquid form.
the disadvantages of liquid are that it's a lot more expensive and you get less yeast (which means you are best off making a starter for the yeast so that you have a LOT more yeast to pitch into the beer.)
-walker
the disadvantages of liquid are that it's a lot more expensive and you get less yeast (which means you are best off making a starter for the yeast so that you have a LOT more yeast to pitch into the beer.)
-walker
Walker said:
I thought that the number of cells in a vial of white labs liquid yeast was supposed to outnumber the cells in an average yeast "packet" . . . .
Was I fed misinformation?
What I do know is this . . . . once I started buying liquid yeast (and buying the type of liquid yeast best suitable for the style of brew that I was doing), the flavor of my homebrew increased exponentially . . . like yeast in a starter
Number of cells that you purchase is pretty irrelevant if you make a starter properly. IMO
sonvolt said:I thought that the number of cells in a vial of white labs liquid yeast was supposed to outnumber the cells in an average yeast "packet" . . . .
Was I fed misinformation?
Not sure. ONE of us has it backward, though.
-walker
cweston
Well-Known Member
sonvolt said:
I think so, yeah.
Agree with all who have extolled the virtues of liquid yeast.
This may be a coincidence, but the one and only time I've had to use dry yeast, that batch also picked up a touch of wild yeast. It could have been a sanitization problem, but supposedly some dry yeasts are prepared under less strict conditions that Wyeast or White Labs.
Liquid yeast is more expensive, has a much shorter shelf life, and requires more tightly controlled storage conditions than dried yeast. Some liquid yeasts may not have an adequate cell count for pitching a 5 gallon batch, but making a starter a few days in advance can overcome that problem. Those are the only disadvantages to liquid yeast that I am aware of.
I have heard (and I believe that it is true) that the stresses imposed in drying a dried yeast causes that yeast to behave rather differently than the original when it is rehydrated.
I do know that using a viable liquid yeast, or yeast cultured from a naturally conditioned beer has consistently produced better tasting brews for me than dried yeasts.
I have had a few liquid yeasts that were not viable, and would not ferment, but my HBS refunded me my money on them.
I always use liquid or cultured yeasts by choice, but I keep a few packets of dried yeasts for emergencies.
Hope this helps
-a.
I have heard (and I believe that it is true) that the stresses imposed in drying a dried yeast causes that yeast to behave rather differently than the original when it is rehydrated.
I do know that using a viable liquid yeast, or yeast cultured from a naturally conditioned beer has consistently produced better tasting brews for me than dried yeasts.
I have had a few liquid yeasts that were not viable, and would not ferment, but my HBS refunded me my money on them.
I always use liquid or cultured yeasts by choice, but I keep a few packets of dried yeasts for emergencies.
Hope this helps
-a.
I agree with everything that has been said but I'll be danged if my best beer I've ever made was with dried yeast. To this day I still can't figure out how that happened!
check this out for a description of various yeasts (Wyeast strains) and their flavor profiles:
http://smurman.best.vwh.net/zymurgy/wyeast.html
-walker
http://smurman.best.vwh.net/zymurgy/wyeast.html
-walker
Nice link Walker.
To see the effects of dehydrating and rehydrating, go to the supermarket and try some fresh ground coffee vs instant coffee, or fresh milk vs dried milk.
Then think about the fact that yeast is a living organism. Drying it and then rehydrating, is not a kind thing to do to any living thing. I know I wouldn't be happy if somebody did it to me.
-a.
To see the effects of dehydrating and rehydrating, go to the supermarket and try some fresh ground coffee vs instant coffee, or fresh milk vs dried milk.
Then think about the fact that yeast is a living organism. Drying it and then rehydrating, is not a kind thing to do to any living thing. I know I wouldn't be happy if somebody did it to me.
-a.
Janx
Well-Known Member
In my experience, liquid yeast just makes better, clearer, cleaner tasting beer. Add to that the vast number of varieties availible and it's a no-brainer. Liquid yeast is one of the easiest steps you can take to make your beer better.
You can reuse it for several batches, at which point it doesn't cost much at all. I usually get at least 4 batches from a vial.
And I have always understood that the dry packets have a much higher cell count than liquid. Empirical evidence would suggest the same. So you just make a starter. No biggie.
Cheers
You can reuse it for several batches, at which point it doesn't cost much at all. I usually get at least 4 batches from a vial.
And I have always understood that the dry packets have a much higher cell count than liquid. Empirical evidence would suggest the same. So you just make a starter. No biggie.
Cheers
Brewpastor
Beer, not rocket chemistry
I like the select control that a pure liquid strain offers. Why go to all the trouble designing, say, a Munich Helles and then toss in some generic lager yeast? Kind of like using frozen limeade to make a margaretta. Why bother?
Janx said:And I have always understood that the dry packets have a much higher cell count than liquid. Empirical evidence would suggest the same.
Cheers
But how many of those counted cells are still alive and healthy after being abused by the drying process?
-a.
El Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Can I get an AMEN? :rockin:Brewpastor said:
Janx
Well-Known Member
ajf said:
Well, my understanding is that a LOT more of them than in liquid yeast.
Yeast drying works. Look at bread yeast. Works like a champ. Though I'm sure it is pretty harsh on them and may affect how cleanly they can ferment...maybe that explains the off-flavors dry yeast sometimes gives.
But in an emergency, I have found you can take a dry yeast package, throw it in 10 gallons of beer and have a fermentation within hours. Not so with a vial of White Labs. You really *need* to make a starter with liquid, but not necessarily, in my experience, with dry.
That said, I still much prefer liquid and only keep dry around for emergencies. As BrewPastor said...why bother shortchanging the process when you could so easily use quality yeast?
Cheers
You get about 100 billion viable cells in a dry packet. Most liquid yeasts were 10 billion cells, although the main yeast companies are boosting the number of cells in the liquid containers. Some people believe dried yeasts are less pure, not so.
Most ale yeasts cannot tolerate dehydration nor do they form spores, so the choices are limited. If you like pale ales, then you should accept the cost and fine tune your yeast selection to the style.
I use dried yeasts almost exclusively. They tend to be very neutral, but I'm on the dark side where grain and roastiness rule.
Most ale yeasts cannot tolerate dehydration nor do they form spores, so the choices are limited. If you like pale ales, then you should accept the cost and fine tune your yeast selection to the style.
I use dried yeasts almost exclusively. They tend to be very neutral, but I'm on the dark side where grain and roastiness rule.
