13 replies to this topic

[BarelyBrews]

I have tried most of the dry yeasts, I primarly use safale 05. I have used Irish ale,Pacific ale yeast,edinburgh,cry havoc. I still have to try some of the other yeast strains. So is there a particular yeast you might use for Ale/lager? if you had to pick one most used per style?Oh i forgot I have used bells yeast from a bottle also.

Edited by Kegdude, 30 November 2009 - 07:11 PM.

[HokieTrismegistus]

I prefer white labs... just because it's what I've always used. Never have to worry about rehydrating, smacking a pack, etc.I've used belgian strains, sweet mead yeasts, English ale, Irish ale, California ale several times, Edinburgh ale once.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I used US05 dry and it made beer. It was my second beer ever and it needed some more oomf to really clean up. I'm not sure what to do about that. I have used WYeast 1056 in a smack pack 4 times now. 1st was just by smack pack and the beer didn't have enough yeast to clean up and there were off flavors. Second time I made a starter and it almost exploded the airlock, beer came out great. 3rd and 4th times I made starters again and one beer almost exploded the other wasn't as ferocious. I won't know how the beer came out until about Christmas.I like the smack packs. They are easy to use, as the viles are probably too, and I dump the whole thing in a 3/5 gallon starter for 16-20 hours. Then I dump that whole thing in the beer. So far so good.I think 1056 is a good yeast in my limited experience, I have liked the cleanliness of the beer it provided.

[brewhead]

I have tried most of the dry yeasts, I primarly use safale 05. I have used Irish ale,Pacific ale yeast,edinburgh,cry havoc. I still have to try some of the other yeast strains. So is there a particular yeast you might use for Ale/lager? if you had to pick one most used per style?Oh i forgot I have used bells yeast from a bottle also.

of the dry yeasts as you say the safale 05 which is basically dried 1056 and Nottingham.

[Kansan]

I usually use the WYeast packs... The PROOF is in the pack.Of couse, I like the brothers White, as well.

[CarlosM]

I have found myself using only 1056 and s-04 I know these yeasts by heart and know what im capable of with them.so i guess wyeast and fermentis.

[HoppingFrog Brewing]

I play with 05 and 04 . but i have been most impressed with 34/70 lager yeast. super clean have been brewing 15 gal batches useing 3 diffrent yeast to play with the results. First sat of november a pilsner/cream alesecond saturday a Ammirillo IPA useing 05, notingham, and 34/70 safelagerthird saturday my simcoe Rye IPA and than an Doublebock useing 34/70, US23 and s-o4 I did an October fest in last month pitched yeast to the pilsner than to the Double bock. used the 34/70 for the Rye and Ammirillo IPAWill get rid of the yeast after this. 4-5 generations is enough from inexpensive yeast.Most of the beer is gone just 1 keg of each beer left will keg the Double bock saturday fermentation finished around noon today a few good days for setteling.a couple days for carbing and good buy beer. I have lots of help drinking my beer

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I use Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) the most (all APAs, AAAs, AIPAs get this yeast). I have some that I'm about to use for the 7th time and the starter smells great right now.Other yeasts I use:Danstar Nottingham: I mostly use this in stouts and porters although I think it could work nicely in almost any ale where a specific yeast profile isn't set in stone (it's also very cheap)Fermentis S-04: I've mostly used this in bitters and it's pretty good although I'm going to get some Wyeast 1028 soon so S-04 may just become an emergency yeast for meFermentis US-05: I tried this once in a dry stout. It was good but since it's supposed to be the same as 1056 I may as well just use 1056 since I have it anyway.Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan): My go to yeast for German weizens and the dampfbier I plan on making. This yeast imparts an unmistakable profile to the beer.Wyeast 2308 (Munich Lager): I've used this once in an Oktoberfest and it was great. I'll use it again and also try it in a Munich Dunkel.Wyeast 1728 (Scottish Ale): I've made two Scottish ales with this now. It's very nice and clean and I it certainly helps make the style. I will definitely continue to use this one for a while in appropriate styles.Future yeast:Wyeast 1028 (London Ale): I plan on replacing S-04 with this. I'll probably make an ESB or a regular bitter first with it and then move on to the Old Ale I've been planning on for quite some time now.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

of the dry yeasts as you say the safale 05 which is basically dried 1056 and Nottingham.

05 is a mix of these?

[ncbeerbrewer]

I have used many yeasts in many beers throughout my brewing and this year as well. I have used Wyeast for every fermentation and US-05 mixed in a few times too. I have only used White Labs which was from a local commercial brewery but I like the variety and choices that Wyeast offers. I am a big reuse and repitch kind of brewer. I will work out a schedule for a month or so and use a yeast 3-4/5 times before I dump it. I try to pick a yeast and brew the styles thats it intended for and sometime experiment too. So experiemental batches this year were I brewed a Stout with 2112 and also an IPA both came out excellent. I also brewed a porter with 1007 German Ale yeast another good beer too. I think its a matter of preference really yeasts that are clean like 1056 can be more versatile but its in the hands of the brewer how you wanna go about choosing and using the yeasts. I am currently have using theses yeasts. Wyeast 3522 Ardennes Brewed a Pumpkin Ale, then two versions of a Belgian IPA and am thinking of going Dubble then Tripel before I dump the yeast cakeWyeast 1272 brewed an Amber ale and thinking of going IPA then IIPA maybe a Pale ale mixed in before the IPA though too.Brewing two Bo Pils lagers one with Staro 2782 and one with 2278 Czech Pils. I plan to reuse Staro in a Schwarzbier next than then possibly another beer as well yet to be determined. As you can see plenty plenty of choices.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I prefer white labs... just because it's what I've always used. Never have to worry about rehydrating, smacking a pack, etc.I've used belgian strains, sweet mead yeasts, English ale, Irish ale, California ale several times, Edinburgh ale once.

I don't see why wyeast would be any harder to use than white labs. The smack pack thing is bonus and you can just skip it if you want. I'm sure the quality of both products is similar so it really comes down to individual strains.Since you seem to think rehydrating dry yeast is a chore does this also mean you don't make starters?

[SchwanzBrewer]

So if I was to make a starter with dry US05 it would be identical to using a starter with a smack pack of 1056?Coming from different companies you would think that they might have slightly different flavors even though they are technically the same yeast. I might try this next time I brew on MLPA so I can really tell the difference.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

So if I was to make a starter with dry US05 it would be identical to using a starter with a smack pack of 1056?Coming from different companies you would think that they might have slightly different flavors even though they are technically the same yeast. I might try this next time I brew on MLPA so I can really tell the difference.

assuming we are talking about 5gal batches I wouldn't make a starter for dry yeast in an MLPA. Just rehydrate (or don't if you don't want to) and pitch it in there. You could probably get away without making a starter with the 1056 if it was highly viable and fresh but I'd probably make a starter anyway.

[Howie]

I'm a liquid yeast kind of guy. I've used Nottingham and S-04 once each in the past, but was underwhelmed with the beers.I use mainly Wyeast these days because it's what I can get locally. In my earlier brewing, I mainly used White Labs. I like to mix it up and try a variety.Over the years, I've successfully used the following yeast strains (those with an asterisk are the ones I remember really liking):WLP001 California AleWLP002 English*WLP005 BritishWLP006 Bedford British*WLP007 Dry English*WLP013 LondonWLP022 EssexWLP023 Burton*WLP029 Kolsch*WLP051 California V*1028 London Ale1084 Irish Ale1272 American Ale II*1968 London ESB*2112 California Lager*Right now, I have starters going of WLP037 Yorkshire Square and 1318 London Ale III. These will go into a split batch of Bitter very soon.Based on all of these, if I had to pick one yeast for specific styles. . .I'd say 1272 for American Ales and 1968 for British, throwing in WLP006 when it's available.