There are NO bad beer yeasts!

[Ross]

I've resisted replying to a multitude of threads of late for various reasons, from taking them "off topic" to not wanting an individual to think I'm making a personal attack. So I've started a new thread.

THERE ARE NO BAD BEER YEASTS, YOU JUST NEED TO LEARN WHAT & HOW TO BREW WITH THEM!!!

The attacks lately, especially on dried yeasts & by some quite respected people of this community really disappoints.

All beer yeast if used properly can produce award winning beers (& does). I have no issues with someone saying they personally don't like the flavour profile of a particular yeast, but dismissing the yeast as an abomination & accusing it of not being fit for purpose is just wrong. Just because you've made one or several bad beers, whether it be flavour profile or not getting the attenuation you expected, doesn't make the yeast bad, it's either not to your taste, or you haven't learnt to brew with it yet. I've personally hated Nottingham's flavour profile in any pale ales for years, but always loved it in dark ales. Then I learnt that Meantime in London who make my favourite English IPA (Meantime IPA - a superb malty, hoppy beer) brew with it. I followed their recipe,& techniques right down to water profile, & wow, I'm now a convert & use in most of the English IPA's I brew (still can't get it to work in a bitter though ).

Liquid V Dry - Dry yeasts are not inferior! They produce beers of equal quality to liquid, you just have more choice from liquid. You may prefer the profile of WY-1056 over its closet match in dry US-05, or vice versa (I personally prefer US-05), but that doesn't make either yeast superior, just different.


Discuss..........

 

[AndrewQLD]

Couldn't agree more Ross, I've brewed several beers that have done well in comps as well using dry yeasts, in fact all of my entries from the 2009 comp used dry yeasts from memory.
Your point regarding their usage is very true and in reality also applies to liquid yeasts as well so I don't see why so many feel that dry yeasts should be treated any differently, people are pedantic about liquid yeast preparation and temp control but feel it's ok to just chuck in a pack of dry yeast.

 

[slash22000]

people are pedantic about liquid yeast preparation and temp control but feel it's ok to just chuck in a pack of dry yeast.

I just want everybody to note that I didn't start it this time. h34r:

 

[tricache]

What do they say? A Bad Workman Blames His Tools

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I've seen a lot of bagging of S04 for a long time. Whilst my preference was (and still is) for Windsor, I ended up using it in a bog standard bitter.

Not sure what the issue is, some esters, and it was dead clear and dead quick.

Same with T58 - it's been panned as flavourless, almost non-existent spice or Belgian Ester. Brewed a "light" Belgian Blond (4.8%) with it, and got a nice amount of banana/bubblegum/pineapple chunks (obviously without the chocolate) in the beer and it's SWMBO new fave 'non-hoppy' beer.

The only yeast I can't really abide is WB-06, but, in line with Ross' comment, I reckon it were more likely the brewer, than the yeast. Used 3368 (can't remember the number, 3068 was OOS), and it's the only wet yeast I have ever used. And ironically, the only poor beer I had at QABC last year. The rest were dry, including using US05 at low temps in a lager, which placed 2nd.

I'll watch this thread with great interest.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Agree Ross. Some yeasts can be better than others depending on beer style. I use w1728 in my scottish red because I like the flavour and the slight tartness it imparts. Great for Stout to. But I dont like to use it for pale ale. Doesnt make it a bad yeast, just not the right yeast

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I just want everybody to note that I didn't start it this time. h34r:

yeah....me to h34r:

 

[Midnight Brew]

I agree having only used a handful of different strains to date, there is no one size fits all. Having incorrectly using coopers yeast I discovered a fairly good take on VB/CD/MB. Not something I would not drink all the time but a learning curve.

I love and hate the diversity of liquid strains. I love it because there is infinite amount of beers you could make. I hate it because there is an infinite amount of beers you could make. I top crop and reuse so can be hard when short of time to juggle multiple strains.

Using yeast to flavour and style is like cooking with different ingredients. They add different things. You could make the greatest beer or dish in the world but you wouldnt want to drink or eat it all the time. You'd get bored. I starting making sourdough about a month ago and keep rotating between rye and standard sourdough to dark rye and this week venturing into spelt.

 

[GalBrew]

I guess it's all about what you like. Either or, so long as you treat the yeast properly I don't see what the problem is. I use liquid and dry depending on the availability of fresh liquid yeasts. I quite liked my recent beery adventures with both dry w-34/70 and wyeast 3333 respectively.

 

[manticle]

I use liquid almost exclusively but that's mostly due to the range and my favourites happen to be liquid - 1469, 1272, 3711 etc.

Not sure what attacks you're referring to but generally I agree. I think it's the same with malts too - I have a preference for certain types but the quality issue is entirely subjective and therefore irrelevant. Use whatever gives the results you are chasing.

Definitely the same with hops too - number of people that suggest PoR is a bad hop is astounding. I'm guessing they associate it with and therefore blame it for AU mega. I don't like a lot of the flavours associated with galaxy but that doesn't make it a bad hop (and I have enjoyed it in some beers I've tried).

Having tasted Andrew QLD's belgian Golden strong made with dry yeast and knowing Temple saison uses t-58 (as one of three yeasts), I can attest that some brewers make magnificent beer with dry. Had a few of Ross' as well and that only adds weight.

 

[tricache]

I think the whole mentality of "This works for me so it must be the best" is the problem.

Some people make great beers with dry yeast and some people make not so great beers with liquid and vice versa...at the end of the way its method which is key IMO

 

[Silver]

Well put Ross, nothing like a good story with poignant moral to it. I was in a pinch and could only get my hands on "Brigalow" yeast from woolies to avert a disaster and was surprised with the result. My understanding is this is an english ale strain 514 sterling and have made a couple of tasty ales with it and use it in my ciders also. Most comments on this site say to put it in the boil for yeast nutrient. 2c

 

[Liam_snorkel]

haha, here's a good one:

LoL Its Notto!! Notto sucks Ass. My beer tasted of Metal for **** sake haha

 

[tricache]

Most comments on this site say to put it in the boil for yeast nutrient. 2c

Which in theory is still making a good beer...thus all yeast can still make good beer

 

[stuart13]

But, but, but... I put down a brew in a fermenter that I couldn't be bothered cleaning, let alone sanitising. It looked clean enough. Used a yeast that everyone on this site says is great. Left it on the floor in the shed during a heatwave - it fermented out in two days. But the beer tasted like ****. I'll never use that yeast again...

Well spoken Ross.

 

[syl]

It's the same for everything in homebrewing.

Chill vs No chill
Dry Vs Liquid yeast
Hop Vs Hop
Malt Vs Malt

Even methods

You can still make great extract beers, and I have! You can still make **** AG beers, and I have!

P.S: BTW: US05 > all.

 

[Silver]

Which in theory is still making a good beer...thus all yeast can still make good beer

1/2 Touche

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Define bad ?
To say there are no bad yeast is daft.
If a yeast throws a bucket load of diactyl, then I say its bad and I dont use it.
I just trailed a dry wheat yeast and say its bad because it finished way too early, twice!
Each to their own.
Nev

 

[manticle]

If it throws a lot of diacetyl for example, you might use it or treat it in a way that reduces that diacetyl. Considering all yeasts throw diacetyl at some point and some beers may benefit from a touch, you might be able to use that yeast to control the level, thus making it not 'bad'.

Some yeasts throw lots of isoamyl acetate at higher temps. Solution - ferment at lower temps (or use a different yeast). Still not bad - just not suited to particular conditions.

 

[Ross]

Define bad ?
To say there are no bad yeast is daft.
If a yeast throws a bucket load of diactyl, then I say its bad and I dont use it.
I just trailed a dry wheat yeast and say its bad because it finished way too early, twice!
Each to their own.
Nev

What yeast do you reckon throws a bucket load of diacetyl when used correctly?

Edit: Spelling.