[denny]

A good list, but I would quibble with the liquid vs. dry yeasts.  I would agree that they are equivalent for neutral yeasts (lagers, American ale), but for those styles where you want the yeast to produce esters and phenols, such as Belgians, British, and German weissbiers, I find all the dry yeasts lacking compared to the liquid varieties that are available.

Didn't I say that?  I intended to!

[HoosierBrew]

A good list, but I would quibble with the liquid vs. dry yeasts.  I would agree that they are equivalent for neutral yeasts (lagers, American ale), but for those styles where you want the yeast to produce esters and phenols, such as Belgians, British, and German weissbiers, I find all the dry yeasts lacking compared to the liquid varieties that are available.

I agree. S05 and 34/70, being neutral, perform nicely enough. But when I brew a beer where I want some yeast character, it's liquid all the way. Just me.

[BrewBama]

I brewed my latest English Pale Ale with Mangrove Jacks Burton Union. Plenty of English character there. I understand it was replaced with Liberty Bell. YMMV


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[pete b]

Does anyone really think that the olive oil thing is a "common myth"?

[erockrph]

A good list, but I would quibble with the liquid vs. dry yeasts.  I would agree that they are equivalent for neutral yeasts (lagers, American ale), but for those styles where you want the yeast to produce esters and phenols, such as Belgians, British, and German weissbiers, I find all the dry yeasts lacking compared to the liquid varieties that are available.

I think the reason that liquid yeast is better for specialty styles is primarily because of the specific choices available. If there was a dry equivalent of 1762 or 3787, I would be surprised if you couldn't make a good Belgian ale with it.

[juggabrew303]

Very nice article Denny, and good bedtime story. 


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[toby]

Denny,
Would you be so kind to expand your rationale on HSA/ HSO being included in your myth list?

Primarily because it has been a boogeyman for so long, and that the myth part is not that it exists, but rather whether it will ruin your beer at the homebrew level.  For a long time, it was treated like that.  The monster under the bed.  The simple fact is that at a homebrew level, its effects are not something the average homebrewer needs to be concerned with.

[denny]

Does anyone really think that the olive oil thing is a "common myth"?

Unfortunately, yes.

[chumley]

Well, olive oil may be a myth, but a myth that never that never really meant much.  I used to add a pinprick drop of olive oil to my starters, figuring that since I didn't own a stir plate, it couldn't do any harm. And, it probably never made any difference since I aerated the starters before I added the yeast.

I would suggest one more homebrew myth:  "Always perform a diacetyl rest on your lagers once primary fermentation is complete."  It's similar to olive oil, a diacetyl rest is meaningless in terms of how your beer turns out.  And its more common than the olive oil myth.   

[blair.streit]

Denny,
Would you be so kind to expand your rationale on HSA/ HSO being included in your myth list?

Primarily because it has been a boogeyman for so long, and that the myth part is not that it exists, but rather whether it will ruin your beer at the homebrew level.  For a long time, it was treated like that.  The monster under the bed.  The simple fact is that at a homebrew level, its effects are not something the average homebrewer needs to be concerned with.

And for me being a below-average homebrewer, it's even less of a concern

I agree that the attention given to HSA is particularly troublesome in contexts where we're trying to teach new all-grain brewers. If we could create an accurate priority list indicating where new all-grain brewers should focus their energy, in my mind a fundamental understanding of controlling mash pH (for example) would deliver way more bang for the buck than similar effort applied to minimizing HSA.

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever seen anything like this? I'm thinking of it as a kind of Maslow's hierarchy of brewing needs?

Anyway, I respect the continued debate and the fact that scientifically HSA is real. Determining the extent to which it impacts flavor and shelf-life will likely take years, and I'm excited to see where it goes. In the meantime, if we're mindful of the context it seems like we can adequately address the topic of HSA without it sucking up all of the "oxygen" required for other topics (yes, pun completely intended).

[Biran]

Denny, out of curiosity why do you sparge with 185-190 degree water?

[denny]

Denny, out of curiosity why do you sparge with 185-190 degree water?

A leftover from the days when I did a mash out.  But I've found it increases my efficiency slightly and helps me get to a boil just a bit sooner.

[Joe Sr.]

A good list, but I would quibble with the liquid vs. dry yeasts.  I would agree that they are equivalent for neutral yeasts (lagers, American ale), but for those styles where you want the yeast to produce esters and phenols, such as Belgians, British, and German weissbiers, I find all the dry yeasts lacking compared to the liquid varieties that are available.

The dry yeasts today are worlds away from what was available back when I started.  Liquid strains were definitely preferable to the packs of "ale yeast" or even the Munton's.  I think the "myth" is simply a persistent bias from the days when it was true.

These days, depending on what you are brewing, dry and liquid are equally good choices.

[homoeccentricus]

Does anyone really think that the olive oil thing is a "common myth"?

Unfortunately, yes.

In BE/NL the myth is still strong.

[MJK]

Thanks Denny