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5/17/2010 -- what is your phone number?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We can be reached at (425) 355-8865
Our toll free order is (800) 850-2739
9/12/2009 -- How would the beer come out if you pitched two different dry yeast packets for an ale. Say like an Safale-05 and a Cooper's?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Just fine. I did a very similar thing a few days ago. Actually it was Nottingham and Cooper's, but the principle is the same. More yeast is better! One yeast may dominate (reproduce faster) more than the other, but that's ok.
There is a different flavor profile for each yeast, but as long as they are both ale yeasts (like your combination), you will be just fine. No worries.
4/25/2009 -- I live in Costa Rica and will be going on vacation to the States in June. If I order the Wizard's Wheat, and possibly one other, should I stick with the dry yeast since I will have to carry it through customs and possibly take a couple weeks from the time I receive the kit at my friend's house in California?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, I would stick with the dry yeasts under the circumstances. If customs decides to open the liquid yeast pack it would be ruined.
The dry forms of yeast are really quite good these days anyway. Long ago, they were not so great, but in the last 10 years or so the quality has really improved. Mostly this is what I use now, unless I am after a particular style of beer, like a hefeweisen, or a true belgian style ale. For those, I go with the liquid cultures.
12/22/2008 -- I'm going to brew a 10 gallon batch. Should I use 2 packages of the dried Lager Yeast or is one enough?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Use both. More yeast is a good thing, and it is virtually impossible to use too much yeast. It just gets off to a faster start, and does NOT contribute to a "yeasty" flavor. I have used 6-8 packs in some of my favorite brews!
Some brewers routinely "culture up" a HUGE yeast culture before adding it to their wort. An active, large yeast addition is probably the easiest thing you can do to improve your homebrew. Breweries know this, and use much larger yeast additions and WAY more than the typical home brewer. Guess what? That's one of the reasons they are successul!
7/14/2008 -- when pitching dry yeast do you suggest just letting it sit on top of the foam or should we just give it a gentle stir?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We recommend just letting it sit on top. At that stage, a little oxygen is beneficial.
5/22/2008 -- I have in the past brewed my own beer but now I am having trouble. I can not find the hopped malt I used to use. Coopers or Muntons. And so many yeast brands. Help a old retired man. Thank you.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I know how it is to be old! Yes, there are many more varieties of EVERYTHING now.
You should be able to click on this link, and it will take you to both Cooper's and Munton's Malt Extract Kits.
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/Category39
As for yeast, many of these "kits" come with the yeast. Check the descriptions. Most hopped extracts do.
4/27/2008 -- what are the pros and cons of the dry yeast included in your ingredient kits vs the optional wet yeast culture? i'm especially interested in whether one produces more alcohol over the other and viability of the yeasts after shipping, and i welcome any other info you care to share.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Both dry yeasts and liquid yeast cultures are excellent products. Generally speaking, you would use a liquid yeast culture if you are trying to replicate a particular style (or brand) of beer. This is especially so with specialty beers, like hefeweizens, bocks, or lambics for instance. To give all the pro/cons for all styles would be a huge task.
A good source of information on liquid yeast cultures is the Wyeast website. It gives a rundown of all their cultures and viability information. Here is a link to their product selection section. For more alcohol, you would select one with a high attenuation value. That means it is capable of consuming more malt sugars (the yeast has a higher alcohol tolerance).
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm
Liquid yeast cultures are fresh, and normal shipping is not a problem for them. If the shipping route crosses a very HOT area, it may make sense to add a frozen gel pack to your order to keep the liquid yeast cool for the trip. After it arrives you should put it into the refrigerator until the day before you brew.
3/19/2008 -- For dry yeast should it be re-hydrated?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I don't think so. I know some yeast packets say to re-hydrate and that was popular practice in years past. A couple of years ago an article came out (in one of the brewing mags.) that said unless you use the exact amount of water, because too little or too much will kill off a great number of yeast cells, along with the incorrect temp. its not worth trying to re-hydrate your yeast. Yes, just pitching it will do some harm, but if you cant re-hydrate it just right you're better off just to sprinkle it on top of the wort. This is also mentioned on the Safbrew brand of yeast packets.
1/26/2008 -- I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we have an actual brick-and-mortar store in Everett, WA. People actually walk in and buy stuff!
Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
Here is a video of our shop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Heck, you can actually call us on the phone, too! It's 425-355-8865. A person will actually answer as long as it's business hours!
11/5/2006 -- I live in Seattle, can I come and pick up the bottles in Everett? Do you have a "brick and mortar" store?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You sure can. It is literally made of bricks and mortar, in South Everett. Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
425-355-8865
Hours are 10-6:30 M-F
and 9:30-5 on Saturdays
Here is a video of the place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Take a look around!
4/23/2006 -- Does the dry yeast packets need to be kept cold (in the fridge).
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Not really. They are shelf stable for at least 6-12 months at normal temperatures. As long as it doesn't get beyond about 90-100 deg F. you can expect that kind of life.
WE refrigerate all of our dry yeasts to ensure the freshest possible product for you, but beyond that, your yeast will be fine.
3/17/2005 -- I just purchased your "Back to Basics" Beer Kit and I noticed that it comes with dry yeast only. Since I have only worked with liquid yeasts thus far, I am unfamiliar with the proper techniques to get dry yeast to perform optimally. Should I prepare a yeast starter with the dry yeast before I begin brweing? Or is there enough yeast already in the package to start and sustain a quick, vigorous fermentation?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Really, there is no need to do anything other than sprinkling the dry yeast onto the surface. There are sufficient live yeast cells to do the job. If you WANT to, there is no harm in preparing a small starter, but it is not necessary.
9/2/2004 -- How pure are the dry yeast strains?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Very. They are not like what was produced years ago.
Dry yeast strains are now used by many microbreweries. They typically buy in 1.1 lb. blocks, and if the quality wasn't there, they wouldn't use it.
2/7/2004 -- can you use beer yeast for baking?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I suppose, if you want to make lousy bread. You can also use bread yeast to make lousy beer.
10/13/2003 -- Hi, I was just wondering what the highest possible amount of alcohol is that a beer yeast can live in? I am planning on making a strong beer, and I want the alcohol to be at about 8-9%, so I just want to know if this will be achievable with just beer yeast? Or will I need to add champagne yeast to the fermentation, after the beer yeast has done it's job?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A good question. The alcohol tolerance of beer yeast varies with the strain of yeast, the amount of yeast added in the beginning, temperature, nutrients present, oxygenation and probably many other factors.
GENERALLY speaking a good quality ale yeast, like Nottingham, when used in sufficient quantity, is capable of fermenting to about 9% alcohol. Some liquid cultures, like Wyeast Trappist High Gravity #3787, are capable of going to 12% with proper care and feeding. Be sure to aerate your wort well, and use more than the usual amount of yeast to achieve it.
Adding a wine yeast, like champagne yeast, (after fermentation with a beer yeast)is always an option if you need to. If residual sugars are left (a high ending gravity) this may be necessary to complete the fermentation. When done in this way, your beer is called a barleywine!
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