Singing the praises of dry yeast

[JnJ]

I've had great success with dry yeast. I will only use liquid when there is not a compatable dry yeast available. This weekend was the Hefe, so I used liquid.

 

[Reverend JC]

I made 10 gallons of pale ale a few months ago. fermented them side by side (5 gallons fermentors) and the only diff was the yeast. The dry yeast, US-05, and liquid WLP 001. fermented at 70 degrees.

Dry yeast dried it up alot.

liquid yeast let more of the hop profile thru, aroma and flavor. BUT, it was a bit to fruity for the style.

I will use more hops next time with the dry yeast for what i was going for.

 

[Evan!]

I think someone posted here a while back saying that saflager was too estery for superclean lagers. But unless that person speaks up, I'll give saflager a try.

I get the same profile from saflager that I got from Wyeast Bohemian Pilsner. Others might have had problems, but in my experience, esters aren't an issue as long as you keep temps right.

 

[Robar]

I'm a fairly new brewer so I don't have lots of experience with any yeasts. Brew log says the IPA I brewed today is number 15, it has safale us-05 in it as well as a couple other pales I have fermenting.

Safale 04 I do have some practical experience with. I have used it 4 times in stout. It ferments fast and leaves a nice clear brew. My stouts look like cola, tastes a bit like coffee and makes me smile real big!

The most recent batch I just racked to the keg a couple days ago finished in two and a half days @ 67*. It was the third time I had used the same yeast. The first time it was dry in the packet, next it was the whole yeast cake (Very agressive) next was right onto that cake again! Had to change the lock twice as it had what looked like a loaf of pumpernickle growing in it every time I checked.

Being new to brewing I didn't realize that there was actually such a thing as TOO MUCH yeast. I saved half a quart of it and got rid of the reast. I'm going to get a forth batch out of a buck and a half packet of yeast, and that ROCKS!!

 

[kappclark]

Everyone seems to be posting about Nottingham.

Any comments about Windsor ? I did a test between the 2 on a partial mash, and the Nottingham seemed better ... can't really describe why I liked it better...

 

[EdWort]

Nottingham ferments clean. Windsor produces a beer which is estery to both palate and nose with a slight fresh yeasty flavor (according to Danstar)

 

[LykeAFox]

Question on saving yeast: Do you have to wash the yeast or can you just rack it to sanitized bottles? I have seen both and wasn't sure which was preferred (the best?) If I had to guess I would think that washing it would be for more long term storage.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

The mailman was a good man today!

That's 1500 grams of dry yeast - roughly enough for fifty 15 gallon batches! Unfortunately, I can't post the source, as it was a favor from a friend. However, I don't think I'll be needing any yeast for a while! Vacuum sealed in sanitary conditions, this stuff lasts for a LONG time.

 

[Alamo_Beer]

Dude thats awesome....

 

[jbreiding]

i prefer my yeast to not impart any flavors so i can taste the malt!

 

[mew]

Question on saving yeast: Do you have to wash the yeast or can you just rack it to sanitized bottles? I have seen both and wasn't sure which was preferred (the best?) If I had to guess I would think that washing it would be for more long term storage.

I think the accepted theory is that yeast that will be used in a short time (not sure how long "short" is) doesn't need washing; but if you intend to keep for a while, washing is best.

 

[The Drizzle]

that is sexual in nature.

 

[Beerthoven]

Question on saving yeast: Do you have to wash the yeast or can you just rack it to sanitized bottles? I have seen both and wasn't sure which was preferred (the best?) If I had to guess I would think that washing it would be for more long term storage.

Think about the stuff that's in a yeast cake: hop resin, break proteins, lots of dead yeast cells, vegetable matter from the grains and hops, etc. Why would you want to put that junk into a nice new wort?

 

[AdIn]

All that experience pretty convincing. I think I'll try Saflager W-34/70 which is suppose to be equivalent of Bohemian 2124 for my next octoberfest. Do you aerate the wort before pitching rehydrated yeast?

 

[Bobby_M]

Think about the stuff that's in a yeast cake: hop resin, break proteins, lots of dead yeast cells, vegetable matter from the grains and hops, etc. Why would you want to put that junk into a nice new wort?

Sound reasonable in theory but when you think of it, it was just sitting in your "old" delicious brew. If it's all that nasty, it would have ruined the previous batch too. When you pitch that slurry, most of the heavy particulates just go back to sitting on the bottom along with the stuff introduced on the new batch.

I've only gone as far as pitching unwashed slurries so far and one of the reasons I haven't played the wash game is fear of introducing contaminants through open air pouring etc. You can be really careful but the more you play with it, the riskier it gets (kinda like a Vietnamese massage parlor).

 

[Mutilated1]

You can be really careful but the more you play with it, the riskier it gets (kinda like a Vietnamese massage parlor).

lol

 

[Beerthoven]

Sound reasonable in theory but when you think of it, it was just sitting in your "old" delicious brew. If it's all that nasty, it would have ruined the previous batch too. When you pitch that slurry, most of the heavy particulates just go back to sitting on the bottom along with the stuff introduced on the new batch.

I've only gone as far as pitching unwashed slurries so far and one of the reasons I haven't played the wash game is fear of introducing contaminants through open air pouring etc. You can be really careful but the more you play with it, the riskier it gets (kinda like a Vietnamese massage parlor).

Yeah, this could be one of those non-issues that we like to discuss ad nauseum. I know a lot of people have had success pitching onto old yeast cakes. More power to 'em.

But, at some point you do rack the beer away from the yeast cake/trub in order to avoid problems with head retention, flavor stability, off flavors, and infection. If you pitch a new wort onto an old cake, wouldn't it increase the possiblity of these bad things happening?

If done properly, washing yeast seems no more problematic than any other brewing process.

I've never used an old yeast cake, so I can't claim first hand to have experienced problems from it. But I do believe that healthly fermentation starts with pitching the proper amount of clean, healthy yeast. You have no idea how many, how clean, or how healthy the yeast are in an old cake. Even Jamil Z has cautioned against it, and that's good enough for me.

EDIT: Hmmm...this is one of those posts that I'll reread a day later and realize I sound like an argumentative prick. Better add some emoticons...

 

[Bobby_M]

It's really hard to know for sure if there's any perceivable difference unless you split batch it. I've pitched 10 gallons of wort onto a cake produced from another 10 gallon batch and from early tasting, it's a really clean brew. Maybe a fresh batch of yeast would have been better but I'll never know for sure.

 

[JnJ]

All that experience pretty convincing. I think I'll try Saflager W-34/70 which is suppose to be equivalent of Bohemian 2124 for my next octoberfest. Do you aerate the wort before pitching rehydrated yeast?

Yes, you always aerate before pitching any type of yeast.

 

[Soulive]

I pitched a rehydrated packet of s-04 in my oatmeal stout yesterday (I swear, that yeast seems to proof, not just rehydrate, when you put it in warm water). Took off actively within eight hours...

Ditto on all accounts. I LOVE DRY YEAST! :rockin:

 

[Reverend JC]

i prefer my yeast to not impart any flavors so i can taste the malt!

For certain beer styles you need special yeasts to impart different flavors. Clean fermenting yeasts are not always to style if you care about that stuff. My LHBS guy could give a crap less about beer styles. I say to him "do you think this........will keep this beer to style?" and more than one occasion he says to me "how would i know, i brew what i like not what fits into any style." he is actually pretty funny about it. good guy.

 

[Dude]

The mailman was a good man today!

That's 1500 grams of dry yeast - roughly enough for fifty 15 gallon batches! Unfortunately, I can't post the source, as it was a favor from a friend. However, I don't think I'll be needing any yeast for a while! Vacuum sealed in sanitary conditions, this stuff lasts for a LONG time.

I've got beer wood. WOW!

 

[srm775]

But, at some point you do rack the beer away from the yeast cake/trub in order to avoid problems with head retention, flavor stability, off flavors, and infection. If you pitch a new wort onto an old cake, wouldn't it increase the possiblity of these bad things happening?

But the main thing is that when you're racking from primary to secondary, you're racking a finished beer off of the yeast cake. There are no more nutrients, food and oxygen for the yeast to consume. So, they become fat and lazy (much like me ) and fall to the bottom. However, when you introduce fresh food for them in the way of a new wort, then they reactivate and do their thing again.

 

[the_bird]

The mailman was a good man today!

That's 1500 grams of dry yeast - roughly enough for fifty 15 gallon batches! Unfortunately, I can't post the source, as it was a favor from a friend. However, I don't think I'll be needing any yeast for a while! Vacuum sealed in sanitary conditions, this stuff lasts for a LONG time.

How did I miss this picture? Damn, that's sexy...

What's the K-97? Never heard of that...

 

[Bobby_M]

I'd imagine these bricks are meant for commercial breweries but why would they be so difficult for homebrewers to get them?

 

[jfrizzell]

What's the K-97? Never heard of that...

According to Fermentis: A German ale yeast selected for its ability to form a large firm head when fermenting. This top cropping ale yeast is suitable for top fermented beers with low esters levels and can be used for Belgian type wheat beers. Sedimentation: low. Final gravity: low.

 

[Desert_Sky]

According to Fermentis: A German ale yeast selected for its ability to form a large firm head when fermenting. This top cropping ale yeast is suitable for top fermented beers with low esters levels and can be used for Belgian type wheat beers. Sedimentation: low. Final gravity: low.

wow, i need to try that stuff out

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I'd imagine these bricks are meant for commercial breweries but why would they be so difficult for homebrewers to get them?

They are typically only sold at a wholesale level. I looked pretty hard for an online supplier, and I didn't have a whole lot of luck. That's when fate stepped in, and I got a bit of a lucky break.

 

[doublegun]

Everyone seems to be posting about Nottingham.

Any comments about Windsor ? I did a test between the 2 on a partial mash, and the Nottingham seemed better ... can't really describe why I liked it better...

We did a True Brew Wheat kit, used Windsor at our LHBS guy's recommendation. Not quite true to style, but an exceptionally good American wheat beer was the result. Try it.

 

[mew]

We did a True Brew Wheat kit, used Windsor at our LHBS guy's recommendation. Not quite true to style, but an exceptionally good American wheat beer was the result. Try it.

Was it just the cloudiness level that was off, or tastes too?