[kramerog]

Brew & Grow have just begun selling it.  They sell online but I'm not sure if their website reflects that.  Omega's claim to fame is their Saisonstein Monster which is a hybrid of Dupont (3724?) with 3711. 

IIRC their packaged yeast has a yeast count of 10 million (10 billion?) comparable to Wyeast packaged yeast.

[brewday]

Omega 004 is described on the website as being comparable to Wyeast1056/WLP001, so your second pitch probably won't change your beer that much.

I'm kegging 5 gallons this weekend that used Omega DIPA (Conan). It was very fresh - I pitched it 3 weeks after the packaging date.

1.070 OG
1 minute pure O2
1.5 L starter
Fermented at 68

It was pretty quiet for the first 18-24, but then took off like a rocket and achieved 78% AA. And I like what I'm tasting so far.

The package says use starter over 1.060, but I would make one regardless.
As others have said, Starter + Oxygen + Temperature = Tasty Beer

[ynotbrusum]

I would definitely top crop that yeast - they are often better with a couple generations under their belt, generally speaking, IMHO.  It's a hobby, so why not?

[fredthecat]

i know this thread is dead and old, but any takes on omega yeast?

i was listening to a recent podcast and someone from omega was saying that they aim for an effective 200 million cell count, enough for 5gal/1.05gravity wort without a starter and with no issues.

any takes on their quality or this statement? i have access to them but theyre about 3 dollars more than a whitelabs. any faves?

[erockrph]

i know this thread is dead and old, but any takes on omega yeast?

i was listening to a recent podcast and someone from omega was saying that they aim for an effective 200 million cell count, enough for 5gal/1.05gravity wort without a starter and with no issues.

any takes on their quality or this statement? i have access to them but theyre about 3 dollars more than a whitelabs. any faves?

I'm only just now putting my first beer with one of their yeasts on tap (Lutra Kviek), but I am very happy with the performance so far. I'm leery of trying new yeast manufacturers in place of the tried and true brands I've been using for years, but I will definitely be using more Omega in the future now. I'm especially interested in Sundew for Pale Ales, Fruit beers and Blond ales.

[ynotbrusum]

Omega is local to my LHBS and I met Lance, the founder, when he presented to our brew club a few years back.  Really solid products and I use many of his single packets in a 5 gallon batch without the need to make a starter.  Since it is close by, the freshness is stellar.

[EnkAMania]

I love Omega.  I have used DIPA, Gulo and British V. 

[Saccharomyces]

Brew & Grow have just begun selling it.  They sell online but I'm not sure if their website reflects that.  Omega's claim to fame is their Saisonstein Monster which is a hybrid of Dupont (3724?) with 3711. 

If I recall correctly, the founder is both a biologist and an IP lawyer.  I believe that the genesis was that he was able to get a brewing yeast strain to sporulate.  Most brewing strains are difficult to get to sporulate.  Sporulation (as occurs in yeast cell meiosis) is required for sexual reproduction and sexual reproduction is required to create a hybrid.

[tommymorris]

I have used one pack of Omega yeast: OYL-113 Mexican Lager. It’s great. I did make a 1L SNS starter just in case. I really like this yeast and am on my 4th generation with that slurry.

[mdyer909]

I ordered a pack of Wyeast Scottish from my LHBS  (200 miles away) and they sent me an Omega Irish ale pack instead (I’m ok with substitutes) and I’m drinking that ale now and it’s quite good.  I made a liter starter with it.

[Saccharomyces]

I ordered a pack of Wyeast Scottish from my LHBS  (200 miles away) and they sent me an Omega Irish ale pack instead (I’m ok with substitutes) and I’m drinking that ale now and it’s quite good.  I made a liter starter with it.

The difference between closely-related yeast strains is manageable via tweeking the recipe and the fermentation process because brewing yeast strains need to be clustered into regions instead of being from just one brewery.  Breweries routinely shared yeast within a region.  Yeast is a living organism.  Imagine being a large-scale brewer where a business event resulted in the death of your culture. Many breweries were not prepared for a total loss of their culture, which is why local breweries were very co-operative with respect to sharing yeast.  The brewery's backside you save may be your own.