Yeasts to have on-hand

[nickbrew]

My LHBS does WYeast Orders every few months so access to specific strains is limited on a regular basis. They are about to do an order and are taking requests. My question is: what are some versatile strains that are good to have on hand?

Note: because I have not had regular access to liquid yeasts I have been using Danstar dry yeasts for the last two years, which, from my experience have been quite versatile in comparison to the specific flavor profiles that I can access with the range of liquid yeasts.

I am intending to be harvesting and reusing these yeasts to save a bit of money and stretching their use between the LHBS orders.

Feel free to expand this to include White Labs and Danstar yeast strains that you like to have on hand

 

[Yooper]

Wyeast that I almost always have on hand:

Wyeast 1450 (Denny's favorite- use in all beers that I want to accentuate malt character but not sweetness)
Wyeast 1335 (English, but also in US style pale ales and IPAs)
Wyeast 1272 (IPAs and pale ales) It makes clearer beers than 1056

White labs:
WLP001 (probably the strain I use most)
WLP002 (for all things English)

If I'm going to make a lager, or a Belgian, or a kolsch, etc, I just buy yeast when I need it. The majority of my beers are IPAs, APAs, American reds, etc so I don't do many beers that need specialty yeast.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

1056 American ale is my go to outside of US-05

 

[nickbrew]

That's a great start. Of course, this will be subjective to whatever beer styles people usually brew. Personally I was making lagers, bocks and a blonde ale over the winter because of the consistent low ambient temperature in my mud-room. I have a black IPA, hefe, Amber ale, saison and a Belgian on my list for now until I move in August which is quite a range but the recipe's look too good and I will be taking advantage of the warmer weather.

Wyeast that I almost always have on hand:

Wyeast 1450 (Denny's favorite- use in all beers that I want to accentuate malt character but not sweetness)
Wyeast 1335 (English, but also in US style pale ales and IPAs)
Wyeast 1272 (IPAs and pale ales) It makes clearer beers than 1056

White labs:
WLP001 (probably the strain I use most)
WLP002 (for all things English)

If I'm going to make a lager, or a Belgian, or a kolsch, etc, I just buy yeast when I need it. The majority of my beers are IPAs, APAs, American reds, etc so I don't do many beers that need specialty yeast.

 

[plan_ahea]

1056 American ale is my go to outside of US-05

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WY1056 the exact same yeast as Safale US-05, except in liquid form vs. dry?

 

[Natdavis777]

I like to wash my yeast, and always have some 1056 or 001 on hand, and like to keep some 1968 (6 jars currently) and/or some 1098.

 

[Yesfan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WY1056 the exact same yeast as Safale US-05, except in liquid form vs. dry?

That's what I thought. I think those two, along with WLP-001 are all the same strain.


I think for me, I would like to start up a yeast bank of liquid yeasts that I have used more than once on some of the beers I have come back and brewed again. Most of the beers I have brewed have a dry equivalent (like the US-05 W1056 example mentioned above), so I'm good with picking up a dry yeast pack if need be.

 

[Yooper]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WY1056 the exact same yeast as Safale US-05, except in liquid form vs. dry?

Yes, and no.

"Everybody" says that WLP001, So5 and 1056 are the same strain but I don't think that is so. It may have started as a chico strain but there seem to be variations.

WLP001 flocculates better for me, and doesn't get that weird "peachy' flavor when it's fermented cool like S05 and 1056 do. I think that they are very similar in what they bring to the finished beer, but I do think that are different.

 

[nickbrew]

I like to wash my yeast, and always have some 1056 or 001 on hand, and like to keep some 1968 (6 jars currently) and/or some 1098.

I have never washed my yeast before but I found a great tutorial and will look into it.

 

[Natdavis777]

I have never washed my yeast before but I found a great tutorial and will look into it.

The sticky in this tab is what I used when I first started. Had to alter it some though for the highly floccing 1968 strain though

 

[DurtyChemist]

Wlp007. Best of 001 and 002 combined.

 

[tagz]

I always have a cleanish strain and a Belgian/saison strain. Lately I have been using 001 and 3726. About six months ago I was using 1968 and 3724. I've had a larger collection in years past but then I end up neglecting some of it. Two strains seems to give me enough versatility.

 

[nickbrew]

Lots to think about. I think I will take a similar route, getting one clean strain and a Belgian. I figure I will be able to get by with the two with my handful of batches I have coming up until August.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WY1056 the exact same yeast as Safale US-05, except in liquid form vs. dry?

I actually did not know this. I suppose small variations in my brew process, or the type of beer, have made me think they are different. No wonder I like them both

 

[socratesbrewing]

Mine has changed due to my brewing habits lately, I was keeping 1056 and a strain from a local yeast company at all times. But I have only brewed belgian style beers over the past year. So now I always keep Belle Saison around and the Farmhouse blend from SouthYeast labs.
I decide that I wanted to keep on hand the ones that I couldn't easily get. There's a "homebrew" shop 5 min from my office that carries the typical dry yeasts. I don't worry about keeping those around anymore.