what yeast do you like?

[jasonlee247]

ok, so now i've tried the major brands, and have seen some pros and cons from each. I wanna know what the majority likes.....just for fun, if not a bit of education. Please vote, and then post the main reason why you prefer that brand.
Thanx brewtalkers.

 

[Ace_Club]

I prefer the dry yeast packs, mainly Nottingham. Dry yeast is cheap, versatile and no starter is required. I do venture into Wyeast territory when I'm doing certain styles (e.g. Saison), but beyond that I stick with the good ol' dry yeast.

 

[shamrockdoc]

I voted for Wyeast due to the fact that I make and love starters. But I also like White Labs WLP002 English Ale. This is a beast!

 

[Golddiggie]

I've been using Wyeast packs, so far, for my beers. I'm in the practice/habit of making starters for all my yeasts now. Even for beers with an OG of under 1.060.

I'm starting to wash my yeast (from brews made with the Wyeast packs). I'm liking the cost savings I'll see from washing yeast. It quickly becomes far cheaper than even dry yeast packets.

For my mead batches, I've been using Lalvin dry packets, mostly due to the strains I wanted (or properties of the yeast) being more available at the LHBS.

I won't rule out using either in the future, for mead or beer, it's just the way I'm rocking right now.

I do like the activator packs from Wyeast since you know, pretty fast, if the yeast is good or not.

 

[kanzimonson]

The nutrients in the Wyeast pack just make me feel good. But I've used everything and it's all good stuff... the brewer is really the one to praise or blame.

 

[jkreuze]

If I can get away with using dry yeast I do it, it's easier and comes out just fine for a lot of styles. If I have to go with liquid I get the smack packs.

Screw the road less traveled--I'm looking for the path of least resistance.

 

[marcycaulkins]

Where's the choice for "I like to culture my yeast out of a bottle of something good that has been bottle-conditioned, but only if the primary (fermenting) strain is used at bottling time"?

 

[bmud0314]

I also use dry when appropriate (basic brown ale), but use wyeast when I need something with a specific flavor (i.e. hefe). Nothing against white labs, I have never used.

 

[Clonefarmer]

The poll needs an all of the above option . Both white labs and Wyeast are great when they are fresh. Dry yeast is great for keeping on hand and for use in allot of basic style beers.

 

[Yooper]

I also choose "all of the above"! For some yeast, I love Wyeast. Denny's Favorite 50 is one of my favorite strains (Wyeast). I also like their California lager yeast better than White Labs.

But I'm not as wild about some of their other strains, so I choose White Labs for some other strains. I think WLP001 is my favorite American ale yeast strain. I'm using WLP802 for a BoPils, and I really like that strain. Wyeast's Czech pilsner lager, #2278, produces much more sulfur.

For dry yeast, I will use S04 and S05 routinely. But never dry lager yeast! (I don't know why- just haven't used it).

 

[BendBrewer]

I stick to standard American Ales and almost always US-05. I did the Slap Pack route when first starting but now love the simplicity and consistency of the dry packs.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

Almost 100% dry yeast now. I love US-05 more than any other yeast.

Yoop, I used Denny's Favorite on my pumpkin ale and it was a great yeast with great flavor, but I washed it and used it on half of a 10-gallon honey IPA and it didn't win the taste test against the US-05 the second half got. Weird huh?

 

[BenJSpain]

My LHBS only stocks dry and Wyeast. I make starters with Wyeast and have no issues. My favorite is by far Wyeast 1968 London ESB. I guess the White Labs equal is WLP002. Awesome yeast.

 

[Shinglejohn]

I have had great results with Wy, WL, and Danstar dry packs.
All great products! Cheers!

 

[elkdog]

Dry Yeast is my first choice (S-05, S-04, Nttingham), but I like a lot of English beers, and S-04 is too attenuative and Windsor makes me angry, so I use White Labs for those. The smack packs annoy me, and since I always make a starter when I use liquid yeast, I don't see a huge upside to them. WLP002 and WLP005 are my go-to's, though I'm planning to try some of the more estery English strains soon.

 

[rjwhite41]

I use Wyeast almost exclusively. I used to use White Labs but I like the smack packs a lot more, just for the reassurance I guess. I always make starters, every single time. I have never used dry yeast. When I first started out it was considered very inconsistent and even though I know it has gotten a lot better I still haven't used it.

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

I use "all of the above". I prefer the German Ale strain from WL over WY and I love some of the WY strains over the WL like American Ale II.

 

[Bottenbrew]

I would choose option 4 liquid yeast. I generally use Wyeast (because my LHBS stocks way more of it than White Labs) but I also use White Labs. I haven't used dry yeast for a few years, I ran into multiple bad packets and haven't gone back.

 

[TheMan]

I use S-05 mainly. Notty has failed me in the past, so I stopped using it. S-05 is old reliable and never has an issue.

When I need flavors from the yeast I choose Wyeast. White Labs has never failed me, but I go with Wyeast for some reason.

 

[cuinrearview]

I've used all three but mainly pitch S-05 and S-04 these days. I like IPAs and it's just too easy to mash low, throw in a bunch of hops, and sprinkle in some S-05. SWMBO has taken to browns so the S-04 goes in those. If I make something that needs it I'll go the tubes or the smacks I have no preference. Sooner or later I'll get back to washing yeast and probably purchase more liquid yeast again but the sachets are soooo, so damn nice. When I try a lager it'll be dry yeast; no need to waste $$ on something I don't know if it'll come out. If it goes good then I'll venture into liquid with those too.

 

[jbrookeiv]

I only use dry yeast. It's cheap, and survives shipping to South Florida.

 

[DBear]

Wy3522, wy3711, wlp550, wlp530

 

[shamrockdoc]

Wy3522, wy3711, wlp550, wlp530

I get that theses are all Belgian strains but is that all you brew? If not how do they taste in other styles of beer?

 

[Scooby_Brew]

I use US-05 for all my "usual" beers, starting from American Wheat, Pale Ale, IPA, Amber, Brown, Stout etc. This way I get to reuse the yeast in a sort of a "production line" way. I love the taste, I like the convenience and most of all I love, love, love the quality of US-05. They never failed me, so far at least.

 

[ajf]

Depends on what I am brewing.
For American pale ales and IPA's I can't tell the difference between US-05, Wy1056, and WLP001 so I use US-05, so I use US-05 as it's the cheapest.
For English bitters (my favorite) I use WLP002 or Wy1968. I haven't found a dry yeast that is comparable.
For English IPA's, I use WLP023 or Wy1028. They are both very different, but I like both of them.
Although WLP013 is reportedly the same as WY1028, I find them to be completely different, and I don't like WLP013. I've never tried the Wyeast equivalent of WLP023.

-a.

 

[atgunning]

I use nothing but Wyeast. I've had so much success with it that I haven't felt the need to try anything else. I wash the seasonal strains like 1469 West Yorkshire and 1026 British Cask Ale, and I think i am going to make 1728 Scottish Ale my "house strain". I love the fact that I can use a specific strain of yeast to help impart that little bit extra into the beer i'm making.

Nothing against White Labs, but I have yet to see a need to try it yet. However, the new seasonal Berliner Weisse Blend has me excited, so I expect to try it soon enough.

 

[zgoda]

I don't know if this is known fact, but Wyeast packs do not contain stated amount of yeast cells. Two years ago the winning beer from largest competition in Poland (it was doppelbock) was brewed by small commercial brewery. Yeast used by winning brewer was WY2308 Munich Lager, so the brewery ordered over 100 litres of liquid yeast culture. Checking viability in their laboratory revealed that 4 days after packaging the amount of cells was ~25% lower than stated 1.2 x 10^9 cells/ml. This finding was confirmed by another independent laboratory and this applies to propagator packs too.

Always make starter, use 2 packs for lagers, etc. - that's the conclusion. Anyway, i use Wyeast almost exclusively.

 

[dmfa200]

Great thread!
It's comforting knowing what everyone else is doing. Don't know any homebrewers in my town.
Never realized that dry yeast is still so popular. I thought I was in the minority using dry yeast.
US-05 is my current favorite.

 

[DBear]

@ shamrocdocs

Yes, I only brew belgian/like styles. I have recently tried belgian yeasts for porter/stout styles with mixed results. The yeast can overpower the roasted malts - WLP 550. I will be brewing a clone of Jolly Pumpkins Dark Dawn using a cleaner yeast - WY1762. I have not done a belgian IPA yet.

 

[tekknoschtev]

My first brew was with a smack pack, and it definitely felt more authentic, but since then I've been using dry yeast for the ease. Never made a starter for that first batch, but after some reading I probably should have.

But my inner Tinker-er wants to build a stir plate, pick up some flasks and start making starters. I like gadgets, and ones that I can make myself? Well that's just awesome. Once I build a stir plate, I'll probably still use dry most of the time, but spin up some liquid yeasts just for fun.