liquid yeast with dry yeast

[Fighting_sin]

I already bought ingredients for my next batch of beer, this includes 1 vial of White labs Belgian Golden Ale liquid yeast. After all of the research I have done on this site, I think I need to increase the amount of yeast I use for my six gallon partial mash batch.

I don't want to spend another $7.50 on liquid yeast, so do you think mixing this liquid yeast with a pack of dry yeast would be a good idea? I am brewing a sort of Pale Ale recipe I came up with. As a new relatively new brewer, I bought the Belgian Ale yeast on a whim. Whether this is appropriate for a Pale Ale I am not sure. I guess I can call it a Belgian Pale Ale! It might even be another style? For 6 gallons, I am using:
6 lbs Extra Light DME
1 lb rice syrup solids
1 lb crystal malt
1 lb 2 row pale malt
1 oz Willamette hop plugs (4.8%)-flavor
1oz Willamette hop plugs (4.8%)-aroma
1 vial Belgian Golden Ale yeast
and the question is to add or not to add 1 packet of some sort of dried yeast.

I am strongly considering switching to dried yeast after 4 batches using liquid yeast. I have had fermentation begin within 24 hours all 4 times (no starter), but the first batch, an extract, (Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale from Papazians Complete Joy of Home Brewing) that I am enjoying has a "yeasty" flavor or something similarly off with it. I kept it in the primary for 11 days (I now know, too soon, needs 3-4 weeks) and 4 weeks in the bottle. Maybe the problem is too little yeast, stressed out in addition to the 11 days in the carboy?

More yeast next time?

 

[samc]

I started with dry yeast, moved to liquid and finally switched back to S-05, S-04, etc. I find that dry yeast works as well if not better, sure is a lot easier to deal with, cheaper as well. In my experiments in the baking world with sourdough yeasts I found that the way you used the yeast, length of fermentation & temperature control played a major factor in taste profile with the finished product. I think the same happens with beer brewing. Control your temps & process and you will make better beer, dry makes it easier to do so.

I would make a starter rather than mixing the two yeasts and then you should consider quality dry yeast for future batches, paying attention to how you use it.

 

[HomebrewJeff]

+1 on the starter. I can't afford to pay 15$ in yeast for a batch either, so starters are definitely the way to go. Check out the yeast calculator at Mr Malty to help determine how much yeast you need (once you understand the starter process).

As to the choice of yeast, you can literally yeast any type of yeast that you want, in nearly any type of beer. However, keep in mind that many of the flavors in a beer come directly from the yeast selection. So if you go in thinking you are making an American Pale Ale, but use a belgian yeast strain, you'll probably be disappointed. You by no means need to go by "style", just something to be aware of.