Quit hatin on dry yeast

[mmb]

Dry yeast, while limited in selection while compared to liquid, is not "bad," it's just different. If you're brewing something that needs a liquid yeast for a specific flavor profile, go for it. Otherwise, properly handled dry yeast is more than fine for American Ales and British Ales.

 

[Rivenin]

when i'm brewing Belgian beer... liquid... anything else? i'm good with dry.
I think the whole "hating on dry yeast" came about years ago when people would use the yeast in the can kits.

 

[hopbrad]

i mostly brew IPA's, Pale ales, stouts, brown ales, ambers and s-05 is my go to yeast for that. occassionaly will use s-04 as well. but i live in a warm climate and s-04 can get off if something goes wrong with temp control. s-05 is very forgiving so for me, that is why it is better than its liquid counterparts.
i also brew a lot of belgian ales. liquid for these. BUT I recently tried belle saison which is a dry strain. it is great.

 

[stratslinger]

Count me in the us-05 crowd. I was, for a while there, using liquid for damn near everything. Now, I realize that so long as I properly maintain ferment temps, us-05 ferments just fine. Granted, folks have a point about it flocculating a little worse than some of the liquid alternatives, but that's nothing a little cold crash doesn't clear up. And at $3-4 a packet, and 15 minutes or so to rehydrate, rather than the time (and DME) invested in a starter, it works out pretty well.

That's definitely not to say I don't still go back to liquid strains pretty darned often though - there's nothing quite like a good use of the old Wyeast Kolsch yeast, or London ESB, or some of the fun German strains - and most of those just don't have dry equivalents (yet?).

 

[ericbw]

It is very easy to see that there is not a whole lot of hate for dry yeast. Your thread, in my opinion, was an assumption that there was a ton of hate. I just don't see hate for dry yeast that you do. I personally like dry yeast. I just have a lot more variety with liquid yeast. Give me the exact same Wyeast 1098 in dry and I'll be happy to use it. Until then, that is one of few that get liquid over dry.

LandoLincoln, it is actually easier to rehydrate yeast than it is to make a starter. When making a starter, in case you didn't know, you have to basically make un-hopped wort, boil it for a good 15 min (so I've been told) then chill it. You have to pay attention to it for at least 18 hours. Dry yeast wants warm water, a cup, a little stir and 10-20 minutes you're golden. Dry yeast rehydration is worlds easier than making a starter. Making starters is not hard, but for comparison's sake, it is harder.

Also, my dry yeast packs are 11g. That is two 5g packages and then some. Not sure where you are or where you shop, but I've never seen a 5g pack of dry yeast in the year I've been brewing.

Munton's and Coopers both come in smaller packs. Maybe 5 or 7g?

 

[AerationStation]

Dry yeast is great stuff, if it's properly rehydrated it'll work awesome. That being said I use liquid for the most part for the selection.

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

My dry yeast use has been self-admittedly limited, mostly because of what is available to me on a LHBS level. With that said, I love Nottingham, as it's the only dry yeast that has caused me to say hell yeah! Not really a fan of SO-5.. and I can't see myself buying WLP001 either. Guess I bounce somewhere between England and Northern Europe.. yeast wise. My batches are small (2.5-3g) so I don't even fiddle with starters, tho I do save yeast. My lhbs does have belle saison and a few others, but for a few bucks more, I've got liquid options.. and I say why not. If I had to mail order my stuff tho, I'd seriously be looking at working with dry yeast more.

Most of my first brews were with S05, and while it will make a clean beer with a cold crash, it just felt too neutral for me.. which of course is one of its selling points.

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

Actually, I'd go so for as to say that there's a lot competition on a craft beer level, but only a few yeast factories. What's stopping anybody from banking yeast on a regional level and competing after the lhbs market? Guess it's not as sexy as making beer itself, but surely there's a couple disillusioned (or greedy) microbiologists out there wanting to take advantage of the lbhs and homebrewing scene.. We love to try new things..

 

[ArcaneXor]

Actually, I'd go so for as to say that there's a lot competition on a craft beer level, but only a few yeast factories. What's stopping anybody from banking yeast on a regional level and competing after the lhbs market? Guess it's not as sexy as making beer itself, but surely there's a couple disillusioned (or greedy) microbiologists out there wanting to take advantage of the lbhs and homebrewing scene.. We love to try new things..

Well, there used to be Wyeast. Then there was White Labs. Now, over the last couple of years, Gigayeast, East Coast Yeast, Yeast Bay, Omega Yeast, and South Yeast, have sprung up. And I may be forgetting a few.

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

Well, there used to be Wyeast. Then there was White Labs. Now, over the last couple of years, Gigayeast, East Coast Yeast, Yeast Bay, Omega Yeast, and South Yeast, have sprung up. And I may be forgetting a few.

And I'd like to try offerings from those people, but they're not in my local shop yet. Maybe as a customer I should express my interest for more diversity in yeast. Sure, someone's Wit may be the same as someone else's, but competition breeds options... and I wouldn't mind standing on the curb watching a good ol' fashioned yeast price war..

 

[kh54s10]

If you are only using a couple of varieties of dry yeast you are really limiting yourself. I make vials of yeast/glycerin/water to freeze. I have 13 varieties and 3 more in dry yeast for spur of the moment brews. I use both dry and liquid.

Us05 is great for APA's and AIPA's but if you wanted to brew a good Continental style, liquid is a must. (of course there are some dry yeasts that will do some of them.) There are more and more dry yeasts being produced so there are a lot more styles you can make as compared to just a few years ago.

But if you really want to explore a lot of styles liquid is a must and dry will be just as good for many styles. Go with what is best for your recipe!

So don't hate on dry yeast, but don't forget liquid either.

 

[ArcaneXor]

And I'd like to try offerings from those people, but they're not in my local shop yet. Maybe as a customer I should express my interest for more diversity in yeast. Sure, someone's Wit may be the same as someone else's, but competition breeds options... and I wouldn't mind standing on the curb watching a good ol' fashioned yeast price war..

Of these, at least Gigayeast sells to retailers, though they are pretty pricy (as are most yeasts from the west coast for us - shipping is ridiculous!).

http://www.gigayeast.com/home-brew-retailers

Lots of good results with the Vermont IPA, and I will be trying out the lacto and Koelsch pretty soon.

 

[brewbama]

When the last smack pack showed up DOA, I decided dry is the way to go in the Summer. Good thing I had some US-05 for just such an emergency. I don't have a LHBS so mail order is the way I roll. Liquid can't handle the heat.

 

[KangerBrew6]

I like hate dry yeasts so much that I make starters with them and turn them into liquid yeasts. That teaches em real good.

 

[MaddBaggins]

In the last couple years I've started trying dry yeasts. WB-06 is my goto for hefe. I like the results far better than any liquid hefe I've used. I've tried S-04 and US-05 a few times and keep some in the fridge.
I have a batch fermenting with T-58 right now. It took off like a beast. I made a starter on that to see how it would work.

My LHBS has a couple brands of dry but so far, I've only used Fermentis. Otherwise, I use White Labs.

 

[bford]

i mostly brew IPA's, Pale ales, stouts, brown ales, ambers and s-05 is my go to yeast for that. occassionaly will use s-04 as well. but i live in a warm climate and s-04 can get off if something goes wrong with temp control. s-05 is very forgiving so for me, that is why it is better than its liquid counterparts.
i also brew a lot of belgian ales. liquid for these. BUT I recently tried belle saison which is a dry strain. it is great.

I brew 2 gallon batches, so liquid yeast just isn't cost effective... I really don't want to harvest, so I just buy dry yeast...


S05 has been great.... not as big a fan of S04....

I did use Belle Saison for a Saison and it was great...... liked my beer more than two craft saisons I compared it with...

I have a hefe fermenting right now... I'm using the Mangrove Jack Bavarian Wheat.. I picked up several of their dry yeasts to try over the next few months.