I don't have a local LHBS and the major online shops take 3 days minimum to get orders to me without paying for expedited shipping. Add in that it is always warm here (not trying to rub it in!) and I've been hesitant to use liquid yeast. I've used US-05 plenty and also have used S-04, Windsor and Nottingham. Have read that 34/70 is good too. Does anyone have other recommendations for dry yeast? Not saying I never will use liquid, but for now let's keep this thread to a list of quality, well regarded dry yeast strains, please. Thanks!
I have used various strains of Mangrove Jack with success but ... Really it depends on what you want to make.
It is very easy to use but I actually do not care for the profile of Belle Saison, many disagree with me.
T-58 ferments beLgin ales just fine for me, Abbaye is also another good dry Belgian yeast. Notty is my workhorse.
W-34/70 is a very good lager yeast. I've used it lately for convenience over my usual WY2124 and cannot tell a difference. I also like it to make neutral ale styles since it ferments well in the low 60s. Years ago I was a very big fan of Nottingham for neutral american style ales. Ferments fast and flocs hard.
From Lallemand/Danstar, I have used: Belle Saison, BRY-97 West Coast Ale, Nottingham, Windsor. Mostly Notty and Windsor (Notty in roasty beers or American pale ales Windsor in English browns and bitters). I have enjoyed beers made by all of these. I have had some diacetyl issues with BRY-97, although I was able to correct it. Belle Saison is not my favorite saison yeast. Very similar to the WY3711 French Saison strain -- dry, spicy, lacking fruit character I get from 3724, WLP565, and WLP 585. From Fermentis, I have used S-04 (sometimes getting a doughy character that I don't like, so I have stopped using, mostly), S-05, T-58 (once in a mead, but also in wheat beers; I preferred it to other dry weizen strains); WB-06 (it was not a good beer; I blame the yeast); and S-23, S-189, and W-34/70 for lagers (all three have been successful, although S-23 is fruity and not atypical; I only used S-189 1x; so far, I have preferred W-34/70). From Mangrove Jack I have used the Newcastle Dark 1x (which I think has been replaced or rebranded; it made an average mild for me) and the California lager 1x (currently in fermenter making Baltic porter). I will soon use one of their Belgians (can't recall which I have) and their Liberty Belle (Like Anchor Liberty? approximately = WY1272 =BRY-97? Not sure. Guessing).
Thanks for the input so far. I guess I'm mostly just looking for new options. The ones I mentioned do a good job with most, if not all, American and English styles plus a lager strain. I guess the main thing left is Belgians. And German wheats. But we're homebrewers right? Can't just leave well enough alone!
I made a split batch of Weizenbock using WLP 300 and Danstar Munich dry yeast. I thought the dry made one hell of a beer.
