Alternative to kit yeast?

[hazzie_fozz]

Hello all,

I've just bottled my first kit brew and now I'm considering a Coopers Stout as it seems the reviews are positive for that one.

Just after mixing up my first brew, I read that one should **never** use the yeast provided with the kit.. so I won't be doing that again.

I've seen a few posts that recommend specialist yeasts - they all seem to have numbers in them? Unfortunately I don't have any home brew shops local to me so I'm reliant on the homebrew section of Wikinsons, ordering online, or using supermarket yeast.

I've also seen posts about making your own starter, which sounds really fun - but I don't know how to go about that.

If anyone could point me in the right direction / share what you use instead of the kit yeast that would be great:smile::smile::smile:

 

[pms67]

Coopers yeasts are fine.
Only yeast i would swap is in the Wherry.
Festival, Youngs and Beerworks yeasts all super imo and included in kits

 

[MyQul]

Welcome to the forum

The Coopers yeast that comes with the kit is fine . They give you enough of it to get the job done too. So thereno need to swap it out
Now the Wherry kit, if you ever decideyou want to brew that, definately needs theyeast replacing as thekit is notorius for sticking. You can a good get replacement yeast at wilko, the 'ale yeast'. It's 1.75 for an 11g pack. It's basically nottingham yeast and very reliable

 

[chub1]

+ 1 for Wilko Gervin, use it fort a good number of my extract brews, never had a problem:thumb:

 

[MyQul]

+ 1 for Wilko Gervin, use it fort a good number of my extract brews, never had a problem:thumb:

I've recently discoverd notty/wilko gervin is extremely temp tolerant, almost as much as MJ workhorse. I've read accounts of people using it with no problems in the high 20C's

 

[hazzie_fozz]

Thanks all - in this case, I will stick with the Coopers but add-on question, should I mix it with water before adding it?

 

[terrym]

Just after mixing up my first brew, I read that one should **never** use the yeast provided with the kit.. so I won't be doing that again.

I've also seen posts about making your own starter, which sounds really fun - but I don't know how to go about that.

If anyone could point me in the right direction / share what you use instead of the kit yeast that would be great:smile::smile::smile:

Don't bother changing Coopers kit yeast they're fine....the stout kit yeast especially.

If you ever try a Wherry kit, change the yeast. As others have said Wilko's ale yeast is a good substitution.

Otherwise, again as others have said, most supplied kit yeasts do their job, and don't really need substitution.

However if you fancy having a go at producing your own yeast starter from a shop bought bottle conditioned beer MyQul has provided an excellent guide here
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53567
and he has also kept this list going so there are quite a few beers to choose from
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=533163#post533163

 

[MyQul]

Thanks all - in this case, I will stick with the Coopers but add-on question, should I mix it with water before adding it?

Technically you should re-hydrate your yeast (by adding water). But I'm far too lazy to do that and just sprinkle it on thewort

Here's a guide how re-hydrate yeast

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/rehydrating-dry-yeast/

 

[chub1]

I have been re hydrating my yeast's of late:thumb:

 

[Fil]

i would suggest that generally kits are sold with a suitable quality yeast. And unless there are specific qualities that you want from a yeast most kits will brew well with the yeast supplied.
If anything kit yeast packs are a tad light, so yeast hydration in advance of pitching is more important than if your pitching a 11-12g pack of named yeast.

For times when the kit yeast has gotten lost Salsafe S-04 is a grand all round ale yeast, US-05 is good for lighter crisper finishes like you would expect from an american take on the IPA or a lager. and for settling out in the bottle Nottingham is a great strain for sitting solidly on the bottle bottom. (all dry pack strains)

Liquid/live yeast cultures are best bought online as they do have a shelf life unlike dry packs which will sit on the shelf indefinitely as long as it remains sealed.. afaik its only the food status of yeast that requires a use by date stamped on the pack.

for a scientific text this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0937381969/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 is a suprisingly easy and captivating read for the lay brewer, and is one of the most thumbed through brew books on my shelf imho the other books in the series are not as accessable.

but unless the matured brew has features and flavours you dont appreciate that can be tied down to the yeast Or you are after specific features that a particular yeast can provide, the yeasts supplied with kits are worth while using for the first brew of any kit at least

way more crucial to the finished flavour is the fermentation temperature, ensuring the temperature of the brew dosent rise into the off flavour producing temps will have a big impact on the finished brew. Fruity esters which can enhance some english ales and totally nasty fussels can be produced by yeast when fermenting at a temperature higher than the range stated for the strain. (printed in the instructions) as a general rule i ferment at the lower end of the range published for the yeast im using

imho priorities for a new brewer should be along the lines of..
1) get the cleaning and sanitation procedures sorted
2) get the brewing temp sorted
3) develop an appreciation of the difference maturing a brew in the bottle for weeks/months can have
4) Then look at kit enhancements - extra hopping and perhaps yeast substitution.. As without the former points under your belt any kit mods you make will be blind stabs in the dark..

enjoy your brewing..

 

[terrym]

I have gone full circle.
I used to 'sprinkle' alone.
But then moved to hydration.
Next hydration then 30 minutes of starter using a low gravity wort.
However I've had one or two brews that struggled recently doing this (not Coopers) so reverted to sprinkling alone which is usually what the kit instructions tell you to do.

 

[hazzie_fozz]

imho priorities for a new brewer should be along the lines of..
1) get the cleaning and sanitation procedures sorted
2) get the brewing temp sorted
3) develop an appreciation of the difference maturing a brew in the bottle for weeks/months can have
4) Then look at kit enhancements - extra hopping and perhaps yeast substitution.. As without the former points under your belt any kit mods you make will be blind stabs in the dark..

enjoy your brewing..

Ok Fil, this seems like good - and timely - advice. Brewing temp definitely needs to be my next priority as the batch that I've just bottled was brewed in my flat, and I actually have use of a cellar so I'll be using that this time.

Will save fiddling around with yeast once I've got a bit more experience. :grin:

 

[Fil]

After re-reading my post today it was a bit preachy - not my intent.. forgive the 'Four Commandments', its just my take..

 

[hazzie_fozz]

After re-reading my post today it was a bit preachy - not my intent.. forgive the 'Four Commandments', its just my take..

That's cool Fil - as a newbie, it's easy to get overwhelmed with so many different elements to worry about. So your list of priorities is helpful, and as I said, well-timed.

I'm a cook, so my first instinct is to get the best ingredients I possibly can, but I'm starting to see that brewing is a little different.