Dry Yeast vs Liquid Yeast

I've only used liquid yeast thus far, except for Ed's apfelwein. All of my beers have been using Wyeast or White Labs's yeast strains.

I've heard arguments on either side of which is "best" and have come to the conclusion that different strains are best suited for different jobs.

That said, I've also found that I love harvesting yeast. Does dry least work the same way? Can I re-hydrate dry yeast, step up a starter and bank a dry yeast strain without destroying it's properties?

You can, but most don't bother. dry yeast at $2 a sachet isn't worth the effort to most. But $8 (or more) for a liquid strain...that's worth hanging on to.

malkore' said:

You can, but most don't bother. dry yeast at $2 a sachet isn't worth the effort to most. But $8 (or more) for a liquid strain...that's worth hanging on to.

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Quite true. That's actually the reason I got into yeast banking, because my LHBS charges about $3 a pack for dry yeast (the Montrachet is $1) but $7 for liquid... Knowing I could split that and make MANY more batches for the same price was an integral part of why I never went dry.

It appears that turning "dry" yeast into liquid is no different than turning liquid into liquid... If other can confirm I will begin stocking up on some dry strains also. :rockin:

dry rehydrates into the same yeast as liquid strains.

look at the yeast washing article, or this one: http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/yeast_washing_the_wyeast_way.htm

that layer of whitish sediment is your yeast. it'll look the same whether it started as dry or liquid variety.

keep in mind that dry yeast is often not as pure a strain as liquid. I'd probably only wash it 3 times (4 generations) before ending the family tree.

when I washed my first liquid based yeast cake, I ended up with 4 jars worth...so 4 starters could be made off them, turning $8 into 5 batches...assuming I don't wash again and get another 4 jars of 3rd gen. yeast.

malkore said:

or this one: http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/ye...wyeast_way.htm

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Sweet... I use mason jars too. Sure, it's ghetto, but even my vial causes that damn stirbar to throw when using a 2000ml flask.

malkore said:

dry rehydrates into the same yeast as liquid strains.

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Excellent!

malkore said:

keep in mind that dry yeast is often not as pure a strain as liquid.

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Is this a hard-and-fast certainty? If so, why? Is it just that producing dry yeast (and the lower cost) requires less "prefection" in handling, or because the mix produces better results?

malkore said:

I'd probably only wash it 3 times (4 generations) before ending the family tree.

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GENOCIDE!

No, seriously, I only culture yeast from fresh vials. Eventually, I'll get into the habit of "washing" my own yeast after brewing but my primary reason for doing this was to reduce cost. That means I'd like the "family tree" to be as consistant as possible given my resources. I think branching it at the source is the best way to do so.

Eventually, I will create a strain using what I have. In the meantime, I plan on using only "pure" yeast from the best sources possible.

I don't harvest yeast but I do make a $2 sachet do 2 or 3 brews by using the yeast cake for the next brew.

Dry yeast today is cultured from single cells, and are just as pure as liquid yeasts. Wasn't true 15-20 years ago, but the competition has gotten tougher.