I have been using liquid yeast and making starters for a while now. Things have worked out great, but time is hard to come by lately. What is the general consensus on the quality of beer you get when using dry yeast? Secondly, rather than making a starter, would pitching more viles of liquid yeast work just as well?
:cheers:
it depends on the strain - some have good dry counterparts, some not so much.
if you’re making american ales and the like and using WL001, then US05 is a great dry yeast and you are likely to be very happy with the results, maybe you won’t even be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test. I use the two interchangeably based on time constraints.
Windsor, Nottingham and S04 are also good strains. I’ve not used the Saflager 34/70 but i’ve heard mixed results - most people say its better in the second generation and beyond.
which brings up another point - have you considered repitching your yeast? that will save time and money.
Making a starter takes the place of pitching more vials so yeah more expensive but it will work. Most yeast calculators ive seen will have something like - packs needed without a starter, packs needed with a starter. I’m going to start making large batches of starter and using my pressure canner to preserve them for when ever I need so all i’llI have to do it pop one open pour and pitch the yeast. something to look in to
I have never tried to repitch yeast. I was always worried about contamination. Do you just keep it in the fridge? Whats the shelf life like? how do you know how much of the yeast cake to repitch? Its not the whole thing is it? :!:
I repitch all the time. In fact, about half the time is right onto the old cake, same primary carboy and all… I know, lazy… there are calculators and formulas out there to tell us what the approximate amount of yeast is required for Xvolume, Y gravity etc. but, I also suffer from time constraints…
that said, as far as contamination… if you follow your normal practices(assuming you are not making bad beer right now), why not? for that matter, you have better odds with a nice, large, healthy amount of yeast that starts fermentation strong and immediately.
There is a lot of info out there on repitching, washing, freezing, culturing and saving yeast. Do a search on NB’s forum or go to homebrewtalk. You’ll find tons of info but the easiest way is just repitching right in the carboy. Time your brews so you brew, rack/bottle from the primary of another and then just pitch the cooled new wort right on top. Sometimes I dump so to avoid a drastic overpitch, sometimes not.
Learn to repitch, for sure. Liquid yeast’s advantage is variety. You could brew a bitter with an ESB yeast and repitch it into several more beers. For example, you could brew a bitter, and ESB, and English IPA, then a Barleywine. Or brew a porter with one of those pitches as well. Then you could move on to another yeast. Like a German ale yeast. Start with a kolsch, then brew an alt, then brew a schwarzbier or damfbier (German steam beer). Then move on to another yeast…
this. Its honestly a lot of fun learning to work with and propogate appropriate amounts of yeast. Become a yeast whisperer! They make the beer, we just give them the venue!
I gave US 04 and 05 a try. I make 10+ gallons so I split the batch with liquid yeast in one carboy and dry in the other. The dry yeasts were very good, but the liquid versions were better (more complexity, more hop and malt flavors.) I also use my yeast several times and to produce several varieties of beer so the cost really is not a factor. If I don’t have time to drop a new beer on the yeast cake, I just sanitize a jar or even a pint glass and pour the yeast cake in there. Put some aluminum foil on top and stick it in the fridge. It should be pitchable for a month. I do flame the lip of the carboy and aluminum foil before I pour the yeast.
