Best dry yeast

[Brienmt]

One of my challenges as a new home brewer is liquid yeast.
I would like to use dry powdered yeast that will store easily and I can measure out for smaller experimental batches.
I feel like I rip open a liquid yeast pack an expose it outside the fridge it’s going to be impossible to keep some of it for the next batch.
Is there good powdered yeast that can be stored and measured for smaller batches?
looking for recommendations.

 

[dmtaylor]

Lots of great dry yeast options.... US-05, S-04, Nottingham, London ESB for ales, and S-189, W-34/70, and Diamond, for lagers, are just a few popular options. And then there are a lot of good Belgian strains like Belle Saison, T-58, BE-256, BE-134, Wit, and for German hefeweizen there is Munich Classic.

So..... take your pick.

 

[odie]

dry is all I use. I harvest and repitch dry yeast several times too.

 

[Brienmt]

Lots of great dry yeast options.... US-05, S-04, Nottingham, London ESB for ales, and S-189, W-34/70, and Diamond, for lagers, are just a few popular options. And then there are a lot of good Belgian strains like Belle Saison, T-58, BE-256, BE-134, Wit, and for German hefeweizen there is Munich Classic.

So..... take your pick.

Thanks still working on a German Hefeweizen heading to the home brew store this weekend. So I’ll grab some Munich classic.

 

[Brienmt]

Any hops suggestions for a good German wheat beer?

 

[JimRausch]

And.....dry yeast is generally cheap enough that you can use a whole package for a small (1 gallon?) batch without feeling you are breaking the bank.

 

[Steveruch]

Lots of great dry yeast options.... US-05, S-04, Nottingham, London ESB for ales, and S-189, W-34/70, and Diamond, for lagers, are just a few popular options. And then there are a lot of good Belgian strains like Belle Saison, T-58, BE-256, BE-134, Wit, and for German hefeweizen there is Munich Classic.

So..... take your pick.

All good choices. FWIW Muntons is a highly underappreciated yeast that comes in 6 gram packs.

 

[dmtaylor]

All good choices. FWIW Muntons is a highly underappreciated yeast that comes in 6 gram packs.

I like that it's cheap, like me. Yes Munton's is a good and overlooked yeast. As long as you don't care about high attenuation.

 

[grampamark]

Any hops suggestions for a good German wheat beer?

Any of the Noble hops-Saaz, Tettnang, Hallertauer Mittlefrüh or Spalt are traditional for German beers.

 

[Toto's]

And.....dry yeast is generally cheap enough that you can use a whole package for a small (1 gallon?) batch without feeling you are breaking the bank.

Well a 11gr of dry yeast is good for 5 Gallons

 

[Birrofilo]

Is there good powdered yeast that can be stored and measured for smaller batches?
looking for recommendations.

Dry yeast is often sold in 10 or 11 grams packets, which are normally sufficient for a 23-litres batch of not extraordinary density. For lagers fermented at typical lager temperatures or for beers with a very high original gravity you should use 2 packets.

If you buy a larger pack and take a small measure out of it, the best course of action IMHO is to use a normal vacuum-sealer of the kind that it is normally used for cheese or ham, so as to suck away all the air, before putting the pack in the freezer.

I don't think opening a dry yeast pack, taking some of it out, and putting the rest in the fridge is a good strategy because the air in the packet could condense in the fridge and leave your yeast wet which is probably not a good thing. Vacuum-sealer and freezer would be my strategy.

 

[Brienmt]

Dry yeast is often sold in 10 or 11 grams packets, which are normally sufficient for a 23-litres batch of not extraordinary density. For lagers fermented at typical lager temperatures or for beers with a very high original gravity you should use 2 packets.

If you buy a larger pack and take a small measure out of it, the best course of action IMHO is to use a normal vacuum-sealer of the kind that it is normally used for cheese or ham, so as to suck away all the air, before putting the pack in the freezer.

I don't think opening a dry yeast pack, taking some of it out, and putting the rest in the fridge is a good strategy because the air in the packet could condense in the fridge and leave your yeast wet which is probably not a good thing. Vacuum-sealer and freezer would be my strategy.

Thanks!

 

[Brienmt]

Any of the Noble hops-Saaz, Tettnang, Hallertauer Mittlefrüh or Spalt are traditional for German beers.

Thank you! Will put on the list

 

[Steveruch]

I like that it's cheap, like me. Yes Munton's is a good and overlooked yeast. As long as you don't care about high attenuation.

The last two times I used it I got FGs of 1.012 in a mild and 1.0105 in a bitter. While not super high attenuation just right for what I wanted.
Both were dated 11/16.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Is there good powdered yeast that can be stored and measured for smaller batches?

I brew a lot of small batches with US-05, S-04, & Nottingham; and occasionally with other Fermentis & Lallemand strains. My experiences are that I can store a partial package in the fridge for a couple of months without a negative impact on the beer. I close the package tightly, secure it with a rubber band, and toss it in the fridge. Dry yeast is hearty and sometimes product information on dry yeast is conservative.

For a 1-ish gal batch, I'll use roughly 2.5 grams (roughly 1/4 of the 11 gram package) - mainly because I don't want to track a partial package of yeast too closely. I've also pitched US-05 / Nottingham at 1.25 grams per gallon with good results.

 

[Immocles]

I brew a lot of small batches with US-05, S-04, & Nottingham; and occasionally with other Fermentis & Lallemand strains. My experiences are that I can store a partial package in the fridge for a couple of months without a negative impact on the beer. I close the package tightly, secure it with a rubber band, and toss it in the fridge. Dry yeast is hearty and sometimes product information on dry yeast is conservative.

For a 1-ish gal batch, I'll use roughly 2.5 grams (roughly 1/4 of the 11 gram package) - mainly because I don't want to track a partial package of yeast too closely. I've also pitched US-05 / Nottingham at 1.25 grams per gallon with good results.

Yep, I have zero problems using previously opened packs of yeast as well. Notty is my main ale yeast and I regularly pitch half of a packet in my 3G batches, and about a fourth of a packet into 1G batches. I fold the top of the packet over a couple times and stick a clip onto it to seal, and it just hangs out in the fridge with the rest of my yeast packets until a recipes calls for it again (generally within 2 months).

 

[Beermeister32]

I always have US-05 and W34/70 packets on hand.

 

[Beenym88]

Dry yeast is so much easier. I have also been reading that a lot of breweries use dry yeast as well. I use 05 or 04 for pretty much everything. However I am one of those people that always gets low attenuation with 04 but 05 is a beast and incredibly reliable. For my hazy IPAs I have been using liquid imperial juice yeast and I really like it but I’m thinking of giving 04 a try next time since liquid costs so much more and you have to make a starter every time. I also don’t harvest and re use my yeast so that’s another reason I like dry. Harvesting is the one thing I still really need to learn.

 

[moorejl57]

...Harvesting is the one thing I still really need to learn.

An easy way to harvest yeast is to make an over sized starter and save some of it in the refrigerator for next time. It is in it's cleanest form as a starter rather than washing the trub off a primary fermentation.

 

[Camelot Legends]

Dry yeast is fine but I don’t buy it anymore. I also never harvest yeast from a batch. I purchased a single pouch of London ale III 2 years ago and all my ales get this yeast. I just feed it the day before I brew and pitch half the 2 liter starter. As for cost Its only about a dollar in DME per batch. I did wash it once though since I started this but other than that it’s not too much work.

 

[lumbergh]

I swirl the last bit of beer in the fermenter to loosen the yeast and dump into mason jar(s) and put in fridge.

 

[khannon]

Look into some of the kviek yeasts.. You can dry a bunch yourself. There are some threads about how to harvest and dry.

 

[IvanCAllen]

35 years ago when i started brewing i tried many dry yeasts, could never get a good clean tasting beer. I switched to liquid and have been there ever since. Are todays dry yeasts better? I would like some opinions, as dry yeasts are certainly handier. Maybe i should try again? Thanks

 

[Steveruch]

35 years ago when i started brewing i tried many dry yeasts, could never get a good clean tasting beer. I switched to liquid and have been there ever since. Are todays dry yeasts better? I would like some opinions, as dry yeasts are certainly handier. Maybe i should try again? Thanks

Dry yeast these days is a good choice, it's much improved from 35 years ago. I rarely use liquid yeast anymore.

 

[lumbergh]

They do make dry kveik yeast. You don't have to pitch much and can put the rest in the fridge. I have only used the Mangrove Jack's kveik (M12 I think). I believe it is the same as the Llalemand voss kveik.

 

[AlexKay]

No love for K97? I use it for alts, cream ale, and grodzieskie. And occasionally SMaSHes and other things. Great stuff.

 

[Immocles]

No love for K97? I use it for alts, cream ale, and grodzieskie. And occasionally SMaSHes and other things. Great stuff.

I'm really hoping to finally use K97 in an alt on a brew day next week.
There's kind of an exciting amount of dry yeasts out there. Like most, I started on dry yeast and switched to liquid. I have decided to switch back because I noticed there was heck of options out there, its cheaper, and they hold up well over time. I was also having issues on repitching slurries made from liquid yeasts, and going back to dry was a better solution for me. Notty and 34/70 are my staples, but I purchased a healthy variety about six months ago (S189, verdant ipa, voss, k97, T58, S33, Windsor).

I'm really hoping that K97 results in being a regular. I'm trying to replace Wyeast 1007.

 

[AlexKay]

I’ve used K97 and 1007 in recipes where everything but the yeast was the same, and the results are really very similar. Maybe K97 takes a bit longer to clear?

 

[Birrofilo]

I have never bought liquid yeast, not just because I still am a beginner and I want to avoid adding another complication, but in general because I havent's seen, so far, a pressing need for it.

For English style ales Fermentis SafAle S-04 and Mangrove Jack's M15 Empire Ale Yeast are sufficient for my needs.

For clean fermentations Fermentis SafAle US-05 is a solid product.

For Belgian styles Fermentis SafAle T-58 and Lallemand Abbaye;
For high-gravity Belgian Tripels Mangrove Jack's M31 Belgian Tripel;
For Belgian Saison Fermentis SafAle BE-134;

If and when I begin playing with lagers, I will have a sufficient number of yeast to begin with:
Fermentis W-34/70, Fermentis SafLager S-189, Fermentis SafLager S-23, and considering that I will be fermenting "warm lagers" it seems that Mangrove Jack's M54 California Lager is also quite valid.

If I ever need to pitch the bottles, Fermentis F-2.

There are many more dry yeasts to try besides those, but I think that this list will cover my needs for several years.

If and when I begin having fun with liquid yeasts, it will be either because I am using second-generation dry yeasts to test the theory saying that the second generation of dry yeasts is better, or because I will be so much into Belgian styles that I will feel like trying specific strains which are supposed to be coming from specific breweries, such as Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity - White Labs WLP530 Abbey Ale (supposedly from Westmalle), White Labs WLP510 Bastogne Belgian Ale (supposedly from Orval), Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale - White Labs WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale (supposedly Duvel Moortgat), Wyeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II - White Labs WLP540 Belgian Abbey IV (supposedly from Rochefort before, if memory serves, they had their brewery re-organized by Chimay).

I have many years of homebrewing and a lot to learn before I can feel the need of such specific strains.

 

[NSMikeD]

Fwiw, I just brewed a Chimay red clone Trappist with SafAle S-33 at the suggestion of my LHBS and am very pleased with the results.

I regularly use their 05 and 04

Another dry yeast I recently used with excellent results was the LalBrew Koln Kolsch from Lallemand

 

[dmtaylor]

Fwiw, I just brewed a Chimay red clone Trappist with SafAle S-33 at the suggestion of my LHBS and am very pleased with the results.

Wow, funny, since S-33 isn't a Belgian yeast at all but rather is the old English Edme strain from before the 1990s. It's a great yeast, I really like it, but not for Belgians.

 

[eric19312]

I tend to use dry yeast because I brew larger batches pretty frequently and don't want to mess with giant starters. I harvest and reuse but if I have any concerns about performance of yeast in a batch I just start over with new dry yeast. I have US-05 packets on hand for this possibility all the time.

For small batch experimenting I think you could pretty easily work with liquid yeast. Small starters are not hard to manage and you could do the overbuild strategy and get into ranching a few different strains of yeast.

 

[MickB]

I always have US-05 and W34/70 packets on hand.

Same here. I am a mead maker and mostly use saf-05 but recently used w34/70 and it may have been my best tasting mead yet. 5.2% and naturally carbed/fermented under pressure at 30psi in an all-rounder around 68F. Combined 2 local honeys

 

[Steveruch]

No love for K97? I use it for alts, cream ale, and grodzieskie. And occasionally SMaSHes and other things. Great stuff.

I've used in an alt, an American wheat, and a sort of grodzieskie. I was happy with the results.

 

[bwible]

I feel like I rip open a liquid yeast pack an expose it outside the fridge it’s going to be impossible to keep some of it for the next batch.

Well, you don’t exactly “rip open a liquid yeast pack”. They are sold as pitchable yeast and are meant to be used entirely. You carefully cut off a corner with sanitized scissors and dispense the whole package.

That said, they can be split into 2 or more starters if you make some starter wort and put it in sanitized beer bottles with airlocks.

If you don’t want to split starters you can also re-use the yeast from a previous batch more than once with careful planning. Go from light to dark, weak to strong just like judges judge beer. For example, start with a blonde ale, re-pitch that onto an APA, and when that’s done re-pitch again onto an IPA. 3 beers from one liquid yeast. If you want to go further, re-pitch again even onto a barleywine or an old ale.

When I started many years ago, dry yeast had a bad rap. Much of what was sold were canned kits with a small packet of dry yeast tucked under a plastic lid on top - and everything said the first thing you do is throw away the dry yeast that came with the kit and replace it with a good liquid yeast.

Nowadays, dry yeast has come a long way and as previously stated there are now many good strains. But you can re-use liquid yeast the same as you can re-use dry yeast.

 

[NSMikeD]

Wow, funny, since S-33 isn't a Belgian yeast at all but rather is the old English Edme strain from before the 1990s. It's a great yeast, I really like it, but not for Belgians.

Go figure. Fermentis lists specialty ales and Trappist ales for its use. I’m letting the keg age before tapping and I plan to pick up a bottle or two of Chimay Red to do a side by side tasting, but so far I’m very happy with it. As for low attenuation and low floccuation, my ABV came out higher than expected and the beer was pretty clear.

I know there are many home brewers who say they would never use it for a Trappist ale, but I can’t find any write ups from anyone who has actually used it that way and been let down.

When I tap it, I’ll come back and post my opinion.

 

[Mascrappo]

I have tried several dry yeasts, while never a bad one, per say, Fermentis is my favorite brand (S-189 is my go to yeast for my Dortmunder). One of my best 5-gallon batches was brewed with one packet.

 

[CDS]

Fwiw, I just brewed a Chimay red clone Trappist with SafAle S-33 at the suggestion of my LHBS and am very pleased with the results.

I regularly use their 05 and 04

Another dry yeast I recently used with excellent results was the LalBrew Koln Kolsch from Lallemand

I just pitched LalBrew Koln Kolsch today. This is my first attempt at a Kolsch, and my first experience with LalBrew Koln Kolsch. I hydrated it according to the directions before pitching, and whoa! Did it smell! Pungent I guess is the polite term. Is that normal for this yeast?