Do liquid yeasts really make that much difference?

[delboy]

Brewdog and Williams Bros use the dried lager yeast and they turn out fairly decent lager

Maybe not the best example seeing as quite often they also turn out lager that is fairly crap.

[micmacmoc]

Followed this thread for a bit and have decided to give it a go,. My ales have been rather average lately so I've gone back to basics, I think I've been mashing too warm and the yeasts have been a bit bland (Notts in the main). So I'm going to do a proper English bitter with WLP005, I have been donated a few demijohns with which I'll split the yeast and do a starter. I think GW's Old Thumper would be a good first for the WLP005, is this 'Ringwood' yeast? Can't wait to play with my new toys!

[Spud395]

Yeah I've my 1st liquid yeast brew on at the minute and can see myself using more and more of it.
Had got to the stage of taking dry yeasts to 4-5 generations with very good results, improving as they progressed.
Looking forward to getting a few more strains of liquid to add to the fridge.

I think it's also a great plan to do yeast swaps with other brewers.
With a few guys involved you can have access to a lot of different yeast with just a few strains each.
Now to get a dedicated fridge /freezer for yeast/hops

[hotmog]

Had got to the stage of taking dry yeasts to 4-5 generations with very good results, improving as they progressed.

I currently use dried S-04, and crop some of the yeast cake left in the FV from the first brew, store it in the fridge, and use for the next, then do the same for one more generation after that.

I'm thinking of trying some White Labs liquid yeast (probably WLP013 London Ale or WLP023 Burton). If I follow the splitting steps in HH's link to create 12 yeast starters from a single vial, can I re-harvest from the yeast cake left from the first brew in which I use one of those 12 starters, and if so, for how many generations?

I'm wondering, because the yeast used for the first brew will already be 3rd generation given that a second starter will have been made from the first 48 hours prior to pitching.

[lancsSteve]

I tend to build up big (1-2l starter) then pitch most of it but keep a small amount back and reserve that for the future (i.e. half of HH's technique but instead of build up and split then start again build up and pitch but keep a little back for the future)

IMHO splitting 12 ways seems to spread it all a bit thin when you could still top crop or use future generations instead.

[hotmog]

OK, Just so I've got this straight in my mind - for a 38 (ie 2 x 19) litre brew, what I think I need to do, then, is this:

From a single White Labs liquid yeast vial, make up a starter in a demi-john with 4 litres of water/400gm spraymalt.

Once that's fermented, split it into 4 x 1 litre batches that can be stored in the fridge.

48 hours before the next brew, using two of the 1 litre starters, discard the spent wort and use the yeast sediment from each starter to make two new 2 litre starters - one for each 19 litre brew - which will leave 2 x 1 litre starters from the original split for the next brew. However I can also keep back a little (say 500 ml?) from each of the 2 litre starters for future use as well.

Have I got that right ?

[mysterio]

Brewdog and Williams Bros use the dried lager yeast and they turn out fairly decent lager

Maybe not the best example seeing as quite often they also turn out lager that is fairly crap.

Fair enough, you get my point though. Harviestoun Schiehallion was the one I was going to use as it used to be fantastic but recent bottles i've got have tasted soapy.

Is there a really great, consistent British lager around that I haven't tried ? There must be somewhere.

[richc]

OK, Just so I've got this straight in my mind - for a 38 (ie 2 x 19) litre brew, what I think I need to do, then, is this:

From a single White Labs liquid yeast vial, make up a starter in a demi-john with 4 litres of water/400gm spraymalt.

Once that's fermented, split it into 4 x 1 litre batches that can be stored in the fridge.

48 hours before the next brew, using two of the 1 litre starters, discard the spent wort and use the yeast sediment from each starter to make two new 2 litre starters - one for each 19 litre brew - which will leave 2 x 1 litre starters from the original split for the next brew. However I can also keep back a little (say 500 ml?) from each of the 2 litre starters for future use as well.

Have I got that right ?

Pretty much but you could discard the spent wort after the first fermentation meaning you stored 4x a lot less than 1l. What I tend to do for a single 20l standard gravity brew is make a 4l starter from one pack. When it is complete I drain off 90% of the spent wort, shake the rest up and split it into two. I pitch half then split the other half again to leave me with enough to ferment two more brews. Obviously if I do this to much I end up with a fridge full of yeast but it does mean I don't buy my standard yeasts very often.

[richc]

Related question, does the starter and split technique work for buggy yeast mixes (eg a Berliner Weisse blend)?

[lancsSteve]

Is there a really great, consistent British lager around that I haven't tried ? There must be somewhere.

I was v. impressed by Hawkshead's Lakeland Lager... http://www.hawksheadbrewery.co.uk/more_ ... rent_id=96

[lancsSteve]

Related question, does the starter and split technique work for buggy yeast mixes (eg a Berliner Weisse blend)?

hope so - about to use that one myself to make a Leipziger Gose (and probably rack some onto fruit in secondary to make a tart/sour fruit wheat beer).

Not had much joy getting any answers about using it though...

[Michal]

Is there a really great, consistent British lager around that I haven't tried ? There must be somewhere.

I was v. impressed by Hawkshead's Lakeland Lager... http://www.hawksheadbrewery.co.uk/more_ ... rent_id=96

I will probably sound completely ignorant but can they ferment it with ale yeast and then call it a lager?
Even if they lager it...?

[boingy]

Is there a really great, consistent British lager around that I haven't tried ? There must be somewhere.

I'm quite partial to lagers by The Cotswold Brewing Co:

www.cotswoldbrewingcompany.com

although you might struggle to find their beers that far North....

[lancsSteve]

I will probably sound completely ignorant but can they ferment it with ale yeast and then call it a lager?
Even if they lager it...?:-k

Maybe that's why I liked it!

I'd say technically yes - lager originally meant 'to store' (i.e. lager) not a yeast type but lagers are now at least geenerally defined by bottom fermenting yeasts at cool temps so more a pseudo-lager...

Allendale's Winter Dunkel was STUNNING - made with a lager yeast and hops and lagered but then served from cask at cellar temps, bloody hard to find though

[196osh]

I think brewdogs 77 has been great every time I have tried it. I mean every batch they make could be consistent bar one, which could have some sort of off flavour then there are 1000's of bottles in the market place that don't taste quite right.

Either way 77s my favorite domestic lager Schihallion is good too.