Deciding on Yeasts

[Niall K]

When you are ordering ingredients for your ale brews what way do you decide on what yeast to use? If you are making a clone do you try and get the breweries yeast strain or do you just go for the tried and trusted Safale04. Maybe I’m looking into this to much but when I go to order yeast I always get frustrated in deciding what yeasts to use. Does it really make a difference?

[steve_flack]

Does it really make a difference?

Yes, otherwise every brewery would use Safale S-04

In the end, it's an ingredient choice. You choose the hops and the grains to go in a beer so the yeast choice is just as important. Happily, as DaaB says, there are several dried yeasts that do a decent job and if they do what you want them to do then use them. They keep better, they're cheap and don't need a starter.

For some things though you will need a liquid yeast but with the improving range of dried yeasts that do the job the need to use liquid is less. I for one am quite happy to use a dried yeast when it does what I want. FWIW I like US-05.

In the fridge at the moment I have Fermentis US-05, K-97, S-189, W34-70. I also have two wyeasts (1007 and 1275) and two whitelabs (380 and 365).

[delboy]

Does it really make a difference?

Yes, otherwise every brewery would use Safale S-04

In the end, it's an ingredient choice. You choose the hops and the grains to go in a beer so the yeast choice is just as important. Happily, as DaaB says, there are several dried yeasts that do a decent job and if they do what you want them to do then use them. They keep better, they're cheap and don't need a starter.

For some things though you will need a liquid yeast but with the improving range of dried yeasts that do the job the need to use liquid is less. I for one am quite happy to use a dried yeast when it does what I want. FWIW I like US-05.

In the fridge at the moment I have Fermentis US-05, K-97, S-189, W34-70. I also have two wyeasts (1007 and 1275) and two whitelabs (380 and 365).

Steve have you used the S-189 yet, i have some on order with a temp controller for some lagers, any feedback on it would be great

[oblivious]

Does anyone have a list of the British liquid yeasts and their opinion /observation of the beer brewer with it

Could be a knowledge resource for the whole forum?

[steve_flack]

Steve have you used the S-189 yet, i have some on order with a temp controller for some lagers, any feedback on it would be great

Not yet, no. Ross at craftbrewer rates it as the best of the Fermentis lager yeasts. I've used W34-70 and that worked quite well in a Munich Helles.

[bconnery]

delboy,
I've used the s189 and I also rate it a great lager yeast. I don't make heaps but each of the ones I've done with 34/70 has had a fruitiness I didnt' like.
A great lager yeast for a wide variety of styles.
I would easily rate my s189 lager as the best of mine out of 34/70 and s23 lagers.

[delboy]

delboy,
I've used the s189 and I also rate it a great lager yeast. I don't make heaps but each of the ones I've done with 34/70 has had a fruitiness I didnt' like.
A great lager yeast for a wide variety of styles.
I would easily rate my s189 lager as the best of mine out of 34/70 and s23 lagers.

Thanks for the feedback bconnery, this will be my first time using any lager yeast so i won't be able to make comparisions with the other strains. But its great to hear good reports about the S-189 compared to the other two