orlando wrote:
That's the kiddy, busts a lot of myths on the way so well worth getting. As for rimski's comment about "better liquid yeast usage", if looked after properly dry yeast can produce very good results. It is still the case that there isn't the variety available but that is beginning to change. The problem with liquid yeast is the expense and looking after it properly, in an all grain set up it can be as much as half the cost of a brew and if like me you have to have it delivered as well the part of the Yeast book that was of the most interest to me was how to set up your own lab and yeast ranching. I now have a reasonable bank of yeast on slants that allow me to brew a wide range of beers without ever having to buy it again. A book that really can pay for itself many times over
Cheers Orlando, I've ordered it. I've been wanting to get more into the yeast side for a while, and especially as you say the price has bombed up, so propagation is definitely attractive to me. On cost; I'd been using two 11g sachets of dried, say Nottingham, to get a decent pitching rate for 24 litres of sub OG 1060 ale, rehydrated as per pack instructions, and then departing from them by adding the slurry once it has woken up to fresh wort in a pint bottle until it starts to go properly before adding it all to the bulk. Results are fine. But....at H&G prices 2 sachets of Nottingham is costlier that a vial of White labs... so on the last Stout I did I used White labs 'Irish Ale' - Guinness I suspect, and was very pleased with how it turned out. Next time, armed with the knowledge and whatever gear is needed, I'll harvest the yeast and propagate away

If I had all the money I've spent on drink...I'd spend it on drink.