Tagged Questions

Yeasts are micro-organisms used in brewing to produce alcohol during the process of fermentation.

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7
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2answers
317 views

Starter and smack-packs

Is making a starter a good idea when using a larger activator pack from Wyeast? Should you smack the packet and add it to the starter, or add it after it swells?
7
votes
2answers
710 views

What does “a thorough diacetyl rest” mean when talking about ale yeast?

Most of my knowledge of diactyl rests come from Palmer's How to Brew, and it applies entirely to lagers. It mainly means bringing the temperature up slowly and letting the lager sit at a slightly ...
7
votes
3answers
530 views

What would happen if I used a yeast meant for white wine to brew red wine or vice versa?

I was buying winemaking yeast and wondered - what exactly would happen if I used the stuff meant for red wines for white or the other way around? Would it be bad? Would it work at all? Would it just ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views

Whats the difference between yeast and bacteria?

I know that in a very general sense, yeast = good, bacteria = bad. But why is this? Do bacteria produce alcohol like yeast? Is yeast a subset of all bacteria, or vice versa?
6
votes
6answers
4k views

Is it possible to bottle condition without sediment?

I've recently been reading the labels a bit more on one of my favourite beers and have discovered that the brewers bottle condition their Pale Ale. Yet it's sold with no signs of any flocculated ...
6
votes
4answers
205 views

If a vial of yeast is at room temperature for 3 days then put back in the refrigerator, is it still viable?

I live in an apartment and didn't receive notification that my yeast had arrived for 3 days after it got to the office. Normally, I'd just toss the vial of yeast and go to my LHBS to get more, but ...
6
votes
3answers
209 views

Does dry hopping affect attenuation?

Does the anti-microbial affects of hops affect yeast activity and therefore attenuation when dry hopping near the end of primary fermentation?
6
votes
2answers
358 views

Phosphoric Acid Wash for Yeast

I love recycling yeast, see it as a great way to save money, and if you find a good one, they are great to use over and over again. I was chatting with a guy in my homebrew club who is a distiller ...
6
votes
2answers
985 views

How long can yeast be stored?

If I buy a tube of liquid yeast from my local homebrew store and throw it in the fridge, how long before it's no good? How 'bout dry yeast?
6
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2answers
750 views

Yeast nutrient schedule for meads?

Somewhere I remember a mention that a "more-modern" technique in brewing meads involves a regular schedule of adding yeast nutrients while in the primary. I was never able to find the reference again ...
6
votes
1answer
671 views

Liquid Yeast for 1 Gallon Batches

I'm relatively new to home brewing and am enjoying brewing 1 gallon batches. I have been using dry yeast and can get about 4 batches from a single packet. I would, however, like to be able to use the ...
6
votes
2answers
107 views

Can I do a high temperature starter?

I know if you are adding the yeast directly to the wort you want to keep the temperature similar to that of your eventual fermentation temp to minimize shock to the yeast. However, I plan to make a ...
6
votes
2answers
233 views

Is oxidation of yeast starters a concern?

We all know oxidation is bad, and cooling hot wort is particularly susceptible to this off-flavor-producing problem. the question is; does oxidation matter for starters? I use a stirplate to aerate ...
6
votes
4answers
443 views

Are yeast “cold packs” really worth the extra cost?

Okay, so I understand the intent of the cold pack when shipping liquid yeast during very warm climates, but I assume that the useful cooling offered is very minimal compared to the temperature ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views

Yeast Starter Steps

I want to make a yeast starter for a lager. I even went out and got a 3000 ml Erlenmyer Flask. According to mrmalty.com's calculator I need 506 Billion cells. With the two vials of White Labs yeast ...
6
votes
3answers
825 views

Why is it bad to pitch too little yeast?

What are the effects of underpitching your beer? We have an answer for over pitching, I think we need the complete set.
6
votes
2answers
359 views

Is my yeast dead?

I'm in the middle of bottling my stout right now. The OG was 1.070, and the gravity almost a month ago (11/24) was 1.024. I added 3/4 cup priming sugar in about 3 cups of water, and bottled about 20 ...
6
votes
2answers
375 views

Brett: Primary or Secondary

What are the differences between fermenting a beer solely with Brettanomyces (or some blend of sour yeast) versus adding it to the secondary after primary fermentation with a non-sour yeast?
6
votes
2answers
114 views

Heat and yeasty flavors

I've used safbrew T-58 a couple of times over the last year and had both great batches and very yeasty-tasting batches. Could the heat be the reason for the yeasty taste? A warm day in the Israeli ...
6
votes
2answers
118 views

Old Brown “sour belgian”

I have an Belgian sour that has been in it's secondary for 18 months. With a terminal gravity of 1010 for over the last year, what is the best way to bottle condition this beer? New yeast? Blend?
6
votes
4answers
339 views

How to estimate yeast starter viability when using stir plate?

I have just started a transition to making yeast starters and also using a homemade stir plate and am curious how to estimate the viability of the yeast when using this method. Normally, there are ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views

does starsan kill yeast

Is Starsan effective against yeast? After resuming homebrewing again after a 2 year break, I started having pellicle appearing on my starters (after fermentation had completed), which has now spread ...
6
votes
3answers
443 views

How do you choose a yeast?

What characteristics do you look for in a yeast to pair with your recipe? Is there a common reference?
6
votes
2answers
862 views

What is the difference between yeast nutrient and yeast accelerator?

I know what yeast nutrient is, but was browsing around the brew supply and noticed yeast accelerator. Anyone know that the REAL difference (if any) is chemically? See it mentioned through a goggle ...
6
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2answers
511 views

Yeast starter temperatures

What temp guidlines apply to doing a yeast starter? Should the starter be at the intended fermentation temp? Should it be higher for good growth/activity? Should it be lower to keep it clean ...
6
votes
2answers
227 views

Measuring yeast in a slurry

Please tell me if I'm being overly simplistic here. I was reading the book yeast by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff. In the book, they talk about measuring how many cells are in a slurry by using a ...
6
votes
2answers
533 views

Choosing a yeast for ginger beer

I'm doing some experiments with ginger beer (this is a alcoholic beer, not a soda). I'm use brown sugar as the sugar source for now, but may experiment with other sugars including malt as I go along. ...
6
votes
2answers
718 views

Is a cider-like smell a bad sign in a culture of beer yeast?

I started culturing yeast from a La Fin Du Monde bottle about 3 days ago. I have since stepped it up to a 2L container about half full of wort. I have been very careful about sanitizing everything ...
5
votes
3answers
322 views

Should a starter be hopped?

Should I add hops to my starter recipe? I just started using starters, and I haven't been hopping them at all. I didn't even think of adding hops until I read some of the answers on this question. ...
5
votes
2answers
183 views

I have some “expired” mead yeast, is it still good?

I have some liquid mead yeast that has expired a couple years ago, according to the date on it. It has always been kept in the refrigerator. Could it be revived and used or do I need to buy some new ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views

Ideal fermentation temperature

I'm just finishing up a DIY fermentation chamber made from a chest freezer, reptile tank heater, and a temperature controller. Now I just need to figure out what temperature to set! Most yeast ...
5
votes
2answers
359 views

Low original and final gravity

My roommate and I brewed our first batch of beer, a Rogue Dead Guy clone (with some substitutions). The brew has finished secondary fermentation and our hydrometer reads 1.007 (temperature-adjusted). ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views

How much distillers yeast do I use in a 5 gallon batch of beer?

The recipe I'm working on calls for the use of distillers yeast half way through my primary fermentation (among other things like plenty of sugar, aeration, etc...). Problem is, it doesn't really ...
5
votes
2answers
348 views

Storing Yeast Slurry

If I take a yeast slurry from a batch of beer, wash it and store it in a sanitized container - how long can I leave this yeast slurry in the fridge before repitching? I'm thinking of leaving it in the ...
5
votes
3answers
555 views

Can I dry my own yeast to make it relatively shelf stable? How?

Obviously, it can be done, as dry yeast works for fermenting beer. I go sometimes a month or two between batches, and carrying over one yeast culture across beers seems a bit of a pain. How is dried ...
5
votes
4answers
222 views

Banana Mead Yeast Suggestions

I'm planning to brew a banana mead, and would like to start fementation with a Belgian yeast so that it has a good strong banana nose. I will finish with a champagne yeast, so I'm not particularly ...
5
votes
3answers
99 views

Yeast and Hop Longevity

I picked up the ingredients for an IPA when I was getting the ingredients for a Milk Stout a while ago. The plan was to have everything at the ready so I could make the IPA shortly after the stout. ...
5
votes
3answers
925 views

How can I restart fermentation on a stuck strong dark belgian ale?

What can we do to restart fermentation that got stuck over the winter? Our club brewed about 7 gallons of this recipe in November. Primary went well, but then the weather got cold and the yeast went ...
5
votes
3answers
803 views

Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Failure

I'll start by saying that I've never used liquid yeast before, so it could all be my fault... Anyway, I ordered some Wyeast 1187 Ringwood to use for a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA clone that I did on ...
5
votes
2answers
3k views

What is yeast nutrient?

I am trying to prepare alcoholic lemonade using: lemons, water, dextrose, lactose, and champagne yeast. I read that it is a good idea to add yeast nutrient but I have no idea what it is or where to ...
5
votes
2answers
244 views

Yeast, CO2 Toxicity with mead and beer

Degassing CO2 during early fermentation is important for wine and mead. But why not for beer? I'm getting back into mead making and see plenty of references to degassing the must during early ...
5
votes
1answer
239 views

Any need to stop yeast before kegging?

I'm brewing to keg for the first time, finally. I am planning to force carbonate and was wondering: Are there was any steps I need to take to stop any active yeast before putting it in the keg and ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views

using champagne yeast as a secondary yeast for fermentation?

I haven't quite found a post that answers my question, when brewing a big beer such as a barley wine I have heard talk about using champagne yeast after the initial yeast has done all it can. If my ...
5
votes
2answers
389 views

Should I brew in too-warm climate or substitute the yeast?

I'm about to brew an Amber Ale (from an LHBS kit) that comes with a US-05 Safale yeast. The forecasted temperature for the next couple of weeks is likely to remain at min 20C (68F) overnight & ...
5
votes
4answers
537 views

Reusing Yeast From previous Fermentation

When I finish fermentation I am left with a large amount of extra yeast in the bottom of the carboy. Can I reuse this yeast in any way? Hopefully to avoid buying yeast again every single batch?
5
votes
2answers
171 views

Will Jalapeno or Habanero peppers adversely effect yeast

I have a recipe in front of me for a Saison of the spicy variety. It calls for the addition of one Jalapeno pepper, seeds included. First off, I do enjoy a fair amount of spice (far more than anyone ...
5
votes
2answers
157 views

Possible to intensify/increase the amount of yeast flavor?

I will soon be making a hefe and will be using wyeast's 3068. In recent hefes I have made, I have always desired much more intensity in the flavors provided by the yeast strain. The only method i am ...
5
votes
1answer
328 views

What flavors come from fermenting S-04 on the warm side?

I brewed this 1064 OG recipe and used my reverse flow chiller to get it down to 74F (could have gone cooler, but my starter was at 76F or so). It fermented like nuts (over 1.5 gallons of krausen ...
5
votes
1answer
130 views

Flanders Red from Brewing Classic Styles

I am interested in brewing the Flanders red that is found in Brewing Classic Styles. Jamil mentions using the Wyeast 3763 or WLP655 and leaving it sit for a year until the pellicle forms then falls ...
5
votes
2answers
525 views

Pausing a ginger beer plant

I am making ginger beer, the old fashioned way with a plant. The plant is a jamjar which I feed with one teaspoon of sugar and powdered ginger daily. I'm going on holiday soon, for several weeks. ...

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