selecting yeast for a small yeast bank

[kristfin]

i live in iceland, and the selection of yeast i have here is close to none. one of the breweries here sells fermentis s04 and thats it. for everything else i have to order from abroad, usually from the states.

i've been reading a lot about yeast slanting and want to try it myself. the idea was to start with a few common and proven yeasts and see if i could get self sustainable, yeast wise.

i haven't tried out any liquid yeast. since i've had to order everything i've used only dry yeast.

the yeast i've been using and i'm quite happy with are: fermentis s04, us05, w06 and s23 and danstar nottingham.

i would like to add some yeasts for california common, belgian abbey, lager and wit.

can you give me some reccomendations on what yeasts to start with?

[thatguy314]

It depends on what kinds of beers you like to brew.

My workhorse strains are WLP 001, 002, 013 and their wyeast equivalents. You can do really nice versions of all american and english beers with these. 002 and 013 are both english. In my experience 002 is more floculant, a little less attenuative, and has more of a berry ester profile. 013 is a little more floc and attenuative, and has more of a pear ester profile. I tend to use 002 for lighter beers and 013 for darker, though both can work well for both.

WLP007 is a good alternative to 002, but it's about 10% more attenuative (though slightly less floculant). You can produce very similar beers with slight recipe adjustments (mash a few degrees higher or add some maltodextrin). It's nice because if you want to do a barley wine or something, It will attenuate better than 002. While I've used it less than 002, and can't vouch for it as much, in my limited experience I might just use this one instead, as long as you don't mind waiting a little longer for it to floc out.

[11amas]

One suggestion would be to explore yeast you can build up from commercial beer.

[kristfin]

i created a list of yeasts, that i would like to start with. i would start with the san francisco lager and the kölsch, but gradually add the rest.

WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast / WY2112
This yeast is used to produce the "California Common" style beer. A unique lager strain which has the ability to ferment up to 65 degrees while retaining lager characteristics. Can also be fermented down to 50 degrees for production of marzens, pilsners and other style lagers.

WLP029 German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast / WY2565
From a small brewpub in Cologne, Germany, this yeast works great in Kölsch and Alt style beers. Good for light beers like blond and honey. Accentuates hop flavors, similar to WLP001. The slight sulfur produced during fermentation will disappear with age and leave a super clean, lager like ale.

WLP001 California Ale Yeast / WY1056 / US05
This yeast is famous for its clean flavors, balance and ability to be used in almost any style ale. It accentuates the hop flavors and is extremely versatile

WLP007 Dry English Ale Yeast / WY1968 / S04
Clean, highly flocculent, and highly attenuative yeast. This yeast is similar to WLP002 in flavor profile, but is 10% more attenuative. This eliminates the residual sweetness, and makes the yeast well suited for high gravity ales. It is also reaches terminal gravity quickly. 80% attenuation will be reached even with 10% ABV beers.

WLP410 Belgian Wit II Ale Yeast / WY3944 / Brewferm Blanche
Less phenolic than WLP400, and more spicy. Will leave a bit more sweetness, and flocculation is higher than WLP400. Use to produce Belgian Wit, spiced Ales, wheat Ales, and specialty Beers.

WLP500 Trappist Ale Yeast / WY1214 / T58
From one of the few remaining Trappist breweries remaining in the world, this yeast produces the distinctive fruitiness and plum characteristics. Excellent yeast for high gravity beers, Belgian ales, dubbels and trippels.

WLP833 German Bock Lager Yeast / WY2124 / S23
From the Alps of southern Bavaria, this yeast produces a beer that is well balanced between malt and hop character. The excellent malt profile makes it well suited for Bocks, Doppelbocks, and Oktoberfest style beers. Very versatile lager yeast, it is so well balanced that it has gained tremendous popularity for use in Classic American style Pilsners. Also good for Helles style lager beer.

[thatguy314]

This isn't available year round, but if you're slanting, I'd add Wyeast 3711, French Saison.

It makes wonderful Saison Beers, but with much less difficulty than the usual Saison (dupont) yeast. It is extremely attenuative and a fast fermenter.