With $4-5 less per S-05 how many does it take to more than cover shipping?
My previous order with them cost less than $3 to ship. A bunch of lighter items: yeasts and hops qualified for a $5 shipping discount at a $50 threshold
I’ll be giving farmhouse a go before too long.
To me, cell count doesn’t matter all that much.
To the company selling the yeast it matters a lot. If they have to increase their cell count per package to match their competitors in a marketing war then they will have to increase their prices.
I got a reply from Wyeast. They sent me a copy of the letter they sent to retailers, as well as a nice personal response. To me, after reading this, I understand the reason for the price increase. You all get to decide if it’s reasonable and what you will do about it.
We are contacting you to tell you about our new pricing on ActivatorTM packages and Wyeast nutrient blends, which will take effect on July 8th, 2024. These price increase comes with a mix of gratitude and transparency. It is a tough decision to make but one that is long overdue. As you may know, Wyeast’s liquid yeast and cultures pricing has remained the same for over a decade. Yes, you read that correctly. And you know that over that period of time the professional and homebrewing landscape has seen many changes, challenges, and economic impacts.
We will also be welcoming much lower shipping rates at the same time, as well as the flexibility to add additional ice and insulation to your orders at no extra cost, when extreme weather and long distance shipments would benefit from extra protection.
New Pricing Details
All ActivatorTM products across all style categories will be sold at a flat rate
- New low shipping rates
- Order quantity discounts will be discontinued
- Minimum total per order remains the same
- No minimum per category remains the same
Why we made this decision now
- Advances in Product Integrity: From upgraded cell density, viability, and vitality analysis to S. cerevisiae var. diastaticus and complete brewhouse contaminant screening, to offering the longest guarantee in the industry, we are driven to advance the industry standard so that Wyeast remains a premium choice with a proven reputation for your customers.
What this looks like:
-
New, expanded general agar screening on raw ingredient processing for the detection of yeasts, molds, and heterotrophic organisms.
-
New, expanded selective agar screening on liquid yeast products for the detection of contaminant Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeast
-
Aerobic and anerobic selective agar screening on liquid yeast and bacteria products for detection of contaminant bacteria and non-Saccharomyces yeast
-
Differential agar for detection of culture yeast cross-contamination in liquid yeast products
-
qPCR molecular detection of target genes for S. cerevisiae var. diastaticus, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus spp., Megasphera and Pectinatus spp. on all finished liquid yeast products.
-
Validation of screening methods against expected threshold of detection
-
Sample retention and shelf life evaluation on all liquid yeast product batches
-
Technical Expertise: We have expanded our team of professional brewers and microbiologists to assist with answering your customer’s technical questions, yeast management, troubleshooting, and more.
What this looks like: -
You and your technical shop staff have direct contact with our complementary technical support team
-
Prompt, professional advice to provide to your customers
-
Reassurance that the product you receive can be evaluated anytime against our retained samples
-
Facility Renovations: Modernized infrastructure around our core processes has improved propagation quality and consistency – from raw ingredients to the final product – in new state-of-the-art manufacturing spaces.
-
Website Renovation: A thorough website rebuild in 2022 now provides easy access to your account information, order history, and our new Express Quote Request tool. Fresh ActivatorTM packaging and how-to information, home enthusiast recipes, and refreshed content for today’s homebrewing trends and techniques are ready to be explored. And, it is simpler than ever for your customers to find Wyeast products at your e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores through the Find a Store landing page.
-
Economic Impacts: We have stood firm against the challenges of the pandemic and economic changes to remain a constant in an evolving economy, but now is the time for us to make adjustments to our business for a long-lasting future.
-
Employees and our Community: One of the most humbling aspects at Wyeast is the passion our employees bring to produce the best yeast available. Supporting our community remains at the core of our decisions.
What you’ve come to expect from Wyeast that will remain the same
- Our 6+ month product guarantee for your customers
- Heirloom, non-genetically engineered strains that have become analogous with craft and homebrewing are propagated from our original parent cultures, which deliver the most proven, authentic yeast character and performance. Your customers truly Brew Like the Professionals.
- Every product is certified Kosher and produced in our licensed food manufacturing facility in Hood River, Oregon USA.
- Every product ships fresh, with our Best By-dated based on yeast age and not the date it was packaged. A shorter in-house shelf life also means our products ship to you in the absolute highest integrity.
- Products only ship to you once quality control and quality assurance specifications have been met.
- Our customer service and technical staff are always available for your next question or request.
Unless I missed it, it doesn’t quantify what the increase will be. Certainly doesn’t call out 2x anywhere. And you may have removed that for obvious reasons, Idk.
Also doesn’t say anything about retail pricing, which is what concerns most of us. Increases at the wholesale level at one % do not necessarily reflect a similar increase at the retail level. This seems reasonable to assume, given the alternative is a $22 smack pack (I find that difficult to imagine).
That was part of their reply to us before they gave us the message they sent to retailers… basically they haven’t raised the price since 2008 and now they’re recommending that retailers go from $9-12 MSRP on Activators to $14.50. Note that’s the price they’re recommending to retailers, not what they’re charging them. Wyeast also noted that Brett, lacto, pedio type cultures weren’t changing.
With my brewing budget I can’t justify $14.50 for yeast.
I agree. $14.50 for 2.5 gallons is unrealistic. The last thing I want to do is start saving yeast in jars for re-use, but I might have to. At least for some strains. I’ll hold out as long as I can though.
Well, I don’t know if that’s the price or not, but still, they’re talking about liquid yeast, not dry. And, I can’t imagine buying liquid yeast and only using it one time. In my mind, the primary reason to use liquid yeast is if you intend to repitch it over and over.
Even at that, I ordered 2 types of yeast 2 weeks ago and the WLP-400 I bought was $15.99 then. So that’s where their competition is already. The way to justify those prices to the consumer is if the consumer makes a LOT of batches using that same yeast.
Bootleg’s packs are $11.99, for another comparison. So, their MSRP isn’t way off from other liquid yeasts.
I spent $15.99 for some White Labs a few months ago. The beer didn’t turn out phenomenal (probably my own fault). Regardless, I promised myself I won’t be making that mistake again. Actually I reused the same yeast on a subsequent batch which basically cuts the price in half, and the second batch turned out pretty well, so I am happy about that at least, not a complete waste. But anyway.
i definitely appreciate how white labs and wyeast have such a variety of yeast strains, but i feel like the smaller, newer liquid yeast companies have fewer strains - but not regional/historical (or at least perceived to be historical) yeast types and more just a more modest line of yeasts that cover most styles/profiles that people want ie. escarpment yeast having 3 english that are basically -wlp002 -wlp007 and wyeast 1318. rather than having 20 different english strains. for better or for worse it allows you to have some great tasting (i perceive that the beers i make with liquid yeast have a better flavour than with dry the majority of the time) yeast of the common types you expect for a good price (i get escarpment for $10.49 a pack and if i did a group/club buy it would be much cheaper). whitelabs here goes for $16.49 up to $25 for beer yeasts. insanity
Since I live close to where they make Escarpment Labs yeast, I only buy them. I am happy so far with the quality of their yeast. If they didn’t exist, I would buy either White Labs or Wyeast. Definitely have to re-use their yeast a few times just to get your money’s worth.
There is a growing minority of us who brew smaller batches and/or less frequently. The cost of a pitch of liquid yeast is making it harder and harder for someone like me who doesn’t need 200B cells (and probably not even 100B, for that matter), and probably won’t be repitching into several batches, to justify that kind of outlay. Even if a packet of dry yeast cost the same as a pack of liquid, I can easily portion that out for multiple brews.
There are a few strains that I use that are still are only available in liquid form, but I’m trying out more and more dry alternatives and moving to them whenever possible.
People talk about growing up cultures from a “slant” which I assume is a frozen test tube full of yeast, but I know precisely zero about what all happens there. Those discussions seem to say you can keep yeast for a very long time and bring it back with no ill effect. If I were to brew small batches, I’d probably go that route. But again, I don’t know all the troubles it involves.
I cultured yeast from plates and slants for years. Total PITA. You need to reculture every 6 months or so. I finally gave it up and gave the last one I had to Wyeast. It’s now WY1450.
excellent, i think i named escarpment when i said what yeast i was happy with now. I’m really happy with the taste of the yeast (i mean the taste of the finished beer) from them vs. white labs or dry.
i haven’t tried all of their stuff yet though of course. white labs is done for me i think.
To listen to the people selling yeast kits, it’s easy as pie. You musta been doing something wrong! Lol
I just save some slurry in a jar and most times, even if I’m really careless it still works out. My recent experience with the bottom yeast didn’t work out so well. But I do think if that had been Nottingham, or any other top ferm yeast, even 6mo old, it would have taken off. I’ve done that before and been fine, which is why that lager yeast surprised me.
I used to save slurry but I brew so infrequently these days I just use new yeast every time.