I just bought a smack pack of Wyeast Lager yeast today and it cost $11.75. I wouldn’t normally pay that much but I needed it sooner than later.
What is everyone else willing to pay for yeast?
I know I can get it cheaper online, but I’m not too crazy about it sitting in the UPS truck in this heat, even with the freezer packs (which probably only last a few hours ). Another local option has it for $9.99, which also seems high. Most of the places around me only have Wyeast, but it is the same for White Labs? Is everything going up? Is there a dreaded yeast “shortage” ;)?
Also the yeast I got today is dated March 6, 2012 which means I’m going to need to step it up a few couple times to get the total yeast I need. But when you procrastinate, you pay I guess >:(
I pay $7.50, but like many, wash and reuse as much as possible. I typically get 4-5 generations per packet/vial bought. Looking in to maintaining slants per Kai as well. Next level…
i’m in Cedar Rapids, IA, and i can’t get yeast for less than $6 a package - dry or otherwise - without driving an hour 1 way to dubuque. think i’m going to wait till this fall when the weather’s cooler and order a bunch in bulk from there.
It required a semi regular schedule of reslanting every few months. As I’ve said many times, I’m basically lazy and I found it difficult to make time to do the maintenance that it took. My main incentive was to make sure that I had CL50 around and once Wyeast started carrying it there really wasn’t a big reason for me to continue. Sure, it costs me some money now when I have to buy yeast, but it also frees up my time to do other stuff.
Rebel Brewer is the cheapest I’ve found. If you only order yeast you can get 4-5 packs with $3 shipping. My “local” store is a 1.5 hour drive and they’re a bit more expensive, but not too crazy. I think they’re <$7 for a smack pack, IIRC.
I agree with Kai…and I feel that yeast should be by far the least costly aspect of brewing (like, almost no cost), especially since it’s so easy to maintain once you’ve got it.
I mainly use my house yeast (a mixed strain originally, the dominant factor being unknown and surely mutated anywy after 20+ years)…at this point I technically owe the yeast money.
I’ve maintained it since at least the late 1980s and after re-culturing it I’ll re-ptich it anywhere from 8-12 times before starting over with a new re-culture or, infrequently, a round of brews with a smack pack from which I’m also able to coax at least 8 or more brews.
The last few times I’ve ordered smack packs they’ve been $6-7.
I do replace them every couple years, just because a new “master” culture is so cheap. So my per-batch cost is probably about a dollar, on average. Even at $11/pack the per-batch cost would be negligible relative to the rest of the ingredients (which, in turn, are negligible relative to my time).
I used to re-use all the time, but I wasn’t brewing often enough with the same cultures to make it worthwhile. I save wort now for starters, but it’s a lot easier and faster to just rehydrate and pitch a dry pack than deal with a starter for a smack-pack or an old slurry.
Also, my sanitation, while acceptable most of the time, isn’t flawless. Given the cost of all the other ingredients, plus my time, it’s not worth it to me to risk an infection because I didn’t properly store my yeast.
Probably the latter, but maybe Chris White wants to make a decent living. Yeast labs seem like pretty small operations so I can’t fault them for trying to make a living. It takes a lot of $7 smack packs to make even one reasonable salary, especially since Wyeast/WL probably sells them for $3-4, and probably half of that is expenses. I’d be surprised if the lab makes more than $2 profit on each tube or pack sold.
I’ve seen dry yeast go up dramatically over the past 5 years. In 07 a pack of s-04/05 was $0.75! Now I’ll pay upwards of $5-6 for it. Sometimes I’ll find Danstar or Lallemand for under $3. White labs and Wyeast have remained fairly stable in price and it’s usually around $7 but often it is “expired” and I have to step it up.
Like nateo I worry about bacteria so usually won;t repitch a third time.
It kinda irks me that the liquid yeast manufacturers state that a “package” is pitchable when we know it really isn’t enough to do the job right- especially after shipping and time have had their way with it.
This is why I usually stick with the dry yeasts. They are a bit cheaper usually and save me some time and effort so that I can sometimes spontaneously brew when the mood hits me.
I mainly use dry yeast except Hefes and Saisons. I mainly use US-05 which I can get at my LHBS for $2.50. Wyeast packs are $7 and I can get them about a week old.
I use liquid yeast and pay between $6-7. I buy the icepacks but during the summer months I just assume a loss of viability and make a bigger starter. I like the idea of keeping my own library but at this point in time I know it’ll be too much work. I barely have enough time for my current brewing tasks.
Yeah, I have to plan in advance to make starters but I don’t get to brew spontaneously anyway, so no big deal.
Sometimes I’ll find Danstar or Lallemand for under $3. White labs and Wyeast have remained fairly stable in price and it’s usually around $7 but often it is “expired” and I have to step it up.