Can anyone comment on the differences in the end product when using liquid yeast vs. smack packs? Is it just a matter of preference or is their a significant increase in taste when using the more expensive liquid yeast?
I like the end result with US-05 as much as WY1056 or WLP001, so I use the dry yeast out of convenience. I have a slight preference for WY1968 over S-04, but its close enough that I still keep a pack of the dry yeast on hand and use it in the majority of my English Ales.
My main reason for using liquid yeast is simply because that is the only way to get the strain I’m looking for. Otherwise dry yeast is so much simpler (no starter, no advanced planning, small footprint in the fridge) that I use it on the majority of my beers.
i would use dry yeast over a smack pack anyday. the smack packs in my experiece have a poor performance record. they sometimes work but often do not. Idont think they produce as much yeast cells as they claim and it can be argued that a yeast pack does not provide enough cells to fully ferment any but the smallest beers.
now that said when I did get a pack that worked properly and Iwas brewing a standard light ale. the beer tasted wonderful.
that said, the price of the pack is way to high for what you get.
dry us-05 is my go to yeast.
I do make starters when called for and they work well for lagers and other big beers but generally for my daily drinking beers ( light ales ) i just use dry yeast.
Wow. This has not been my experience at all. I’ve never had a faulty fermentation from a smack pack or from a White Labs vial, unless it was my fault (e.g., fermenting too warm on an early batch). I consistently land within–if not higher than–the attenuation range for every liquid yeast I’ve used.
But to answer the OP’s question, the differences are mainly:
- - Dry yeast is generally considered more convenient, because you don't need to make a starter.
- Liquid yeast is more expensive than dry yeast, although there are ways to decrease the cost dramatically
- A LOT more strains are available in liquid form.
Both are fantastic products. Liquid yeast requires more attention. Be sure to check you expiration dates and make a starter when appropriate. There are several pitching rate and starter calcs on the web. If you pitch an appropriate yeast population, you shouldn’t have any problems. Liquid yeast offers a lot more variety.
I use a lot of US-05. It’s a great product and appropriate for most of the beers I brew.
I used to use S-05 a lot, but I got fed up with the “peachy” esters it produced. I went back to using 1056, despite the extra effort of making a starter.
Huh, I haven’t noticed this, I’ll have to pay more attention to this in the future. In what types of recipes do you usually notice this? I always ferment with very low temps so this may be why i’m not noticing it.
Beyond this, I always go with dry yeast when possible. It’s my belief though that dry yeast is not the solution for every beer style though…but it does cover a lot. I also like the higher cell count as well.
Huh, I haven’t noticed this, I’ll have to pay more attention to this in the future. In what types of recipes do you usually notice this? I always ferment with very low temps so this may be why i’m not noticing it.
Beyond this, I always go with dry yeast when possible. It’s my belief though that dry yeast is not the solution for every beer style though…but it does cover a lot. I also like the higher cell count as well.[/quote]
I use it in the 60-65 range on a variety of American styles. I didn’t notice it for a long time, but once I did I can’t overlook it.
I’ll have to pay attention to that. I just made a cream ale and I believe that i used it. Will have to look for that in the taste profile.
I frequently use US-05 and T58. I recently Danstar Bry97 and the Belle Saison yeast. Just bottled the Saison, and it ended at 1.006. Tasted great going into the bottle. I will be bottling the 97 beer next weekend. I wish every yeast was available in dry form–its so much easier.
I can’t get Wyeast at my LHBS, but I do use White Labs vials often.
Huh, I haven’t noticed this, I’ll have to pay more attention to this in the future. In what types of recipes do you usually notice this? I always ferment with very low temps so this may be why i’m not noticing it.
Beyond this, I always go with dry yeast when possible. It’s my belief though that dry yeast is not the solution for every beer style though…but it does cover a lot. I also like the higher cell count as well.[/quote]
I use it in the 60-65 range on a variety of American styles. I didn’t notice it for a long time, but once I did I can’t overlook it.[/quote]
I’m surprised you haven’t switched to another dry form like BRY-97 or tried the Mangrove Jack’s stuff. I love dry yeast and it’s simplicity, stability when shipping in varying temperatures, and shelf life. I’m almost exclusively using dry yeast now.
I use dry yeast whenever the option is available for the particular style I’m making. For certain styles there is really no good dry yeast option. If there was, I’d use dry for everything. It’s just a lot more convenient not having to make a yeast starter, plus it’s cheaper, and the yeast lasts longer in the refrigerator. Quality now in the 21st century for dry yeast is fantastic. 20 years ago, you could not say that, but now you can.
