What are the advantages/disadvantages of liquid vs. dry yeasts?
Dry yeast is living brewer’s yeast which has been dehydrated (all of the water removed from the yeast cells). In this state, the yeast is more stable, so it stores better and is less prone to being killed by temperature changes. Most experienced brewers agree that dry yeast does not produce the better beer than liquid yeast, especially certain styles of beer such as lagers and wheat beers. The quality of most dried brewers yeast on the market today is pretty high, and many fine ales have been brewed with dry yeast. Dry yeast is also cheaper than liquid yeast. Liquid yeast can produce an extremely clear, refined beer, and comes in a wide selection for virtually any beer style. The liquid yeast on the market today is also extremely pure, with no outside organisms or mutations. Liquid yeast is more fragile, and has a shorter shelf life of 2 to 4 months, although very old liquid yeast can often be revived by making a yeast starter- see our yeast starter page for how to do this.
