Ready to learn about yeast...

paul7218 · Dec 1, 2011

I am currently drinking my 4th batch with number 5 in the fermenter. I have taken to using White Labs yeast because I was told it would be better than the packaged stuff that comes in my brew kits, but I have no idea why?!?! Where can I learn more about yeast, why one is better than another, what is the difference between the many variations of Whites and so forth. I'm looking to get better as I go along.

Currently legged - Dead Guy Ale
Fermenting - Nut Brown Ale

kellynm · Dec 1, 2011

I'd start with Palmers book....

How to Brew - By John Palmer - Yeast

Sulli · Dec 1, 2011

This will give you info on individual strains from White Labs

Here is a brief (but comprehensive) history of yeast.

Clementine · Dec 2, 2011

The most important thing you need to know about yeast is pitching rates and yeast health not so much the source. Dry yeast is basically the same as liquid yeast just liquid there is more strains available with different attributes. What ever yeast you end up using if you aren't pitching the right numbers of healthy yeast with good O2 and nutrient levels your beer is not as good as it could be. Check out resources like Mr Malty for pitching rate calculators that show you how to pitch the right numbers. If you really want to understand yeast try slanting, freezing or washing yeast to store your own yeast bank. After streaking some yeast on a plate and watching it grow and then isolating colonies and growing a pitching quantity of yeast from what started as a single cell you get a feel for what is going on. I learn best by playing with things and it is fun and saves you money after a small investment you make your own yeast for almost no cost at all.

Check out Maltose Falcon web site on yeast propagation and maintenance.
Yeast Propagation and Maintenance: Principles and Practices | Maltose Falcons.

Your choice of learning about yeast is a wise one as yeast is the most important part of our beer. Someone quoted here that they are surprised when people will spend huge sums of money on malt and hops to only pitch whatever yeast they can find in the bottom of the draw. I totally agree, if you like the taste of hops well yeast will help those flavors come out, like the taste of malt the right yeast will help those flavors too.

If I may illustrate, I tried to make a pumpkin ale this yeast however the recipe called for a low attenuating yeast to leave some residual sweetness in the beer, I think it was a British strain that likes to flock leaving esters and malty flavors. Anyway in my stupidity (was in a hurry as I was packing up my house to move from HI to PA). I threw in there some Nottingham that I had been playing with on the stir plate. Now Nottingham is English sounding but that is about as close as it got to the intended yeast strain. Nottingham is clean and very aggressive yeast esp. when pitched in high numbers this stuff ate every last bit of sugar it could and left me with no malt flavor and no esters, just really really strong pumpkin Rocket fuel.

Anyway I digress, I hope you learn lots and brew better beer because of it, good luck.

Clem