# Wyeast Vs White Labs Liquid Yeast



## Brewer_010 (11/5/07)

I'd like to get some ideas from those brewers who've used Wyeast and White Labs yeasts...I'm finding it hard to get WL now that MM seems to not sell 'em anymore  but I can get Wyeast posted....

I've never used Wyeast, but am willing to give it a crack:

- what yeast have you used?
- are they different? 
- are they the same quality?
- is one best IYHO?

Cheers!


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## newguy (11/5/07)

I've used Wyeast almost exclusively, but I did try two vials of White Labs recently. My observations:

- Only bad experience I've had with Wyeast was with packs that prematurely swelled. Apparently this was a production issue a couple of years back - for a time they packaged their yeast before it had finished fermenting. Haven't seen a pack like that for some time. Smacking them was a big hassle, and I had one rupture. I guess the pressure got too high.
- Wyeast is a good product, but try not to believe the claim that their XL packs can be directly pitched into 20 litres of wort. If your sanitation is excellent, you'll be okay. However, you can virtually guarantee success time & again if you build up a starter and pitch that instead.
- If you do use build up starters as a matter of your routine, you can use very VERY old smack packs. I've personally used 4 year old packs with no issues. A friend once used a 6 year old pack (HBS was going to throw it out so he got it free) and it worked fine. The same guy lost a pack in the fall only to discover it under the seat of his car the following spring. It worked too, despite being exposed to -40C.
- The two White Labs vials I obtained were won in a competition (coupons). A friend who was vacationing in the US cashed them in for me, as they're almost impossible to obtain in Canada. The ale yeast worked wonderfully - no complaints at all. The lager strain, on the other hand, was crap. I built up starters (large ones) with these vials, but the lager strain just didn't ever take off. The batches (3) I brewed with that yeast all prematurely stalled and never did fully attenuate. As a matter of fact, I had to dump them all - haven't had to do that in many years.
- Despite the reputation of liquid yeast, a member of my club quite regularly puts us all to shame in competitions with dried yeast. Much cheaper than smack packs and easier to store without the need to build up a starter.

Hope this helps.


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## devo (11/5/07)

They are both good but I do find the way whitelabs package it's yeast in small tubes a tad more convenient.


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## Stuster (11/5/07)

Both make good yeasts. I've used a number of both. There are particular yeasts from either one that the other doesn't produce, like the Scottish ale yeasts they make seem to have different temperature ranges. But you can make more or less any kind of beer with yeasts from either one. If you can only get Wyeast, then you'll be fine. There are so many yeasts it's kind of a big question. What kinds of beer do you want to make?


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## bear09 (11/5/07)

Hi,

I have only used the Wyeast packs as I dont have access to the White Labs. I have found them to be brilliant. They are great for fine tuning a beer to an exact style and the advice on a starter is worth taking. 

The biggest thing I hate about liquid yeast is the cost. Now people will argue with this black and blue but in my experience I have found that a fresh smack pack with a starter put into a brew will ferment out perfectly - every time. When I spilt a starter to save it for later I find that I can never grow it back as good as the orginal smack pack - I find I need to buy a fresh pack for each brew. The fermentation seems slow to start and takes longer - usually does not attenuate as well either - but really - it's a whole other issue.

Wyeast packs a great. Expensive but great. To make them easy to start ( to avoide rupture and to make it easy to pop the inner sachet) Warm the pack to room temp before popping the pack.

If having trouble - take advice above and go with the dried yeast - it does work very well.

Cheers People! :chug:


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## geoffi (11/5/07)

Used both. Both are great.

I currently use Wyeast because it's easier for me to get, but I couldn't strongly recommend one over the other. I like the fact you can see that the Wyeast is viable when it swells.


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## Peter Wadey (11/5/07)

Brewer_010 said:


> ...I'm finding it hard to get WL now that MM seems to not sell 'em anymore  .......



Why don't you try the original importer of Whitelabs in Australia?
ESB Brewing Supplies in Peakhurst, Sydney is back to importing Whitelabs for us.
They do mail order. Contact details at www.esbeer.com.au

Wyeast is also an excellent product.

Rgds,
Peter


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## Stuster (11/5/07)

bear09 said:


> Now people will argue with this black and blue but in my experience I have found that a fresh smack pack with a starter put into a brew will ferment out perfectly - every time. When I spilt a starter to save it for later I find that I can never grow it back as good as the original smack pack - I find I need to buy a fresh pack for each brew. The fermentation seems slow to start and takes longer - usually does not attenuate as well either - but really - it's a whole other issue.



Well, I'm here to argue black and blue.   

Sorry to go off topic, OP, but I wonder why this is happening for you. While the yeast in the smack pack is well prepared by Wyeast, there's no reason (other than contamination) that you shouldn't be able to use the yeast for as many generations as you want. In a homebrewer context the number of generations suggested is usually 6, but this is mainly to do with hygiene. If you are buying a smack pack each time, no wonder you think liquid yeast is expensive. :blink: 

So, what is your procedure for starting up the saved yeast? How long do you save it for? How large a starter do you make? How long is it before you pitch the starter?

Another way to use the yeast is to reuse the yeast cake (or preferably part of it) for a second/third/... batch.


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## Brewer_010 (11/5/07)

Cool guys thanks for the responses. Very helpful.

I'll give some a go and see. 

Cheers


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## sluggerdog (11/5/07)

Have used both.

I would prefer wyeast but I can get white labs easier so I seem to use white labs more.

Only real reason I like wyeast better is wyeast has more range.

They are both great!

I wish someone would do wyeast northside of brisbane!
Danish Lager is awesome! The budvar is up there too.


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## Gulf Brewery (11/5/07)

I think I posted this somewhere on the board before

Attached is a wyeast / whitelabs comparison table.

Cheers
Pedro

A Whitelabs fan

View attachment White_Labs_vs_Wyeast_Comparison_v2.pdf


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## Stuster (11/5/07)

I think I've seen that one before. Like the other ones floating about (including the ones I've posted before as well  ) these are to be taken with a small bucket full of salt. According to Brew Like a Monk for example (which I believe to be right), almost all of those Belgian yeast comparisons is wrong. And the Sweet Mead yeast is probably not the same as the Forbidden Fruit yeast. :lol: 

That said, it's good to have some sort of comparison to know what you could use instead of the WL/Wyeast product in a recipe for example.


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## DJR (11/5/07)

Much better wyeast vs white labs comparison is on here:

http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm

Still, take it with a grain of salt.


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## /// (11/5/07)

Stuster said:


> I think I've seen that one before. Like the other ones floating about (including the ones I've posted before as well  ) these are to be taken with a small bucket full of salt. According to Brew Like a Monk for example (which I believe to be right), almost all of those Belgian yeast comparisons is wrong. And the Sweet Mead yeast is probably not the same as the Forbidden Fruit yeast. :lol:
> 
> That said, it's good to have some sort of comparison to know what you could use instead of the WL/Wyeast product in a recipe for example.



Also alot of the wine is missing, folks just never ask for them so we dont bring them out.

Scotty


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## willanth (29/5/07)

For the last five years or so I have been brewing in the Northwestern United States, White Labs was prevalent and I used many varieties of it. I have always been pleased with it, and have formed a love affair with one of the platinum series limited edition yeasts. If I could get that one again, I'd stockpile it!

I love that the liquid yeast comes in a tube, and I have fond memories of going through the fridge at CBS (my local brewing store back there) and collecting my favorites. I always cultured the yeast into at least two liters of slurry before pitching, and I found that the liquids were much easier to culture and took less time.

I think really it comes down to a personal choice by the brewer. There is one brewery in particular that I'm real fond of that only uses a proprietary strain of Wyeast that isn't sold. That's what they've determined works the best.

Until I find a good supply of WL here in Australia, I'm stuck with Safale or whatever I can come up with.

Cheers,
Will


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## Thommo (29/5/07)

Hi LDBCWill.

Fill in your location details and I'm sure someone on here will be able to point you to a local supplier.

Cheers,
Thommo.


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## Stuster (29/5/07)

LDBCWill said:


> have formed a love affair with one of the platinum series limited edition yeasts. If I could get that one again, I'd stockpile it!



Which one is it? :unsure: 

And as Thommo says, fill out your location (My Controls/Edit Profile Information) so somebody local can point you to a HBS that sells WL.


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## Aussie Claret (29/5/07)

Sorry to go off topic, but has anyone used the WLP850 Copenhagen Lager Yeast, if so what were your thought?
Cheers
AC


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## DJR (29/5/07)

Aussie Claret said:


> Sorry to go off topic, but has anyone used the WLP850 Copenhagen Lager Yeast, if so what were your thought?
> Cheers
> AC



It's pretty much the same strain as Wyeast 2042 Danish, which Sluggerdog swears by in his German Pilsners.

Very good in Aussie style lagers as well - since it's pretty much the CUB lager strain (Carlsberg).


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## Hutch (29/5/07)

Aussie Claret said:


> Sorry to go off topic, but has anyone used the WLP850 Copenhagen Lager Yeast, if so what were your thought?
> Cheers
> AC



I recently used the Wyeast equivalent (2042) in a G&G fresh wort lager, with 2Ltr starter, and the results are very impressive. Apparently the same yeast as used in many Aussie beers (Cascade Premium I beleive), though I think most likely fermented around 15-17 deg. Tastes so much better when fermented at the correct temp (8-13 deg). Mine was pretty much fermented out after 8 days primary.

It's amazing how much variation there is in different yeast strains of the same "breed" (eg. lager yeasts).
Great fun trying new ones each time, though costs a bit of $$$.

Hutch.


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## Aussie Claret (29/5/07)

Thanks for the responses, I'm nearing the end of a lager/pilsner trial same AG recipe just used the WLP850, WLP802 and Dry S189, to compare.70litres to drink!

Should be interesting.
Cheers
AC


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## Jye (19/6/07)

Aussie Claret said:


> Thanks for the responses, I'm nearing the end of a lager/pilsner trial same AG recipe just used the WLP850, WLP802 and Dry S189, to compare.70litres to drink!
> 
> Should be interesting.
> Cheers
> AC



Hey AC, how did the trial go?


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## Aussie Claret (21/6/07)

Hi Jye,
I've just been waiting for a couple of kegs to run dry, so that can keg them. last night was the night so these will all be kegged, polyclared and filtered on the weekend. So hopefully these will be on tap shortly; I'm sure that Ross will want to come down for tasting and you're very welcome to come down; I'd really like to get a few poeples opinions.

Will let you know if I'm happy with the results on the weekend and organise a trip down to GC.
Cheers
AC


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## fraser_john (29/6/07)

I lived and brewed in the USA for about four years before moving back here and the brewshop I used stocked both. Both worked fine, however, for me personally, I found the Whitelabs to be betters as I always made a starter. To simply crack the lid on the vial when it arrived by UPS and chuck it in my prepared/chilled starter mix was easy. With Wyeast, I had to wait an extra day or two whilst the pack swelled up before pitching into the starter.

Back here in Australia the place I get my stock from only has Wyeast or dried varieties, so I use both of those with success. Its just a change in the planning progress to time the weekend brew sessions.


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