Favorite/Least Favorite yeast strain

[MmmBeer]

I've used WYeast Irish Ale for my last 3 brews and I really really loved it for the Stout, but I made an amber ale with it and I really regretted it. The diactyl/ester profile was very similar to the stout but the distinctive flavors that blended so well with the roasty blackened malts just did not do it for me with the less assertive grain.

Questions:
1) best yeast for a straight IPA or PA- like SNPA or Liberty Ale and the like
2) least "yeasty" yeast- what have you tried that has the cleanest profile?
3) just general fav yeast strain and why you like it.

[Beerconnoisseur]

1) For a American-style IPA, I'd use White Labs California Ale Yeast, WLP001. You could also try White Labs San Francisco Lager Yeast, WLP810, for something closer to Liberty Ale.

2) For the cleanest profile, I'd use a low attenuation yeast, especially if you aren't going to filter the beer. The one that stands out in my mind is White Labs California Ale V Yeast, WLP051.

3) I like the White Labs California Ale V Yeast, since I haven't brewed much with it yet. But I like what I've tried so far...

[chris1kanobi]

1) For APA I like WLP001 or 1187 Ringwood Ale yeast. 1187 is really a great yeast, try it.

2) Cleanest profile would have to be WLP001 or San Francisco Lager. I just made a Robust Porter with San Fran, fermented at 58 deg. and it is so smooth and the roast really comes through.

3) In general I like Lallemand Windsor. Cheap, easy and a real English flavor.

One of the things that has greatly improved my beers in general is fermenting at cooler temperatures. I try to ferment on the cool end of the yeast's profile, it gives a clean, smooth (not yeasty) flavor that I have been looking for.

[axis714]

Im glad you gave me the heads up on the wyeast irish ale....im just now ,as im typing this ,brewing a cherry wheat American amber lager and i was considering using my tube of Irish ale wyeast...after reading your findings of diactyl /ester flavor profile i think ill resort to the only other yeast i have on hand that i know gives a clean taste...{i know everyone will hate it} its a dry yeast i keep around just for situations like this SAFALE S-04 dry ale yeast. also i keep a SAFALE S-23 dry lager yeast, both are from morebeer and seeings how all the liquid yeast i have is the irish ale wyeast its a good thing i have them.

[GunNut76]

I've only used 3 types of yeast so far:

Windsor- I liked this one. Beer was excelent.
Irish Ale 1084- Will definitly use this again.
Nottingham- Gonna try this one again, but I think I'll probably only use it to unstick a fermentation in later brews.

[tubetek]

Howdy all-
Favorites...
1. WYeast 1056 / WLP001
(I keep this one cultured) This would be my "desert island" yeast; very flexable.

2. WLP007 for bigtime alcohol tolerance
and DRY finish for an ale-type yeast.

LEAST Favorite...
1. ANY no-name dry yeast package under
the lid of a cheap beer kit.

2. Doric Dry (don't know why but haven't had a good package of this and quit trying.

Note- I'm not at all against Dry yeast if it's good...
Cooper's 15g
Nottingham 11g
Windsor 11g
have all worked well for me...

TT