Dry Yeast alternative

[oldstyle244]

I have not yet made the plunge to liquid yeast, still going with dry and been happy with it, maybe one day I will get the equipment and try liquid as there seems to be more variety. That being said, I want to make a Dragon Stout clone and the recipe calls for:

Wyeast 2112 - If you had to use a dry yeast what would you use and to obtain the 7.7% would you pitch 2 packages?

 

[cannman]

Your four mainstream options in dry are:

1) Fermentis US-05
2) Safale S-04
3) Nottingham
4) and Windsor (British Ale)


All of these are profiled to be acceptable to ferment a stout. If you're going for 7.7, I'd say yes pitch 2 packs, but if you post the recipe, I can run it through BeerSmith and tell exactly how many packs you need.

 

[burninator]

Your only three mainstream options in dry are:

1)Fermentis US-05
2)Safale S-04
3) and Windsor (British Ale)

4. Nottingham?

 

[cannman]

4. Nottingham?

:smack:

This is what happens when I try too hard too early (added)

 

[oldstyle244]

Extract

5 oz pale malt (6-row)
14 oz crystal malt
.75 lbs debittered black malt
1.75 lbs corn sugar
2 lbs Briess light dried malt extract
5.5lbs Briess light liquid malt extract
2 oz Sinamar
11 AAU Yakima Magnum Hops (.67 oz/19 g of 16% alpha acids)
Wyeast 2112

Taken from BYO 250 classic clone recipes

 

[burninator]

:smack:

This is what happens when I try too hard too early (added)

LOL I'm here to help. Think you got those in the right order, IMO.

 

[BigFloyd]

I'd go with S-04 on that unless you want it to finish sweeter in which case use Windsor.

OG above 1.060, I prefer to rehydrate and pitch two 11g packets.

 

[cannman]

Yeah, pitch with 2........

This sounds expensive in extract if you don't already have the ingredients on hand.....

 

[oldstyle244]

Yeah, pitch with 2........

This sounds expensive in extract if you don't already have the ingredients on hand.....

I haven't gotten that far yet to price this out, honestly so far I have only done the already put together kits from a local place and one the online sites, I haven't done anything original or tried to put something together from a recipe. This one seemed simple enough and I remember drinking dragon stout YEARS ago and really enjoying it

 

[cannman]

I haven't gotten that far yet to price this out, honestly so far I have only done the already put together kits from a local place and one the online sites, I haven't done anything original or tried to put something together from a recipe. This one seemed simple enough and I remember drinking dragon stout YEARS ago and really enjoying it

Any time you have to make multiple purchases of specific malts in a can or bag, you could drop $10 for a bag buy only need $2 worth. So you might spend $70 to make a $15 beer...

If you like stout, you can go with one malt light, a little 500L roast with some flaked barley (dunk the last two like a tea bag before adding the malt extract, look up mini mash), add table sugar for increased alcohol and you have a good stout with minimal excess ingredients!

 

[madscientist451]

I'd cut the recipe in half, make 2.5 gallons and pitch one vial of the recommended yeast. When its done, give it a taste and if you like it, make the 5 gal batch and re-pitch the yeast. I'm coming to the conclusion that using a specific yeast can make or break a beer. I've used both liquid and dry yeasts and my better brews happen when I use the correct (usually liquid) yeast. I've used dry yeasts with success, but I just like the results I'm getting from liquid yeasts better.

 

[oldstyle244]

Any time you have to make multiple purchases of specific malts in a can or bag, you could drop $10 for a bag buy only need $2 worth. So you might spend $70 to make a $15 beer...

If you like stout, you can go with one malt light, a little 500L roast with some flaked barley (dunk the last two like a tea bag before adding the malt extract, look up mini mash), add table sugar for increased alcohol and you have a good stout with minimal excess ingredients!

That makes sense, thanks!

 

[oldstyle244]

I'd cut the recipe in half, make 2.5 gallons and pitch one vial of the recommended yeast. When its done, give it a taste and if you like it, make the 5 gal batch and re-pitch the yeast. I'm coming to the conclusion that using a specific yeast can make or break a beer. I've used both liquid and dry yeasts and my better brews happen when I use the correct (usually liquid) yeast. I've used dry yeasts with success, but I just like the results I'm getting from liquid yeasts better.

Might try that, as far a liquid yeast goes, I haven't put in the time to learn the correct way to use it, stir plates/etc, I am sure once I get to that phase my beers will improve

 

[madscientist451]

You don't need a stir plate to use liquid yeast. You can mix up a quart of extract wort add some yeast nutrient (or not) put it in a 1/2 gallon jug and add the yeast.
Give it a swirl every now and then or just let it sit there. Not as good as a flask/stir plate but the yeast will still grow. You can also make a small amount of beer, 1-3 gallons, and build up the yeast that way. Or just go for it and throw a vial into a 5 gallon batch. Its better to have a good healthy pitch though.

 

[skw]

I'd cut the recipe in half, make 2.5 gallons and pitch one vial of the recommended yeast. When its done, give it a taste and if you like it, make the 5 gal batch and re-pitch the yeast.

That's what I would recommend, too. With a reasonably fresh vial or smack pack, I would not hesitate pitching it directly at the manufacturer's recommendation (e.g. https://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_pitchrates.cfm ), assuming proper aeration. No starter required, just pitch a vial/smack pack straight into a 2.5 gallon wort.

I'm coming to the conclusion that using a specific yeast can make or break a beer. I've used both liquid and dry yeasts and my better brews happen when I use the correct (usually liquid) yeast. I've used dry yeasts with success, but I just like the results I'm getting from liquid yeasts better.

Especially when the recipe calls for the California Lager strain, which does not have a dry yeast equivalent.