Top 10 Yeasts

[cam89brewer]

I would never have guessed that! Seriously. Not taking the piss here. You seem fairly serious about your beers. I would have put lefty on you trying what is spruiked to be the best yeast available.

I think dry yeasts in some instances are better than liquid as they are a lot more versatile using us-05 as an example, it is probably at the top of my list as if you want you can make beers from a dry stout to a fake lager and is always handy to have in the fridge.

 

[cam89brewer]

OH and...

1-US-05
2.T-58
3.WY1084
4.WLP-820
5.S-23
6.WB-06

 

[Amber Fluid]

I haven't used many liquid yeasts but i am pretty happy with the following

WY1084
US05
Nottingham
W34/70
S-189
S-23
Coopers recultured yeast

 

[Acasta]

Alot of love for WY1469, I'm wondering why people enjoy this yeast so much? I've only just started on liquids and used 1469 and 1768.

 

[Camo1234]

due to my geographical displacement from large scale civilisation, i rarely use liquid yeasts as it has to travel a long way to get to me, and the local postal service are a useless bunch of cocks.

Could you just get a HB store to package up a few liquid yeasts in a styrofoam esky with ice packs so that they survive the trip? If you got a few at one time you could either split the packs into test tubes to kep for a number of brews or set up some slants.... I have only started using starters in the last 6-9 months and in all honesty I think I actually enjoy the starter process as much as the brewing / fermenting.... Something about having to grow the thing that will make me beer seems fun

Camo

 

[cam89brewer]

Could you just get a HB store to package up a few liquid yeasts in a styrofoam esky with ice packs so that they survive the trip? If you got a few at one time you could either split the packs into test tubes to kep for a number of brews or set up some slants.... I have only started using starters in the last 6-9 months and in all honesty I think I actually enjoy the starter process as much as the brewing / fermenting.... Something about having to grow the thing that will make me beer seems fun

Camo

You could also just re-use the yeast for a few generations. By splitting the next 2 in half you end up getting 5 batches out of the one smack pack, so instead of $11.00 a batch it is $2.20. (one of the biggest money savers in my brewing endeavours so far!)

 

[petesbrew]

Good idea for a thread. I pretty much stick to the same if it seems to work.
In no particular order
1. Danstar Windsor
2. US-05
3. S-189
4. WLP500 Trappist
5. WLP029 Kolsch
6. WLP838 Sth German Lager
7. Wy3068
8. WY? Brett Bruxxelensis
9. S-04
10. WLP565 Saison

 

[bullsneck]

I love me a 1187 Ringwood. It's great for American ales, the esters lend themselves to the hops in APAs, and obviously English ales, where you can ferment a little higher for that classic English character.

 

[Bribie G]

due to my geographical displacement from large scale civilisation, i rarely use liquid yeasts as it has to travel a long way to get to me, and the local postal service are a useless bunch of cocks.

Therefore my rather boring list of top 5 yeasts include (not in order)

US05
Nottingham
W34/70
S189

Wyeast 1056 if i am in a beer shop that sells it and i can get it home cold....

I do also have some S04, S23, and Windsor in the fridge but haven't spent much time using them.

Pretty bloody boring actually looking at that list, but that's what minimalist options will do for you.

Nath

Wyeasts can quite easily handle non-chilled intervals, within reason - however the magic frozen gel pack is excellent. When Proculture was still going in Perth I got a few vials send over from Gryphon with gel packs and they arrived cold in SEQ. How good is that.

Recommend you try Melbourne or CraftBrewer suppliers and get them posted out using the Gel persuasion, you'll be home and hosed. (is there a comprehensive online SA home brew supplier by the way?)

Cheers

 

[Lecterfan]

For flavour and usability:
wy1272 Am Ale II
wy1469 West Yorkshire
wy1007 German Ale
wy3711 French Saison

For flavour but I find them a bit more stubborn to use:
wy1318 London Ale III
wy1084 Irish Ale
wy1968 London ESB Ale

I also had a brief but passionate affair with both recultured coopers as well as wy2206 bavarian lager.

I am hoping to become firm friends with several more Belgian yeasts that are in the fridge. I enjoyed wy3787 but am not sure I did it any favours so will have to revisit it.

I don't endorse any dry yeast; I have tasted many great beers made with them, but I've not made any myself (although my 'great' beers can be counted on the hand of a one-armed clumsy machine operator called '3-finger McFumbles' by his friends).

edit: nothing against whitelabs, just not been at an establishment that stocks them.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

In no particular order....

Wyeast

1272 - So versatile as a house yeast
2112 - Cant go past this for a Cali common - up there for my favourite beer
1469 - Another lover of this yeast, really is a star performer, can be fermented at 16 - 17 with large pitch for lower ester development, let rise to 19 -20 after a few days to finish off and of course goes off like a rocket 18 - 22 and produces a flavoursome English bitter.
1098 - Another versatile yeast can be used for many styles, reasonable clean at lower temps.
3787 - Great for dubbel - age really well
3724 - Saison only one i have used but i quite like it.
3463 - Forbidden fruit, love the balance of phenols and esters this yeast produces.

There are many more i will no doubt give whirl in the future.

Edit: Wyeast 4766 Cider - Quite like the cider this yeast produces, although my cider experience in very minimal.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

(is there a comprehensive online SA home brew supplier by the way?)

shameless plug brewadelaide Can i have a discount now Nige?

i order from grain and grape and usually get it the next day. I've also ordered from craft brewer and get it 3 or 4 days later and the yeast works fine.

my favourites would be

wyeast 1469
wyeast 1272
wyeast 3068
wyeast 2042
Coopers

Strangely I really dislike US05 (cloudy and tastes funny).

 

[Silver]

At this early stage of my career I am liking WLP001 California ale yeast and I'm taking a liking to US-05

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Wyeast 1056
Wyeast 3068



There that took up 10 spaces :lol:

 

[np1962]

shameless plug brewadelaide Can i have a discount now Nige?

i order from grain and grape and usually get it the next day. I've also ordered from craft brewer and get it 3 or 4 days later and the yeast works fine.

my favourites would be

wyeast 1469
wyeast 1272
wyeast 3068
wyeast 2042
Coopers

Strangely I really dislike US05 (cloudy and tastes funny).

Coupon in the post MOM.
Cheers
Nige.

 

[Josh]

These 6 spring to mind as favourites in my brewery.

WLP007 - Dry English Ale. Good for English style ales. Does a tops Porter and Barleywine. And a nice twist on hoppy ales.
WLP838 - Southern German Lager. Good for a bunch of lagers from Pils to Eisbock.
Wyeast 3538 - Leuven Pale Ale. Belgian style ales.
Wyeast 1007 - German Ale. Kolsch, Altbier, clean ales.
US05 - American Ale. Good all rounder. Does APAs and US IPAs as well as clean fermentation on a bunch of other ales.
Wyeast 3068 - Weihenstephan Wheat. German wheat beers.

 

[manticle]

Even babied Wyeast needs starters unless you get one that's a week or two old, and that's not always doable. Pity the price doesn't go down with the cell count.

I disagree. Old yeast (and I mean more than 2 or 3 months) and/or high gravity beers (and I mean 1060+) will always get starters but I don't think you need a starter for a 1040 beer with a 1 month old wyeast unless you feel like it. Sometimes I have felt like it, sometimes I haven't. Need is such a restrictive word.

1099
1272
1318
1469
3711
3726
1026
1028
1388
1007

There's probably others and there's no order to that list (think there's nine there).

'Versatility' with yeast to me means minimal character and it's rare that I want minimal character from an ingredient (even US pales get a nice character from the 1272).

 

[Fish13]

i really like

1056/us-05 - the house yeast but waiting for 1272.
S-04
Premium ale yeast - (apparently S-04 but i dont belive it)
1882 - makes a really nice dark ale with target and fuggles.

 

[1974Alby]

It's possible being a cheapskate, lazy and I brew the best APA I've ever tasted with US05, which is 1056 at any rate - rehydrated, it takes off and does a great job. It's my house brew, and what my freezer is full of hops to make.

Is the recipe in the database?....looking for APA some inspiration at the moment!

Edit....better include my yeasts

US05
1272
Nottingham -(I really like this as I bottle and it sticks hard to both fermenter and bottle, leaving my beer clear)
Irish Ale 1084
Coopers Pale Ale recultured


tried a few others wouldnt rush back

 

[mahonya1]

i really like

1056/us-05 - the house yeast but waiting for 1272.
S-04
Premium ale yeast - (apparently S-04 but i dont belive it)
1882 - makes a really nice dark ale with target and fuggles.

I'm a big fan of the 1882 too. Missed out on it this time round, hopefully they'll release it again next year.