Wyeast vs White?

[MrBJones]

For no particular reason, I've not used yeast from White...only from Wyeast. Is there any meaningful difference between the yeast from each?

If it's just a case of preference, what's yours and why?

 

[m00ps]

apart from strains that are exclusive to one vendor or the other, no difference IMO. You are limiting yourself if you only use one vs the other

there are also a number of smaller yeast companies that are up and coming which have a lot more interesting stuff, especially on the wild side of things

 

[bucketnative]

Some people complain about the packaging from one company or the other.

Some stores only carry certain brands, which may limit your options.

 

[MrBJones]

I kind of like Wyeast's smack pack. Does White have something similar?

 

[pshankstar]

I don't discriminate. I look for what the recipe calls for, whether it is WL or WY, sometimes even a dry yeast. I go to my LHBS and purchase what is called for. If they happen to be out of that particular strain, then I look for the alternative choice (i.e. WLP002 out of stock, get Wyeast 1318). Either way you cannot go wrong as long as the packet is not expired. If it is, build it up before pitching.

 

[dmtaylor]

There are some strains that Wyeast does better, some that White Labs does better, so I use both, depending what I want out of it. I also love many dry yeasts as well. I use everything.

Be warned that the supposed "equivalent" strains between different companies are actually usually quite different in character. You really need to try both (or all) to know which one you like best.

 

[Morrey]

All factors considered, both labs are close in product quality. Of course neither can control what happens to the products after they leave the labs as in shipping times and temps, date of exp, etc.

Given two packs of the same strains, same dates, I'd pick the WY smack pack since I like the way it activates, especially if I plan to pitch direct with no starter. I will say that the WY3068 Hefe has given me the best results of any Weihenstephan strain. (Reference DMTaylors above comments)

Another lab I have become fond of is Omega.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I have only used liquid yeast once since I've only been brewing for about a year. It was WLP810 San Francisco Lager. I suppose that we are all swayed if unconsciously by marketing. The first book I read was The Joy of Homebrewing by John Palmer. He clearly has a relationship with White Labs. I think that and his excitement about steam beer steered me out of my comfort zone and led me to that yeast. Incidentally, I just bottled a Märzen that I brewed on top of my steam beer yeast cake and have high hopes that it will be a great beer.

 

[schatzke]

Wyeast is the yeast my LHBS stocks so it's what I use. I would love it if they carried White also but understand why they don't.

 

[jerbrew]

I use white labs a lot. They're in the same town after all. But I still often use wyeast without a second thought if a yeast sounds liek it will meat my needs. been looking at a lot of other companies too. Trying to find what strains i'd like to keep around.

 

[A2HB]

Wyeast costs $1 more per pack versus White Labs at my LHBS so I usually go with the White Labs. I don't think there's a big difference between them honestly though. Especially for stuff like American Ale yeast or Dry English ale or stuff like that

 

[KepowOb]

I have one LHBS close to my house that only sells Wyeast, I have another that's on my way home from work that only sells White Labs, so for me it all depends on when I'm picking it up. I've had good experiences with both.

 

[itsnotrequired]

Wyeast is the yeast my LHBS stocks so it's what I use. I would love it if they carried White also but understand why they don't.

same here. i like to think that liquid yeast from the lhbs has been shipped more carefully than something ordered online, seems more like a roll of the dice.

 

[tagz]

White Labs has had some issues with sacc contamination of their Lacto and Brett strains.

Also, when I submit questions via email, Wyeast responds within the hour. White Labs takes a few days.

They both have quality products though. You can't go wrong, really. It's more about what strain you like.

 

[Yooper]

I have only used liquid yeast once since I've only been brewing for about a year. It was WLP810 San Francisco Lager. I suppose that we are all swayed if unconsciously by marketing. The first book I read was The Joy of Homebrewing by John Palmer. He clearly has a relationship with White Labs. I think that and his excitement about steam beer steered me out of my comfort zone and led me to that yeast. Incidentally, I just bottled a Märzen that I brewed on top of my steam beer yeast cake and have high hopes that it will be a great beer.

Not that I have any issue with White Labs vs Omega vs Wyeast vs Imperial, etc, but John Palmer didn't write the Joy of Homebrewing and doesn't have a relationship with White labs, as far as I know.

Charlie Papazian wrote the Joy of Homebrewing, and his "Cry Havoc" yeast is carried by White Labs.

I use many different yeast strains depending on the beer I'm brewing that day and my desire for a certain flavor profile.

 

[sd_brewbie]

I have only used white labs and us-05 yeast. Being in San Diego I have to believe stuff from white labs is more fresh.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Charlie Papazian wrote the Joy of Homebrewing, and his "Cry Havoc" yeast is carried by White Labs.

Right. Thanks Yooper.

 

[Qhrumphf]

The yeast is yeast. As others have said, the principle differences between the two are just packaging and strain selection. There are some "equivalent" strains, I haven't tried every possible comparison as my LHBS prefers Wyeast and the White Labs stock is extremely limited, so I can't speak to the similarities between the "equivalents" as others have. There are certainly strengths and weaknesses though, particularly when it comes to the "wild" stuff. And, as someone else mentioned, there are smaller guys who do that stuff better anyway. I've used Omega and East Coast Yeast stuff there as well.

So ultimately no, there's not really a difference or one better than the other. Your store may stock more of one or the other, or exclusively one or the other, or maybe it'll stock both. You may find you like one or the other (I prefer Wyeast because it's what I'm used to, but I'll go for White Labs if the beer calls for it and there's no appropriately close substitution, and my favorite house strain is Wyeast-only, at least on homebrewing scale, some of the pro suppliers stock it as well), or if you can only get one but whatever you're brewing calls for the other, you can usually find something close. End of the day though, there are some strains that only one or the other will have (or sometimes a strain you can't get from either but can get from a smaller guy- Conan is a good example).

 

[catdaddy66]

I have only used liquid yeast once since I've only been brewing for about a year. It was WLP810 San Francisco Lager. I suppose that we are all swayed if unconsciously by marketing. The first book I read was The Joy of Homebrewing by John Palmer. He clearly has a relationship with White Labs. I think that and his excitement about steam beer steered me out of my comfort zone and led me to that yeast. Incidentally, I just bottled a Märzen that I brewed on top of my steam beer yeast cake and have high hopes that it will be a great beer.

Love this yeast! I have used it in several steam beers and recently in a marzen. All have come out delicious, and my most recent use in a California common saw the fg at 1.003 from an og of 1.049!

I have yet to use any wyeast products but would love to try them. My lhbs doesn't carry them.

 

[Morrey]

White Labs has had some issues with sacc contamination of their Lacto and Brett strains.

Also, when I submit questions via email, Wyeast responds within the hour. White Labs takes a few days.

They both have quality products though. You can't go wrong, really. It's more about what strain you like.

Concur. I dumped a batch of kettle souring wort due to White Lab lacto being contaminated with sacch. I emailed them and they sent me a voucher for a replacement pack of yeast. That's real nice but how about the $$ I dumped?

For lacto from that point forward I use Omega. For Weinstephan I use WY3068. I use an occasional WL product but it really depends on the specific use. I don't shy away from WL per se, but I started having trust issues after the lacto contamination.

I just racked to keg an Oktoberfest with WLP830. Probably the best German lager I have made, but I knew to use 830 German Lager instead of 820 Oktoberfest which has given me problems with attenuation in the past. Like I said before, it is experience knowing what to use and what to pass over.

 

[kh54s10]

I have no preference. I buy the strain that I want to use, whatever company produces it. I also use dry yeasts. I have not yet tried one of the newcomers liquid yeasts.

Now that White Labs has the Pure Pitch packages the only real difference in packaging is the nutrient pack in Wyeast pouches. Since I make a starter whenever I use liquid yeast that nutrient pack is not a factor in my preference. In fact I see it as a problem for new brewers who think that it increases cell counts when activated. It does not. It only proofs they yeast, If the package swells it tells you that at least some of the yeast is viable.

 

[Epos7]

I'm a newbie, but it seems like it comes down to personal preference or what the recipe you're following calls for.

I found this article interesting in comparing two similar yeasts from the two companies:

http://brulosophy.com/2015/08/31/yeast-comparison-white-labs-wlp029-vs-wyeast-wy2565-xbmt-results/

Some tasters preferred the Wyeast, others preferred the White Labs. The takeaway for me is they do produce different beers.

 

[specharka]

I'm a Wyeast advocate. I like how the package is designed as proof of purchase for yeast viability -- and actually functions as a tiny yeast starter for expired yeast. There's some White Labs strains I prefer over Wyeast, and vice versa, but they're both excellent suppliers. Gotta appreciate that Chris White wrote the book on yeast (literally). Both labs are leap years ahead of Danstar/Fermentis/Lallemand, IMO.

Also gotta give a shout out to newcomers in Imperial Organic Yeast and Omega Yeast Labs, who are starting to churn out some exceptional products.

 

[m00ps]

I'm a newbie, but it seems like it comes down to personal preference or what the recipe you're following calls for.

I found this article interesting in comparing two similar yeasts from the two companies:

http://brulosophy.com/2015/08/31/yeast-comparison-white-labs-wlp029-vs-wyeast-wy2565-xbmt-results/

Some tasters preferred the Wyeast, others preferred the White Labs. The takeaway for me is they do produce different beers.

Keep in mind that while WY2565 and WLP029 are both "Kolsch" strains, they are not purported to be from the same brewery such as WY3522/WLP550, or WLP565/WY3724, etc. I don't know if they knew this at the time of the experiment or not, but to me the whole effort kinda seems moot

Ask any homebrewer that has made their fare share of Kolsch beers and theyll tell you the two are definitely different

 

[Epos7]

Keep in mind that while WY2565 and WLP029 are both "Kolsch" strains, they are not purported to be from the same brewery such as WY3522/WLP550, or WLP565/WY3724, etc. I don't know if they knew this at the time of the experiment or not, but to me the whole effort kinda seems moot

Ask any homebrewer that has made their fare share of Kolsch beers and theyll tell you the two are definitely different

I didn't even realize the two companies produced identical yeasts, shows how much I know

Do most White Labs yeasts have a corresponding Wyeast yeast?

 

[m00ps]

Yes, most do. Im not sure how much updating this needs, but:
http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm

 

[bigplunkett]

Omega's conan was great and giga makes some good funky stuff. I prefeer whites 001 over wy 1056 but love there american wheat (1010)and 3711 just try it all i say.

 

[dmtaylor]

I didn't even realize the two companies produced identical yeasts, shows how much I know

Do most White Labs yeasts have a corresponding Wyeast yeast?

Actually it's about 50/50 -- often there are corresponding yeasts, but very often not. And even when they are supposedly from the same source, inevitably even if you were to run an experiment and split a batch with the same wort and ferment with each one separately, they will always actually taste noticeably different. The reason is that they are farmed by the different companies with slightly different techniques, and also the yeast multiply very quickly so there is perceptible evolution going on at this accelerated rate, so the same yeast actually can only stay similar for a very very short time. You can even try this at home, brewing the same recipe twice but using the yeast cake from the first batch to ferment the second and subsequent batches. The character from any individual strain repitched will often change slightly from one batch to the very next. But, if the yeasts were sourced by two (or more) commercial manufacturers 5 or 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, or maybe more, then just imagine how different they could become after so many reproductive cycles.

Case in point: WLP820 and Wyeast 2206 are supposedly from the same source and thus equivalent. Ha! Maybe they were the same at one time, but it must have been a VERY long time ago. In my experience, this "equivalency" could not be further from the truth! I have used a lot of different lager yeasts over the yeasts, and of all of these, WLP820 is just about my least favorite of all, while 2206 is my all-time favorite. They are extremely different. WLP820 has a long lag time and underattenuates consistently, while Wyeast 2206 does not have these problems and gives the most elegant "German" flavor of any yeast I have used. And if you experiment with other "equivalents", you'll likely find the same truth with any others as well.

Cheers.

 

[Mer-man]

White Labs does not have a West Yorkshire culture. But for where they have comparable strains, go for whatever you can get that is freshest.

Also regarding the newer yeast labs, a certain Zainasheff has gone on record saying he is not happy with the quality of their product.

 

[Mer-man]

Actually it's about 50/50 -- often there are corresponding yeasts, but very often not. And even when they are supposedly from the same source, inevitably even if you were to run an experiment and split a batch with the same wort and ferment with each one separately, they will always actually taste noticeably different. The reason is that they are farmed by the different companies with slightly different techniques, and also the yeast multiply very quickly so there is perceptible evolution going on at this accelerated rate, so the same yeast actually can only stay similar for a very very short time. You can even try this at home, brewing the same recipe twice but using the yeast cake from the first batch to ferment the second and subsequent batches. The character from any individual strain repitched will often change slightly from one batch to the very next. But, if the yeasts were sourced by two (or more) commercial manufacturers 5 or 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, or maybe more, then just imagine how different they could become after so many reproductive cycles.

Case in point: WLP820 and Wyeast 2206 are supposedly from the same source and thus equivalent. Ha! Maybe they were the same at one time, but it must have been a VERY long time ago. In my experience, this "equivalency" could not be further from the truth! I have used a lot of different lager yeasts over the yeasts, and of all of these, WLP820 is just about my least favorite of all, while 2206 is my all-time favorite. They are extremely different. WLP820 has a long lag time and underattenuates consistently, while Wyeast 2206 does not have these problems and gives the most elegant "German" flavor of any yeast I have used. And if you experiment with other "equivalents", you'll likely find the same truth with any others as well.

Cheers.

I gotta say, WLP820 sounds like a real loser strain from all accounts I have seen.
I just did a Dortmunder Export with 833 and it went from 1.055 to 1.008, despite mashing at 68. Eating that maltotriose, I guess.