Singing the praises of dry yeast

[Baron von BeeGee]

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.

The head part sounds like Wyeast 1338, but it attenuates pretty moderately. It's almost worth brewing something with it just to check out the mutant kraeusen it produces!

 

[hopshead]

I have been a homebrewer for a year and half now and I have used dry yeast twice. I have a strong feeling though that I will become a dry yeast convert. I mail ordered my ingredients for the first time from Northern Brewer and I elected to get a pack of US-56 because I guessed it would travel to SC better than a liquid yeast. If the US-56 works as well as the Cal ale from white labs, I will continue to us the dry yeast. The price is great. We will see how it goes.

 

[mew]

Welcome to the forum hopshead!

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I haven't used any dry yeast since my first two extract batches. I'm going to have to give it a try sometime and see how it compares to the WL strains that I've been using and washing.

 

[JeffNYC]

Same here, my first beer was dry then only liquid yeasts until recently. I used Nottingham for my last beer (American IPA) and planned for this weekend for a Cranberry Ale, figuring the yeast character of these two beers was critical (to me). Unfortunately, I like to brew Belgian-style beers. I'd love to learn how the T-58 maps to Wyeast and White Labs. In an e-mail from Fermentis:

"The SEBREW yeast has been selected with the help of a Belgium Brewer."

So this may work. I'll give it a shot this Spring.

 

[kappclark]

Just rec'd shipment from AHBS, which included a packet of Wyeast 1098.

Even though I packed in ice for an extra whopping 99cents, it was still warm when it arrived

I know it will be OK, but I know there wouldn't be the same plm/worry with good old Nottingham...

I think I will try to harvest this yeast after the primary .. get some mileage

 

[elkdog]

BUMP.
Thanks to this thread, I used a packet of Windsor in my Strong Ale last night. It's got a full kreusen developed this morning, and is puttering away, only 8 hours after I pitched. I'm gonna go a hefe in January, and that will be the only time in the near future that I mess with liquid. This was just too easy.

 

[westerntrout]

Safale has a dry hefe yeast now. too new to know anything about it but I picked up a pack for the next hefe and will see what happens.

 

[elkdog]

Is it a German or American hefe yeast? I actually just listened to the Jamil show on American wheats and ryes, and I may go with a clean fermenting strain like Nottingham for the hefe, as I'm trying to minimize the bananas and cloves. Jamil uses a Kolsch yeast in his American wheat, so maybe a hefty dose of Nottingham and low fermentation temps would get me close without having to make a starter or pay for liquid yeast?

 

[hoffmeister]

I'm going to throw in my two cents worth...
I started out with dry yeasts when I started brewing a few years ago, then made the switch to liquid because I thought it would really help my beer. After a few batches, I found that it either made no difference or actually resulted in some rather funky brews, as I think someone else pointed out on here some months ago. I switched back to dry (Nottingham) for my most recent batch, and as of yesterday it was still happily fermenting away. We'll see how it turns out, but I'm back to dry yeasts.

 

[Kai]

I'm not all that experienced, but I have yet to get a 'clean' profile from dry yeasts. The only batches I've made that have blown me away were made with Wyeast. I haven't gotten around to doing a side-by-side yet, but every beer I've made with Nottingham has had a distinct, funky, gross-ester-and-dirty-fermentation taste. I'm learning more every day about proper aeration, pitching rates, fermentation temps, etc, but even a recent APA I made with Nottingham for a friend* has this foul yeast profile. Clean isn't everything - most styles benefit from good yeast characters - but I'd have preferred that to what I got.

Anyone tried Cooper's, by the way? Haven't tried it since my first batch. Nothing good to say about that, either.

*Friends shouldn't let friends use this yeast.

 

[Dude]

I'm not all that experienced, but I have yet to get a 'clean' profile from dry yeasts. The only batches I've made that have blown me away were made with Wyeast. I haven't gotten around to doing a side-by-side yet, but every beer I've made with Nottingham has had a distinct, funky, gross-ester-and-dirty-fermentation taste. I'm learning more every day about proper aeration, pitching rates, fermentation temps, etc, but even a recent APA I made with Nottingham for a friend* has this foul yeast profile. Clean isn't everything - most styles benefit from good yeast characters - but I'd have preferred that to what I got.

Anyone tried Cooper's, by the way? Haven't tried it since my first batch. Nothing good to say about that, either.

*Friends shouldn't let friends use this yeast.

Who is this freakin' new guy thinkin' he knows everything?














Welcome back Kai.

I do have to disagree though...I think S-05 (formerly s-56) is one of the cleanest yeasts I've ever used. I think nottingham is pretty clean too.

 

[mr x]

I find Nottingham excellent. I just cracked a keg of pale ale made with Nottingham that went to 82 degrees on the first day. Tastes fantastic.

 

[Kai]

Welcome back Kai.

I do have to disagree though...I think S-05 (formerly s-56) is one of the cleanest yeasts I've ever used. I think nottingham is pretty clean too.

Haven't seen Safale at my little Halifax LHBS.

Considering the number of experts I see here who like dry yeast, I think I must have been doing something wrong. I'll have to give it another try, with better technique, and see how it turns out. I'm still skeptical, though, that I'll ever choose a clean dry yeast over, say, Wyeast's 1968 Fuller's for my ESB.

Thanks for the welcome. It's good to be back - this time, with an MLT.

 

[mr x]

I order my 05 from the States. You may want to try 04 in place of 1968 sometime. You can get that locally.

 

[APendejo]

I'm not all that experienced, but I have yet to get a 'clean' profile from dry yeasts. The only batches I've made that have blown me away were made with Wyeast. I haven't gotten around to doing a side-by-side yet, but every beer I've made with Nottingham has had a distinct, funky, gross-ester-and-dirty-fermentation taste. I'm learning more every day about proper aeration, pitching rates, fermentation temps, etc, but even a recent APA I made with Nottingham for a friend* has this foul yeast profile. Clean isn't everything - most styles benefit from good yeast characters - but I'd have preferred that to what I got.

Anyone tried Cooper's, by the way? Haven't tried it since my first batch. Nothing good to say about that, either.

*Friends shouldn't let friends use this yeast.

Hmmmm..... I have never had any of the problems you describe with any of the dry yeasts I use. Must be something else going on there with your process. Too high fermentation temps possibly?
AP

 

[Kevin Dean]

Are there reasons to use liquid yeast? Absolutely! Specialty strains are only available in liquid form. But...S-04, US-05, Nottingham, and Saflager (among many others) are EXCELLENT choices if you're brewing something that is fairly yeast-neutral in flavor.

It's all about using the best tool for the best job. Now, I know the OP (Yuri) is a GNU/Linux user, now... how to convince the rest of the world.

 

[thndrdad]

Safale 04 has never let me down and makes a super compact cake:rockin:

 

[sleepystevenson]

I have always used liquid yeast from White Labs, but this thread is definitely convincing me to try the dry. Anyone have a list of sorts that would tell you which drys are best for certain styles?? I mostly make straightforward styles anyway, such as pale ales, stouts, etc. Those liquid yeasts are just so nicely labeled that it makes it easy to choose the right one!!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Sleepy - sounds like you ought to find yourself some Nottingham and US-05. Those are pretty "standard" American ale strains. They ferment clean and fast with good flocculation, and they tolerate a wide range of temperatures.

 

[sleepystevenson]

Definitely Gonna do that on an upcoming batch! Thanks Yuri.

 

[s3n8]

Speaking of which, has anyone tried the new wheat yeast (S-06) from Safale? I just got a couple of packets this past weekend and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it.

Bump...

Anyone have any experience with this yeast? I'm planing on using this for the first time tomorrow in my roggen-weizen.

 

[Evan!]

Bump...

Anyone have any experience with this yeast? I'm planing on using this for the first time tomorrow in my roggen-weizen.

I used it on a weizenbock for my first try with it. I had high hopes. I was greatly let down. It created this really odd savory note, soy-saucey almost, and the beer was drinkable but not very good at all.

I have yet to go back to it for fear of ruining another batch. Sure, it might've been something else, but am I willing to take that chance on 5 gallons? No.

 

[s3n8]

I used it on a weizenbock for my first try with it. I had high hopes. I was greatly let down. It created this really odd savory note, soy-saucey almost, and the beer was drinkable but not very good at all.

I have yet to go back to it for fear of ruining another batch. Sure, it might've been something else, but am I willing to take that chance on 5 gallons? No.

Hmm... Like high praise but different. Now I am scared. Anyone else have anything different to say about S-06 before I pitch Nottingham tomorrow?

 

[homebrewer_99]

You can store dry yeast in the freezer too!!!

http://www.brewingwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Yeast

 

[Schlenkerla]

Hmm... Like high praise but different. Now I am scared. Anyone else have anything different to say about S-06 before I pitch Nottingham tomorrow?

If was in your shoes I'd rehydrate this yeast in 100 degree water. Then let it cool to your wort temp and pitch it. I'm thinking get it to the best possible condition then let it do its thing.

Maybe Evan had some other condition that caused weird results.

 

[mew]

I went to the Fermentis website and there doesn't seem to be an S-06.

 

[s3n8]

yeah, my bad... Its called WB-06.

Maybe thats why so few results were returned during initial searches.

Searches for WB-06 turn up a lot more results, and unfortunately... none are terribly positive. I think I will give it a whirl. This batch is experimental anyway.

recipe so far...

4lbs Rahr 2 row
4lbs Malted Rye
4lbs White Wheat
.5lbs Crystal 120
1oz Wilamette @60
1oz Wilamette at 5
1pkg WB-06

Mashing at 153

Gotta sparge...

 

[EdWort]

WB stands for Wheel Bad.

 

[Spames]

Somewhere in this thread someone asked about aeration with dry yeast. Here's the explanation from Danstar on why you don't have to do it with dry yeast:

I always aerate my wort when using liquid yeast. Do I need to aerate the wort before pitching dry yeast?

No, there is no need to aerate the wort but it does not harm the yeast either. During its aerobic production, dry yeast accumulates sufficient amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and sterols to produce enough biomass in the first stage of fermentation. The only reason to aerate the wort when using wet yeast is to provide the yeast with oxygen so that it can produce sterols and unsaturated fatty acids which are important parts of the cell membrane and therefore essential for biomass production.

If the slurry from dry yeast fermentation is re-pitched from one batch of beer to another, the wort has to be aerated as with any liquid yeast.

At any rate... not needing to figure out how to aerate the wort is yet another added benefit of using dry yeast.