Without yeast, we wouldn’t have beer, wine, cider, and many other favorite fermented drinks and foods. But when picking ingredients for your brew day, do you go for liquid or dry yeast? What are the differences, and which ones are best for you?

Yeast is not only responsible for the conversion of sugar to alcohol. It also has a major impact on flavor. When you are writing a recipe, it’s vital to pick the right yeast for the style of beer you’re trying to make. When you’re standing in a homebrewing store and looking at the yeast fridge, it can be a bit intimidating. And one of the first questions you might have is, what’s the difference between dry and liquid yeast? Does one make a better beer? Is dry yeast only for beginners? Brewing beer can be fun. Check our Brewing Your Own Beer – Introduction.

Dry Yeast

Dry yeast is more common for a new brewer because they are often included in a beginner beer kit. Typically, dry yeast is sold in small individual packets, but it can also be sold in bulk. The yeast itself looks like miniature tan white pellets. If you have ever baked bread, you probably have seen something similar.

Yeast is a living organism, but through the drying process, companies can freeze it in time and make a shelf-stable product that can last for years. Generally speaking, dry yeast has a higher cell count. In most cases, each packet has enough cells for a beer with a starting gravity of about 1.065. And for stronger brews, you can always pitch more packets. Dry yeast comes with nutrients in the package, which makes it ready to pitch. You don’t need a yeast starter to bring the yeast to life.

Dry yeast is inexpensive. Not only do you need fewer packets than liquid yeast, but it also costs less in general. It has a longer shelf life, and they are temperature-resistant and durable. Dry yeast can handle extreme heat and cold temperatures better than liquid yeast.

Things to be aware of

There are not as many strain options. This is because a lot of yeast strains don’t survive the drying process. That’s why many of the dry yeast companies have their selected few yeast strains, and that’s it. But thankfully, some of these companies are helping to close the gap with new innovative methods and strains of yeast being discovered. Lastly, some say that the quality is not as good, or at least that was the old tale.

Depending on which brand of yeast you use, they’ll have different recommendations on how to use your yeast. But for the most part, there are two methods. Rehydrate, or sprinkle it in.

Rehydrating takes a few extra steps of adding the dry yeast into 90 degrees F water and allowing the yeast to take in the water and come to life.

Just sprinkling in is as easy as opening the packet and dumping it into your fermenter. They both do the same thing.

Liquid Yeast

For years, liquid yeast was seen as a premium option for home brewers. Since it’s fresh and there are way more options. Liquid yeast is typically sold in plastic packet containers or sometimes in a vial. The yeast itself looks just like you would see at the bottom of your fermenter. Tan brown color and goopy consistency are called yeast slurry. This slurry is filled with active live yeast cells. And while you can’t see the individual clumps in dry form, the slurry is filled with billions of cells.

Liquid yeast is fresh, healthy yeast. The packets have live, active yeast in them. There are seemingly endless options, including seasonal-specific strains that you won’t find in dry form, and access to strains that pro brewers use.

The cost can be a lot more. Sometimes twice the price, if not more than dry yeast. Liquid yeast is unstable in extreme temperature ranges, which can greatly impact the viability and healthy cell count of your yeast. Generally, there is a lower cell count, which means you usually need to make a yeast starter, or you will need multiple packs to ferment stronger beer.

Whichever yeast you choose dry or liquid form, will depend on the style of beer you wish to make. A good way would be to try them both and then compare the end result. Making beer is all about creativity and your own personal experience. You want to make your own technique, make your own choices based on your knowledge, but also your instinct. If you are making a specific beer style that is different than others, maybe try using a specific yeast strain found in liquid form. But whatever you do, it will surely add to your experience and knowledge in making a great-tasting beer.