Dry or liquid yeast? That is the question

[DanPoch]

I have asked myself. So during my Christmas vacation, I made a Molasses Stout AG 10 gallon batch. Well I ended up with 9 gallons, but that's beside the point. I decided to see if I could notice a difference in using dry or liquid yeast.

I put 5 gallons in one fermenter and 4 in another (because I though I could do 5 and 5, but was wrong). I used Nottingham dry in the 4 gallon and British Ale liquid (005) in the 5 gallon. No starter or re-hydration.

Both Carboys are stored in the same location at the same temps and so on. The only difference is the volume in each. I didn't notice any difference in fermentation on either carboy. Both took off like crazy.

At day 3 I added pretty much equivalent proportions of Molasses to each carboy (16 oz to one and 14 oz to the other). And each re-started like mad again to finish off fermentation.

Last night, end of day 6, fermentation is finished. I'll move it to the basement tonight, where it can condition for a couple weeks at about 55F. I'm eager to see if I can detect a difference in the final beers.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Well you will most certainly notice a difference because you didn't make a starter for your liquid yeast.

You can't really run a proper comparison without pitching them under the same conditions. Dry yeast doesn't need a starter so you probably did proper pitching rate for that one. However, you used liquid on the 5 gallon one without a starter so you most likely severely underpitched.

You're going to get a lot more esters from the liquid one due to the stress you imposed on them to reproduce a lot more. Yeast will always reproduce to an optimum concentration based on the environment.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yes, is the answer.

You could have pitched the same yeast in each beer and would, likey, still taste a difference.

That is why the bigger breweries blend for consistency.

 

[DanPoch]

Hmmm, blending is an idea, since I'm doing 10G batches in 6G carboys. I did a Rye Malt that everyone loved. Didn't notice a difference, but then again I didn't taste them back-to-back as it were either. I can blend the two carboys next time, half in each of the kegs. Thanks for the idea!

 

[DanPoch]

Hadn't thought about the under pitching aspect since the liquid yeast I used says it's enough for a 5g batch. I've never noticed an ester problem on the times when I haven't done a starter (about half the time), but I've never done this experiment before either. So I've never had anything to compare the ester levels with.

Now I'm even more eager for the beers to be ready!

 

[DanPoch]

Well you will most certainly notice a difference because you didn't make a starter for your liquid yeast.

Exactly on point! Love both beers, but the one with the liquid yeast has a sharper note to it. It's not a bad note and I kind of like a little sharpness to my imperial stouts. But since I prefer a smoother sweet stout, next time I do this I'll have to hit one with liquid and a starter and the other with dry again and re-compare the two.

I love experimenting with the brewing! Only wish I could brew more often.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

I feel the same way. I end up giving out a bunch of growlers to friends so that makes it go faster