How many yeast strains is too many?

[bconfer_]

Thinking about possible beer lineups for a startup. I'd like to do a mix of Belgian and British style ales.

I have one pro-brewer acquaintance who uses up to three yeast strains in his brewery (using converted corny kegs as yeast brinks) and another brewery owner buddy who says any more than one yeast strain is too many. What's your opinion?

Cheers!

[lagunabrewdude]

Yeast strains

We are on track to brew about 650 bbls in our first year and I use two yeast strains. I must use two though because one of our year round brews is a hefe. I utilize one other yeast strain for the five remaining year round beers. I believe to make an authentic belgian, german, english, etc. beer one should use the traditional yeast strain associated with said style. In your case, pick one solid and easy to manipulate belgain abbey strain, and one english strain that is easy to work with also. What I mean by easy to manipulate is a yeast with a broad range of fermentation temps that will create different characteristics at different ferm. temps. Best of luck and brews to you.

[gitchegumee]

I've brewed in a pub with FIVE strains. No problems, really. Lots of logistics to figure out when to propagate and pitch. We had eight beers on tap and had very good reviews. Didn't keep much yeast around in brinks, though. I used smack packs and propagated them up to 10l, 100l of lighter beer, and then the full 1000l of what I was making. Works great if done right. Probably wouldn't do it with a production brewery. Good luck.

[beauxman]

Unistrains

IMHO unistrain breweries are easier to manage for yeast but all your beers start tasting the same. We juggle 3-4 strains at all times but it is worth it. It just takes tight planning and buying lab pitches a bit more frequently.
-Beaux

[CDangerBrew]

I am in my first month of operation, I will run six different beers this year with a different yeast strain for each. In my opinion, the yeast makes the beer literally and figuratively. It's worth it for me to have a completely different tasting beer, from one to the next. I have open fermenters for easy top cropping, and store the yeast in corney's. Whatever "seasonal" beer I am doing, I will run at least five times to get the cost of yeast down.

[NYSBrewer]

7bbl brewhouse here withw 3 7bbl fermenters, and 2 14bbl. Brewed around 1100 bbls in 2010, 8-10 house beers on tap at all times, and I work with a max of 3 strains, house strain, hefe strain, and a belgian strain.

[chaser]

I've worked at a 15,000 bbl production brewery where we used 6 different strains. Two were ale strains used for the majority of our beers. Three were ale strains used for a single beer. Usually we had to prop those up in the lab, use once, and ditch. The other was our lager strain. Had three keg style yeast brinks, one part time lab guy, and brewers who made sure not too mess up. Wasn't that difficult really, just had too make sure to get yeast props done on time and be very clean so we didn't mix strains. Was worth it in the end.