Yeast Prices - What happened?!!

[philm63]

Just looked at one of the larger on-line brewing supply sites and the prices for liquid yeast are up quite a bit. What gives? I know it's been maybe 4 or 5 months since I purchased liquid yeast but from a LHBS - my last on-line liquid yeast purchase was probably a year ago but I remember the prices being around $7 to $9. It's more like $10 to $12 now! What happened?!!

 

[camonick]

I just looked at the 2 websites I typically order from and their prices haven’t changed. Still $6-$9

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I recently have gotten some omega $6 each.

 

[day_trippr]

Wyeast packs around my area are still $7.50...

Cheers!

 

[Coastalbrew]

I get all my ingredients from atlantic brew supply online, they are still $7-$10 for liquid yeast depending on the lab.

 

[bracconiere]

damn, i remember 16 years ago, a liquid yeast pack was ~$3 and dry yeast a bit more then a buck.


gets much worse, and i can't use wine yeast either, i'll just start opening a window!

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WINE-YEAST...981175?hash=item4d90edbc77:g:n24AAOSwmU1cpgc4
i pitched 25g's of that and been repitching it for a few months, it started out kinda watery. but i add gluco so it goes dry, starting to get more body. on how ever many repitches it's been, but i still got the rest in case i get a infection (i don't like)

it flocc's good, which is honestly the only reason i don't use baker's yeast.

edit: being i usually repitch for a year before 'freshing' up. that's 20 years worth!

 

[philm63]

Looks like a good time to explore yeast ranching, no?

 

[matt_m]

At a quick look, More Beer, Adventures in Homebrewing and Great Fermentations are all about $8 for White Labs and Wyeast. Northern Brewer is charging ~25% more for .... ???? But the Midwest Supplies version of their web site prices are normal.

 

[D.B.Moody]

damn, i remember 16 years ago, a liquid yeast pack was ~$3 and dry yeast a bit more then a buck.

gets much worse, and i can't use wine yeast either, i'll just start opening a window!

The price rise in yeast is how I wound up joining HomebrewTalk. I was exploring yeast information. I use dry yeast, but it is also up, especially Nottingham.

At the moment, I'm leaving my windows closed and just ordered nothing but S33 for my next six batches. Even though I'm an old dog and like to keep things simple, I may have to try yeast harvesting.

 

[z-bob]

I've noticed that yeast prices are way up, but it might just be that the specific yeasts I'm looking for are expensive ones.
Even at $10 a shot, the yeast really isn't that bad if you repitch it a few times.

You can use K1V-1116 wine yeast to make beer. It attenuates very well. (it might be the only one that does) You might not like its ester profile; I thought it was good the time I tried it, but I haven't gone back to it yet. I'm thinking about using it in an upcoming porter.

 

[Albionwood]

Economics. Demand for yeast of all kinds went way up this year. I just read that sales of baker's yeast almost doubled. The forums here are crammed with new homebrewers. Homebrew supply has become a big business, NB is now owned by a giant corporate conglomerate, and pricing will sometimes be inscrutable.

Just get a packet of Voss kveik and never have to buy yeast again!

 

[BrewerBrad82]

NB is my LHBS and I know they are no longer owned by ABI. As far as I understand it, its been nearly two years.

 

[z-bob]

Economics. Demand for yeast of all kinds went way up this year. I just read that sales of baker's yeast almost doubled. The forums here are crammed with new homebrewers. Homebrew supply has become a big business, NB is now owned by a giant corporate conglomerate, and pricing will sometimes be inscrutable.

Just get a packet of Voss kveik and never have to buy yeast again!

I've been having trouble lately with VK taking forever to carbonate, mainly I think because I'm not storing the bottles warm enough. Not a problem if you're kegging it. I agree with your sentiment and I've gotten a lot of mileage out of one pack of OYL061 and it's still going strong, but I'm looking for a good winter yeast that I can repitch over and over. (I think K-97 might be the ticket)

 

[philm63]

Yeah, I had only checked NB's prices and freaked! So the others are lower - that's good to know.

 

[bwible]

Yup. This is why I try to use yeast at least 3 times. Especially as I’m brewing 3 gallon batches.

I will plan recipes in advance that use the same yeast. And brew light to dark, weak to strong, less hoppy to more hoppy. Same way judges judge beer.

1056 might go pale ale, IPA, American barleywine. Could probably squeeze others in if I wanted. 1968 would go blonde ale, bitter or ESB, English IPA. Lots of other combinations and ways to do this. Still trying to find more than 2 to with 1728. 3068 would be a challenge to use more than once as that’s a one trick pony.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

One local wine supply store recently doubled their prices for dry yeast packets. From $1 to $2 (1118 or 1116)
The horror!
Seriously though it sucks. Not sure if some manufacturers switched some of their production from alcohol yeast strains to bread strains back in March/April when there was shortages of bread yeast everywhere, or if it's unrelated.

 

[z-bob]

Higher prices suck. But not raising the prices when there's a shortage sucks worse because soon yeast (or whatever the commodity is) will not be available at any price. Now, you can buy a pack of Imperial A09 (that's the one I'm looking at) if you are willing to pay $10.49. It keeps the hoarders in check.

 

[Gusso]

I recently have gotten some omega $6 each.

Same here. Just got Hornindal and Lutra for $5.99! Great yeast, great price!

 

[Gusso]

Economics. Demand for yeast of all kinds went way up this year. I just read that sales of baker's yeast almost doubled. The forums here are crammed with new homebrewers. Homebrew supply has become a big business, NB is now owned by a giant corporate conglomerate, and pricing will sometimes be inscrutable.

Just get a packet of Voss kveik and never have to buy yeast again!

That dry Voss is nice. Real nice. I just wish I still had that SC summer heat to do a few more extreme fermentations!

 

[z-bob]

The price rise in yeast is how I wound up joining HomebrewTalk. I was exploring yeast information. I use dry yeast, but it is also up, especially Nottingham.

At the moment, I'm leaving my windows closed and just ordered nothing but S33 for my next six batches. Even though I'm an old dog and like to keep things simple, I may have to try yeast harvesting.

Do you like S-33? Not many folks have good things to say about it. I actually do like it, except it has a bad habit of stalling. I'm probably not using it right (maybe you're supposed to stir it after a few days to rouse it)

 

[bracconiere]

It keeps the hoarders in check.

some people that don't like making an honest living might get some ideas with thinking like that....

 

[MikeCo]

Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies online prices are often higher than their in store prices on a lot of things. I think the $9.99 NB is advertising online is to make up for the "free" shipping for orders over $40.

 

[Dland]

4th 10 gallon batch working on same two packs of 34/70 ($6 ea) I dry pitched over a month ago.

Morebeer has free shipping at $59, and decent pricing.

 

[D.B.Moody]

Do you like S-33? Not many folks have good things to say about it. I actually do like it, except it has a bad habit of stalling. I'm probably not using it right (maybe you're supposed to stir it after a few days to rouse it)

Yes, I like it. I brew mostly toward British ales. I haven't experienced the stalling, but I don't track gravity. I don't stir, even at pitching.

 

[D.B.Moody]

NB is my LHBS and I know they are no longer owned by ABI. As far as I understand it, its been nearly two years.

I didn't know that, so I looked it up. Apparently AB-InBev sold them to Back Street Capital in August, 2019. So I apologize: Northern Brewer is no longer owned by the Evil Empire, they're owned by regular, American capital.

 

[Reneauj62]

You must be looking at Northern Brewer... They are ALWAYS the high price leader... Look at Morebeer.com for all you needs... They are quick to deliver, unless you get your stuff from PA.... in that case you are going to have to wait 8-10 just like Northern Brewer.

 

[z-bob]

You must be looking at Northern Brewer... They are ALWAYS the high price leader... Look at Morebeer.com for all you needs... They are quick to deliver, unless you get your stuff from PA.... in that case you are going to have to wait 8-10 just like Northern Brewer.

I have been looking at morebeer.com. The yeast I want is $10.49 just like at all the other places I usually shop. (I haven't checked with the LHBS yet but I don't think they sell Imperial) So I'm thinking about using a packet of S-33 that I have already instead since I'm brewing a British bitter (no idea why Fermantis calls that yeast a Belgian, it's more like a close cousin of Lallemand Windsor)

 

[Reneauj62]

I have been looking at morebeer.com. The yeast I want is $10.49 just like at all the other places I usually shop. (I haven't checked with the LHBS yet but I don't think they sell Imperial) So I'm thinking about using a packet of S-33 that I have already instead since I'm brewing a British bitter (no idea why Fermantis calls that yeast a Belgian, it's more like a close cousin of Lallemand Windsor)

You must be looking for Imperial yeast which is more expensive. The cheapest I have seen for Imperial is Brewchatter.com but is still $9.99 and they include free ice packs.

 

[ChuckS1]

Yet another reason to overbuild your starters.