Top 10 Yeasts

[fraser_john]

I sat around thinking about what my top ten yeasts were and struggled to fill the list!

1. US-05
2. S-189
3. Wyeast 1272
4. Wyeast 3068
5. S-04
6. Nottingham (pushing to make list)
7.
8.
9.
10.

Cripes, creature of habit? Lack of imagination? But I find the above caters for just about everything I make, occasionally I go out and buy a 2112 or 1469PC or something, but would hardly consider it a top ten!

What are other peoples top 10's or top 5's maybe?

 

[.DJ.]

I always use

English Style - 1469 or 1028
American Style - 1272 or 1332
Wheats - 3068
also dont mind Nottingham...

dont brew belgians (yet) so I can pretty much get away with the abvefo my brewing needs...

 

[Bribie G]

I've boiled my list down to just a few:

• Americans, wheats etc: US-05, or liquid Wyeast equivalents, either the 1056 or the All American
• Stouts and Reds: Wyeast Irish Ale
• UK ales: Wyeast 1469 West Yorkshire Bitter
• For the very occasional lager I just use Wyeast Danish Lager as that's a brilliant one for Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy lagers as well, fermented warm.

 

[tricache]

Good idea for a thread...give some of us "newbies" who pretty much just use packet yeast from the kits an idea what yeast is good/bad and what kind of beer it is used for

 

[drsmurto]

WY 1026, 1028, 1469, 1187, 1272, 1007 for ales
WL 833 for lagers

US05 for mates

I don't brew wheat beers, belgians or deliberate infections.

I have used others but these are the ones i go back to.

 

[bignath]

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.

 

[Rob S]

I love 2565. Lloyds krispy Kolsch is one of my house beers. I also use it in some wheats I've been making.

 

[tricache]

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.

I have been a freight manager for around 10 years, I totally agree and unfortunately useless cock syndrome is a requirement for Aus Post :lol:

 

[bowie in space]

In the last twelve months my two favourites have been;

1098 - for UK Ales
1272 - for US and Aussie Pale Ales

I've probably only used about six yeasts in the last year, beacause I get six brews out of each one.

Others I've used recently are S-189, 1056, 2112 and 2206.

Currently have 1469 in an oatmeal stout getting bottled today.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I've never ventured in to the world of wet yeasts - so I'm restricted. I may do (for a weissbier, and given BribieG's West Yorkie Bitter, I might for a British beer, as I've not yet found a recipe I'm happy with) in the future.

Given that, my faves are:

US05
S189
Danstar Notto
WB06 (I can make a reasonable weiss with this).

 

[mckenry]

I sat around thinking about what my top ten yeasts were and struggled to fill the list!

1. US-05
2. S-189
3. Wyeast 1272
4. Wyeast 3068
5. S-04
6. Nottingham (pushing to make list)
7.
8.
9.
10.

Cripes, creature of habit? Lack of imagination? But I find the above caters for just about everything I make, occasionally I go out and buy a 2112 or 1469PC or something, but would hardly consider it a top ten!

What are other peoples top 10's or top 5's maybe?

Funny you bring this up f_j
I was just thinking about this the other day when I looked at my (possibly too many) vials in the fridge.
What I have on hand is:

Wy 1272 - All American II - was my house fav.
Wy 1332 - Northwest - I have been using this in all beers I used to make with 1272. Very nice subtle change up.
Wy 1469 - West Yorkshire
Wy 1084 - Irish Ale, all my darks, but accidently used this in a pale ale and will do again!
Wy ???? - A German wheat I didnt get around to making last summer. Used 3068 Weihenstephan in the past, but this was just for a change, so I guess it doesnt count as a favourite.
Wy 2633 - Oktoberfest - awesome lager yeast. Prefer this over the uber popular Danish one.
Wy 3538 - Leuven Pale - Like my Belgians, but not up to the super sour ones yet.
I am about to keg my first go with WhiteLabs WLP009 - the Australian Ale and fermenter samples are really nice, so probably go on my keeper list.

So, I have 8 strains, 2 of which I consider interchangeable.

 

[loikar]

California Ale V - WLP051 (Love this Yeast but it needs to be fermented low and long)
German Ale/Kolsch - WLP029
West Yorkshire Ale Yeast - 1469 (Love this one too)
American Ale II - 1272
US05


That's pretty much all I use.
Have some Nottingham in the fridge for emergency use or in the boil as nutrient.

 

[Murcluf]

My top 10 in no real order as different yeasts, different styles and just rolling them off the top of my head as i go.

1. WY1469, West Yorkshire
2. WY1275, Thames Valley
3. WY2206, Bavarian Lager
4. WY2633, Octoberfest Lager Blend
5. WY1028, London Ale
5. WY1056, American Ale
6. WY1272, American Ale II
7. WY1084, Irish Ale
8. WY1388, Belgian Strong Ale
9. WY3787, Trappist High Gravity
10. WY3068, Weihenstephan Weizen

 

[mckenry]

I've never ventured in to the world of wet yeasts -

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.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

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.

No offense taken

It's interesting - I was talking to Ross at Craftbrewer/Bacchus - a number of his beers are brewed with Dry Yeasts - some of them award winning as both an amateur and a professional.

TBH - I probably am restricting my brewing due to this - by sticking to styles where these yeasts work. And I will venture in - especially 3068 for a Weiss, Saison yeast I'm going to be doing in summer, 1469 in future.

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.

I suppose, it is a matter of knowing that dry yeast isn't necessarily 2nd rate, but don't expect a California Common made with US05 to be right at the same time.

This thread is a great newbie thread, as well.

 

[Nick JD]

My favourite yeasts are dry yeasts because they are easy to use. As long as they're handled well, they still have a decent cell count.

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.

But when it comes to accurate clones of commercial beers you can't go past the liquids. My usuals suspects are 2001, 3787 and 1214 because I like making Urquell, Leffe and Chimay.

My standard "green bottle" euro lagers use s189 noble hops and Wey Pils and all my American ales use US05 because it's bulletproof and doesn't steal hops or smother them in esters.

Summers are 3724 Saisons ambient. I've used at least another ten strains but I don't uese them anymore - the hefe strains I've gone off - prefer belgians now.

 

[loikar]

TBH - I probably am restricting my brewing due to this - by sticking to styles where these yeasts work.

it's the perfect opportunity to take a beer you know well and change one thing to see the effects.
in this case; yeast

I don't think you'll be disappointed.
For your APA, try WY1272 or WLP001 and compare the 3

 

[DJR]

Nothing wrong with dry yeast nowadays.

But stuff I go back to:

1. US05 dry
2. Nottingham dry
3. WY3787 High Gravity
4. WLP029
5. WY2575
6. WLP833

I have tried WY1056 over US05 and really for double the price there is not enough difference to it. There is always a US05 pack in my fridge. Nottingham i use for Alts and the like, all my Belgians get 3787 as i like the profile, WLP029 is a good fermenter that drops well (for a Kolsch) and WLP833 is a go-to lager yeast that does well in pretty much any German lager

Can't really think of the other 4

 

[jacknohe]

American Ales - US-05 (Dry)

UK Bitters - Wy1469

Lagers - WLP810 - I don't think I saw anyone else list this one. Also known as San Francisco Lager yeast. This is by far the best lager yeast I have ever used. Great results every time when I ferment at 14c for 5 days and raise it to 17/18c for 2 days. Flocs quick and I never have to lager it for an extended period. Goes really well in an American Pilsner.

 

[Smokomark]

1. WY1469, West Yorkshire
2. WY1187, Ringwood Ale
3. WY2124, Bohemien Lager
4. WY1272, American Ale I
5. WY1332, Northwest Ale
6. WY3068, Weihenstephan Weizen


My favourite six that i regularly brew with.
I do need to start using WY1084 Irish ale and WY2575 Kolsch in the near future.