Which Yeast for which Beer? how do you work it out?

[phatboytall]

I'm just planning AG's 4-8 for a bulk delivery.

How do you know/decide which yeast to use in each brew? Especially with Clones.

For me the yeast is so much of the flavour of a beer, something you can spot instantly accross a range, e.g. Fuller's is gorgeous, Neame is horrible etc (IMO)

Any usefuly tips or rough rules?

Currently i'm only using dried packet yeast, mainly due to cost and slowly building up experiance one step at a time. Are the liquid yeasts worth it?

Ed

[nobby]

Because there is so little choice with died yeasts its difficult to know which to use. People tent to stick with their favourates.

With liquid/cultured yeasts there is so much more choice its possible to use one for almost every type of beer. Or just stick to one you like the taste of. They are a lot better and they work out cheaper than packet yeasts. I use Brewlab slants that are £3.50 each and in theory you can get unlimited brews from one slant. When I get a new slant i make a starter then increase the size to 2 litres. I then split this into 4 small bottles. Each time I brew I again make a start with one of the bottles. THis works out at under a £1 each and they are better than dried yeasts.

[lancsSteve]

There's good info on the wyeast site for styles for each yeast:
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_styleguidelines.cfm

or slightly more complex tables on white labs http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/styles.html

And Mr Malty gives you their origins - which is what you may want for cloning: http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm

BrewLabs are a little more circumspect though.

[lancsSteve]

Currently i'm only using dried packet yeast, mainly due to cost and slowly building up experiance one step at a time.

See the guide on splitting, makes them cheaper http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/liquid_yeast.htm

Are the liquid yeasts worth it?

IMHO definitely - though that is a topic of much discussion! viewtopic.php?f=2&t=37655

Nobby - if you ever want to hook up and swap some yeasts me and 'the mumbler' would be game as you're nearby - have quite a rnach now as I've been reculturing from a lot of obscure belgian bottles and keeping the starters... (Reculturing from bottles is such a good way of getting a yeast - worth learning/trying!)

[phatboytall]

Great links, liquid it is!!

I have loads of demi johns.

I guess its easiest to use DME for the wort? About 1.040 OG?

Once you have split the yeast do you need to build it up again before pitching? (how?) I brew in 12 litre batches, 24 bottles suits me perfect.


Ed

[lancsSteve]

I tend to build up a decent starter - swirl it up and take off one or two vials or panda pop bottles then pitch the rest so maybe make a 2l starter and reserve 300ml of it in bottles which I fridge ad save - this gives you the big starter that's ideal and some saved to build up in the future. Not sure how others do it but works for me - can then build up and split again and again.

[nobby]

BrewLabs are a little more circumspect though.

Brewlabs don't tell you the Brewery of origin beause of comercial confidentiality as they supply most of the UK Breweries with their yeast strains. I have found them the best yeast for British style beers.

sent you a PM