Yeasts
Track yeast strains in your inventory with viability dates, attenuation, and starter recommendations.
The Yeast section of the inventory is where you manage all your yeast strains, including dry yeast, liquid yeast, and yeast harvested from previous batches. Accurate yeast tracking helps you plan pitching rates using the Yeast Calculator and ensures you always have the right yeast on hand for your next brew.
Adding a Yeast
Navigate to the Inventory page
Click the Add button next to the Yeast title
Search for the yeast strain in the selection window — Brewfather maintains an extensive database of yeast strains from major labs (Fermentis, Lallemand, White Labs, Wyeast, Imperial, Omega, and more)
If the strain is not found, click the Add button at the bottom right to create a custom entry
Click on the yeast to open the edit screen
Editing Yeast Details
When adding or editing a yeast you can set the following:
Name — The yeast strain name (e.g., "Safale US-05", "WLP001 California Ale")
Laboratory — The manufacturer/lab
Product ID — The lab's product identifier
Type — Ale, Lager, Wheat, Wine, Champagne, etc.
Form — Dry, Liquid, Culture, or Slurry
Attenuation — The primary attenuation percentage used directly in recipe calculations to estimate final gravity. This is the value you set on the main edit screen.
Min Attenuation — Minimum expected attenuation percentage (available under Edit details). This is a separate informational field from the main Attenuation value and represents the low end of the yeast's published range.
Max Attenuation — Maximum expected attenuation percentage (available under Edit details). Like Min Attenuation, this represents the high end of the range. Both Min and Max Attenuation are displayed in the information panel when available.
Flocculation — Low, Medium-Low, Medium, Medium-High, High, or Very High
Temperature Range — Recommended fermentation temperature range
Alcohol Tolerance — Maximum ABV the yeast can tolerate
Inventory Amount — Number of packages or volume of slurry in stock
Cost — Price per unit for brew cost tracking
Best Before Date — Expiration tracking (important for liquid yeast viability)
Lot Number — Batch tracking for quality control
Manufacturing Date — When the yeast was produced (affects viability calculations)
Max ABV — Maximum alcohol tolerance of the yeast
Starter Size — Volume of the yeast starter. When a starter is enabled on a yeast in a recipe, this field sets the starter volume.
Starter Extract / DME — Amount of dry malt extract for the starter. This value auto-calculates based on the starter size (approximately 100g per liter) but can be manually overridden. The unit follows your hop weight setting (g or oz).
Description — Detailed description of the yeast strain
Best For — Beer styles the yeast is best suited for
Attenuates Complex Sugars (Ferments All) — Checkbox indicating whether the yeast can ferment complex sugars (e.g., diastaticus strains or souring cultures). When enabled, the label displays "Yes" as a warning since these strains can over-attenuate and pose contamination risks in a shared brewery.
Unit — The unit of measurement (default: pkg)
Managing Yeast Inventory
To adjust the inventory amount for a yeast:
Click on the yeast in your inventory list
Either type directly into the Inventory Amount field, or click the adjust button to add or subtract stock
Click Save to store the updated amount
When you brew a batch and check off yeast in the Planning section, the inventory amount is automatically reduced.
Multiple Entries for the Same Strain
You may have multiple packages of the same yeast with different production dates or lot numbers. To track these separately:
Click on the yeast strain in your inventory
Click the Copy button to duplicate the entry
Edit each copy with its specific lot number, best before date, and quantity
This is especially useful for liquid yeast where viability decreases over time — older packages may need a starter while newer ones can be pitched directly.
Yeast Viability and Starters
The Yeast Calculator tool uses your yeast inventory data to calculate pitching rates:
Manufacturing date and best before date help estimate cell viability
Form (dry, liquid, slurry) determines the appropriate cell count per package
The calculator recommends whether a starter is needed based on the target pitching rate for your recipe
Tip
Liquid yeast viability decreases approximately 0.7–1% per day after manufacturing. Always enter the manufacturing or best before date on your liquid yeast entries so the Yeast Calculator can provide accurate viability estimates and starter recommendations.
Tips for Yeast Management
Track best before dates — Sort by Best Before Date to identify yeast that needs to be used soon. Dry yeast typically lasts 2+ years while liquid yeast should be used within a few months for best results.
Record lot numbers — In a commercial setting, lot numbers provide traceability for quality assurance.
Note harvested yeast — If you harvest yeast from a batch, add it as a new inventory entry with the harvest date and estimated cell count. Set the form to "Slurry" and note the generation count in the name or description.
Check before brew day — Review your yeast inventory as part of brew day planning. Liquid yeast may need a starter prepared 24–48 hours in advance.
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