Dry Verses Liquid Yeasts

[gjhansford]

I've brewed about 280 x 20 litre brews ... all with dry yeast ... and all with a new packet every time. I've thought about repitching ... and I've thought about liquid yeasts ... but never been confident enough to give them a go, especially when the range of dried yeasts gives me a good range of beer styles that my drinking friends like, and the dried yeast is so easy to store and use.

But I am willing to grow... so I have two questions:

1. What is the advantage of liquid yeast over dried? In other words is the difference noticeable in the end product? And is the difference worth all of the effort there seems to be in making starters etc.

2. To get me started on a journey from single use to repitching, how exactly would I go about reusing the yeast and stuff that sits at the bottom of a fermenter after kegging? Any photos would be a help as I'm not sure what part of the stuff is yeast and what part is not.

 

[brenjak]

I think the range of liquid yeasts available is far greater than that of dry yeasts. Wyeast and Whitelabs have extensive and style specific yeasts available. It is also easier, when making a starter, to pour a little off and place ina stubby for use next time, thus saving money. It has been said this can be done up to six times but i have only ever been game to use a Wyeast (my preferred yeast brand) twice. Still thats only a little over five bucks for the brweing yeast.

 

[gjhansford]

I think the range of liquid yeasts available is far greater than that of dry yeasts. Wyeast and Whitelabs have extensive and style specific yeasts available. It is also easier, when making a starter, to pour a little off and place ina stubby for use next time, thus saving money. It has been said this can be done up to six times but i have only ever been game to use a Wyeast (my preferred yeast brand) twice. Still thats only a little over five bucks for the brweing yeast.

Thanks Biergeliebter. I know the range is far greater ... but my question is: Can you tell the difference between an English Ale brew made with a Yorkshire yeast and one made with a London yeast (for example). And what about the difference betwween English Ale brews made with Windsor dried yeast and a liquid yeast. Can anyone share their experiences on these kind of questions?

 

[brenjak]

Sorry mate, i brew mostly lagers. I can tell the difference between a 2001 Urquell and a 2308 Munich Lager though. With kits i have used different yeasts for the same kit, Coopes European, and can tell the difference in the finished product. I think the Urquell give a much drier finish.
With the re-use when using liquid yeasts though...
Make a one litre starter for Ales and a two litre starter for Lagers. Before pitching the starter give it a bit of a swirl and then simply fill a third of a sterilised stubby. I have never re-used yeast slurry though so hopefully someone who has will respond. Have you had a google on it? Plenty of info out there.

 

[np1962]

Thanks Biergeliebter. I know the range is far greater ... but my question is: Can you tell the difference between an English Ale brew made with a Yorkshire yeast and one made with a London yeast (for example). And what about the difference betwween English Ale brews made with Windsor dried yeast and a liquid yeast. Can anyone share their experiences on these kind of questions?

Brewed a triple batch of Bitter with butters and muckey, split wort 3 ways and each was fermented with a different yeast, London III, Ringwood and West Yorkshire.
Three different beers! So the answer to your Q is definitely YES! Have a go, you won't regret the slightly extra effort.
Cheers
Nige

 

[buttersd70]

Brewed a triple batch of Bitter with butters and muckey, split wort 3 ways and each was fermented with a different yeast, London III, Ringwood and West Yorkshire.
Three different beers! So the answer to your Q is definitely YES! Have a go, you won't regret the slightly extra effort.
Cheers
Nige

Absolutely. The range of liquid yeasts aailable is huge compared to dry. Dry yeasts have their place, certainly: But liquid yeasts open up so many options.

 

[jimi]

Hi ghhb,

With 2 just do a search, there'll be heaps of threads on re-using yeast of any variety, the process is the same ... although some don't like re-using dry yeast. FWIW my yeast re-use is as simple as a gentle shake of the near empty fermenter, a little settle time and then pouring into a sanitised jar for storing in the fridge. If I plan to hold on to it for awhile I'll decant after crash chilling and put cooled boiled water on top. Easy.

1) yeast whether they are dry or liquid just have a different character / flavour. As stated elsewhere, there's a greater range in liquid, but dry used well is more than serviceable. I've only ever used two types of wheat beer yeast (I should try more I know). One was an old WLP300 (i think) and the other wb06. The later was a much nicer beer with lots more character. Wyeast 1968 is my favourite yeast for most pales and bitters but I don't buy into the attitude that a dry is better than liquid, it's just different. Pick a yeast to suit you and your beer - liquid just offers more for the picking.

 

[Bribie G]

Thanks Biergeliebter. I know the range is far greater ... but my question is: Can you tell the difference between an English Ale brew made with a Yorkshire yeast and one made with a London yeast (for example). And what about the difference betwween English Ale brews made with Windsor dried yeast and a liquid yeast. Can anyone share their experiences on these kind of questions?

Earlier this year the Brisbane Amateur Beer Brewers (BABBs) club did a full brew at the Eagle Heights Brewery at Mount Tamborine, QLD, a sort of Timothy Taylor bitter clone. Every participant took home a no-chill cube of wort and fermented it with a different yeast, everything from belgians to dried yeasts to WYeast liquid yeast.
When the beer was ready we had a Club tasting evening where everyone had the opportunity of tasting each yeast's outcome and the results were amazing. It was literally 20 (or 25, I forget????) different beers. IMHO the worst one was Nottingham, yielding a dry stripped out ale and the best one was made on Ringwood liquid yeast. That's what actually got me going on Ringwood. There were clear ones, still cloudy ones etc etc. The difference in esters was remarkable considering the original wort was absolutely identical. That evening was what got me going on trying different yeasts. Until then I was a strict dry yeast man.

Unfortunately I got in too late and didn't get a spot on brew day. However since then it's been a great trip, for example I love a bit of diacetyl (butterscotch) so I use Wyeast 1768 in a UK bitter and don't leave too long in secondary and yum here comes the butterscotch. If I want a smooth as silk Yorkshire Bitter I go for Ringwood or 1469 - and so it goes. And yes I still love US-05 dried yeast for all my fake lagers and the odd APA style beer using kiwi hops.

 

[Pennywise]

I love the range of liquid yeasts, so much better than dry. Except for 1 I find US-05 and Wyeast 1056 to be exactly the same, I'm no expert though, thats just what I get, I really don't see any difference at all, appart from the fact I'm more confident in culturing up 1056.

 

[Nick JD]

Something to think about is that every single ml of wort passes in through the yeast's cell and out again innumerable times. Each time the yeast uses some of the various carbs to grow and/or divide and shits out all manner of stuff including ethanol.

In other words: the beer IS the yeast.

IMO, the yeast has more influence on the beer's flavour than its ingredients.

Recently I did a hefe with no wheat. Taste like a hefe.

 

[Bribie G]

Something to think about is that every single ml of wort passes in through the yeast's cell and out again innumerable times. Each time the yeast uses some of the various carbs to grow and/or divide and shits out all manner of stuff including ethanol.

In other words: the beer IS the yeast.

IMO, the yeast has more influence on the beer's flavour than its ingredients.

Recently I did a hefe with no wheat. Taste like a hefe.

Now there's a novel and probably spot-on theory. Put it another way, beer is the waste product of a certain yeast - so looking at examples from nature if you are bushwalking and happen on a cow paddock and step in something then it's totally different in aroma to when you get further up the hill and there's sheep droppings all around, (I used to hill-walk in the UK and loved that earthy smell of sheep poo, it's actually quite wholesome) and on the drive home you pass downwind from a piggery, and then get home and nature calls so you put your copy of BYO mag under your arm, adjust reading glasses and head for the ensuite .......

Makes total sense

 

[daemon]

The short answer is yes. Like yourself and BribeG I'd never had a problem with dried yeast but after trying a few beers with varying liquid yeasts the difference was certainly there. It's not so much that they're a "better" yeast as such but the variety does make a difference. This is especially noticeable with English, Belgian and wheat beers.

I have a beer fermented with 1469 that I can give you to try if you like, as well as a culture of the yeast. All you need to do is ensure everything is sterile and you won't have any problems with repitching and storing yeast.

If I'm brewing using the same yeast that day, I'll I'll simply do is take 1/2 a cup of yeast out of the bottom of the fermenter (after it's been kegged etc) and pitch it into the clean fermenter.

If I want to reuse the yeast within two weeks I'll simply add some boiled water (and then chilled of course) into the fermenter, swirl and then bottle some 1/2 stubbies of. The yeast in these stubbies is pretty much right to go for 2-3 weeks, depending on the variety.

If I want to keep the yeast for longer I'll "wash" it before bottling it. This isn't as hard as it sounds, I believe there's a good podcast about it on Brew Strong (US show). I'll save these for a year or more without problems however you need to make a starter before pitching these ones. A starter isn't much work at all, you just need to start it roughly 3-4 days before you want to ferment a brew.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

:icon_offtopic: There was a beer produced by a Italian micro call Amcore called the Brunette, 10% ABV, god I wish I knew what yeast they used it that exceptional beer.I still get emotional when I think about it. :icon_drool2:
GB

 

[Nick JD]

...you pass downwind from a piggery...

I was going to use the same "shit" analogy, but was hesitant because (it's an anal-ogy) the bacterial flora in the gut of us vertebrates is largely responsible for my farts smelling much better than everyone elses - especially that smelly prick who's always in the elevator when I come back from lunch. Yes, if I ate curry for breakfast my shit would still smell of roses, for I am, probably at this late stage in the pickling process, 18% yeast myself.

My armpits smell like cloves, pear and banana.

 

[balconybrewer]

Brewed a triple batch of Bitter with butters and muckey, split wort 3 ways and each was fermented with a different yeast, London III, Ringwood and West Yorkshire.
Three different beers! So the answer to your Q is definitely YES! Have a go, you won't regret the slightly extra effort.
Cheers
Nige

what was the verdict on the final product with relation to yeast, im tossing up what yeast to keep in my library, have tried ldnIII and west yorkie but in different worts, never tried by side, which one do you rate?????

cheers

 

[Mantis]

I have realised that I love APA's and this is good as US-05 is great for them. I buy it in 500g bricks so use it fresh (expecting Daren to chime in if he sees this) , with each brew.
I have only used liquid once and that was ummm 1056 with a fresh wort kit from G&G.
Used a few different dry yeasts but dont like the results

US-05 for me, for now

 

[boingk]

I reuse yeast all the time, in an ad-hoc kinda way. I generaly put down another brew atraight after bottling one, so just take a few tablespoons of yeast from the bottom of the empty fermenter and put into a 300ml conical flask. I top to 250ml with tepid water and add a quarter-teaspoon of LDME, giving a good swirl afterwards.

The stuff bubbles and generally forms a good yeast cream, and I pitch it to the brew thats ready to roll. Brilliant, fast fermentation every time.

CHeers mate - boingk

 

[manticle]

I think it depends on the beer a bit as some beers are less yeast dependent (in terms of discernible flavour only - obvioulsy all beer is yeast dependent and yeast can be as responsible for a clean profile as an estery one).

Those that have renowned yeast characteristics like dubbels or lambics will obviously benefit from a wider or more specific range. Those that favour hops or malt might prefer a more subtle yeast and dried yeast may fit the bill.

Despite the price, liquid is probably more economical in the long run. I use both and have made lovely beers with both (and crap ones too) so all I can recommend is having a crack with a distinctive liquid. Try brewing a dubbel with so4 and 3787 and taste the difference.

 

[warrenlw63]

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Warren -

 

[Effect]

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Warren -

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