StillDragon® Community Forum

Welcome!

Be part of our community & join our international next generation forum now!

In this Discussion

The Big Yeast Thread

What yeast do you use for which products?

Where do you get it from?

Do you cultivate your own yeast (like they do at Jack Daniel's)?

Especially yeast cultivation seems to be quite interesting, because why repeatedly buy one if you can keep it alive forever. Is that even possible in a home environment (at Jack Daniel's they have a whole laboratory for that purpose)?

Tell us all about your yeast! :)

StillDragon Europe - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Europe & the surrounding area

Tagged:

Comments

  • Thought I would bump this. I see 'distillers yeast' get mentioned a few times by the pros but no mention of brands/sources. I am going to do a AG single malt whisky and I am stuck on what yeast to use. Safspirit Malt looks like the pick. Anyone use this? or any of the safspirit range?

  • Can't vouch for Safspirit, i like to use US-05 for my whiskey and all grains, and if not that one then i like Red Star Pasteur Champange both ferment quick and clear very well. Hope it helps, i have been buying all my yeast off of ebay... Seems to be the best value and can get free shipping or at least very cheap.

  • im currently using dady yeast which seems very reliable and has a reliable lag time my last brew was a whisky extract and i used a whiskey yeast which i got from punkin

    for my beers i am using wyeast and danstar(dry yeast) i make starters with the beer yeasts and with my distilling ferments for now i just start them off in a Erlenmeyer of

  • I have done a bulk order of all the safspirit range in the past. Pretty sure i have a bag of malt Just checked and i have a full bag of American Whiskey and a full bag of Fruit that is well past it's best before date but will still work just fine. Happy to send you some for nix if you like to try the American one.

    I did have a few emails lately and promised someone i'd gauge interest in a yeast sale of the safspirits, so may as well start it off now if anyone else in Australia has an interest in obtaining 500 gm bricks?

    They are a pain in the arse to stock as they run out of date, but i'm happy to buy a large preorder lot every now and then. There should be quite a few aussies have tried the whole range as i have supplied lots over the years. I'm still on the 500 gm bag of discontinued Danstil C i got in 07.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • i was forced to chuck my whiskey yeast down the drain yesterday due to my move of country So when i do settle in i will be keen

  • I've been using Danstar Belle Saison yeast for awhile now, its different! :)

  • @cooperville said: i was forced to chuck my whiskey yeast down the drain yesterday due to my move of country So when i do settle in i will be keen

    Are you heading back to Oz mate?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • unfortunately we wont know where our next location is until February/March house is packed in shipping container my little family is in a hotel til tomorrow then we will in Bali for couple of weeks then to OZ for a break will keep you informed on my movements OZ would be easy but not really the cheapest location to move to

  • I have not had good luck with Safspirit American Whiskey - IMHO - it is a stink bomb.

    I've done 4 ferments, all failures by my nose, all very strong sulfur in the distillate. Typical bourbon mash, nice and easy 1.055, on grain, pitch at 80, at recommended 80g/hl, proper rehydration, ferment at a rock solid 68, PH approx 5.2 at start of ferment (adjusted with lactic acid), water parameters solid, White Labs yeast nutrient, good aeration, down to approx 1.000 by 96hr.

    Mashed and fermented with parameters identical to my typical recipes, I've never had similar problems with any other yeasts (dry or liquid). I've heard someone compare it to Turbo in the past, I would have to agree, even if you can get past the sulfur, there isn't much else going for it. I typically ferment with what would be considered clean/dry/fruity ale yeasts.

    Dumped many gallons of low wines, not even worth wasting the time on a spirit run. I've never been so frustrated by a single cell organism, so I give up trying to figure this one out.

    I have around half a bag, still good/fresh, only opened 2 weeks ago, if anyone in the US wants it let me know, it's that bad that I'd give it away for free.

  • Good information to know. As i said i've never opened my bag, nor have i got feedback from the many who have purchased it.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • I gotta go with Cambo on the US-05. Nice fruity flavors if that's what you like. I do.

  • Wow thanks. I have a bunch of stuff to try now. I will try one of the ales mentioned first, and go from there. @punkin thanks ;) I'm going to put in an order soon for a few bits and would like a safspirit sampler to try even if it is just to concur with grim.

  • ok so all of next years spirits are made and now I want to do some experimenting with yeast. It will be used for rum and will be fermented in a shed with no climate control. Currently I am using bakers yeast as so many of us do but I want to see what sort of differences there would be.
    Any advice on what type of strains I should be looking at and what they might do for me and my rum would be very appreciated.

  • I think you'd like the Distillimax RM that i'll be stocking soon (493edv). It's a very popular yeast specifically focussed on rum production. Have a read of the spec sheet in the yeast thread and do a search of some of the sites with the 493 edv as search word.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Unreal Punkin, post when you get some. The difference between the ABV of EC1118 for whiskey and bakers yeast for rum is annoying. The bakers yeast gets it done really fast, but I know there is more potential in there but the yeast signed off at or before 12%. Tried using 1118 with really mixed results.

  • edited April 2014

    @rossco, thread here. I'll be ordering a mixed box of twenty packs so if there's anything in particular you want let me know. There's some good looking yeasts there crafted for plain sugar/neutral or flavoured vodkas too.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • edited June 2015

    I'm doing my yeast research this morning so I had to resurrect this thread. What is everyone using out there?

    I've always had good luck with Lalvin EC-1118. Is there anything better out there?

    Has anyone tried any of these:

    • Mauri Pinnacle
    • RedStar DADY
    • Fermentis SafeSpirit line
    • Wyeast Distilling Yeasts
    • Whitelabs

    What do you like and dislike about them? Recommended spirits for each?

    I'm thinking about setting up an experiment where I separate my mash and ferment with 5 or so different yeasts to determine how they impact the taste of the final product.

  • edited June 2015

    Hi @DocPorter,

    Some feller did try to use White Labs 007 for rum a while back. Made the rum taste very much like beer. Evidently that selection was supposed to be heat tolerant according to a recommendation by some other.

    Prolly a good choice for whiskey,,,,,not rum.

    Fermented out ok.

    So says that feller.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Best place to buy bulk yeast?

  • my last rums I used alot more bakers yeast than I generally do, eg; 180grams to 4L molasses, and its the best rum I've ever done.

  • @Clickeral try here.
    for bulk yeast, if you are in the US.

  • We experimented with Pinnacle but have given it away. Completely changed our rum. Not for the better, reverted to Lowans.

  • Going through Lallemand directly is pretty cheap for yeast

Sign In or Register to comment.