Mixing Yeast

[DogAndDoris]

Just had a little thought. I brew 100ltrs at a time, and I use dried packet yeast. I need to use 4 for a full batch, but, after my next brew, I'll have two left.

Has anyone tried doing a brew with two strains of yeast, eg, I'll use the two packs of West Coast i have, plus two others of a different strain to give a different taste, maybe one suited for a wheat beer etc.

Just thought I'd ask.

 

[Leon103]

Why don't you use your 2 packets to build up enough cells for 100l

 

[Dexter101]

Might not be relevant but was listening to a podcast recently where someone pitched 2 yeasts (although actually one might have been for souring... not sure how that works) One dominated the other, so the tasters were looking for characteristics in the beer from one yeast which had been over powered by the other yeast.

At a guess, if you are brewing an IPA and you used and English and an american yeast strain, it wouldn't matter so much.

Will it brew, yes. but as someone else suggested, might be better just to use 2 sachets to build up a starter if you want reliable results.

 

[Honk]

I spent a day at a small commercial brewery and all their recipes used both Nottingham and S04 yeasts equal amounts of each. I was surprised they were using dried yeasts. Beer tasted good though.

 

[BeerCat]

I dont see a problem apart from it being trial and error. Kveik yeast is more than one strain for instance. I just pitched some Kolsch yeast on top of a lager starter i had frozen so the results may be interesting.

 

[MyQul]

I have a light pseudo lager in the FV at the moment. I only had half a packet each of notty and CML kolsch yeast so I chucked em both in as both do similar jobs to what I was after (both clean and both can ferment at 15C)

 

[Slid]

I spent a day at a small commercial brewery and all their recipes used both Nottingham and S04 yeasts equal amounts of each. I was surprised they were using dried yeasts. Beer tasted good though.

Interesting. I have been using mainly US 05 for a long time. Am tempted now to do some S 04 English beers and try the same recipe with Nottingham.

I would imagine that a blend of yeasts will do two things:

Lower the finishing gravity (thus raising the ABV), and
Tend to nullify any noticeable characteristics between them.

I recall adding my much loved US 05 to a Ruby Ale fermented initially and inadequately (for me) using the Danstar English Ale (WLP 002?).

That went well in the end I re-used it a few times.

 

[MrRook]

Lots of brewers use mixed strains.
I do it when I need more yeast than can be provided by what I have on hand on brew day. I have a pilsner fermenting right now that I used two packs of S-23 with one S-189 to ferment.