We are starting to see White Labs pure pitch packaging showing up on our orders. Currently I have 001, 002, and 004. Over time, the complete White Labs line up of yeast strains will be produced with this packaging.

For those not familiar with the new packaging, White Labs uses a revolutionary new technology they call FlexCell where the yeast is propagated and packaged in the same material. The yeast is never exposed to the environment where it risk contamination thereby making it the purest pitch available to home-brewers.

The new packaging is also breathable. It allows CO2 to escape, which reduces stress on the yeast and increasing shelf life. There is a manufacturing date and a best by date printed on the package that indicates a 6 month shelf life.

The new packaging will contain the same amount of cells as the vials do. I still recommend making a starter when the manufacturing date is more than a month old or when making an O.G beer over 1.045.

I’m told that prices will remain the same with no planned increases. The only thing to keep in mind is that additional care will be needed when opening the package. It is recommended to sanitize both the package and a pair of scissors or other cutting tools before opening the Pure Pitch package.  

Our $65.95 kit comes with the bare essentials and assumes that you already have some necessary items. This is a good choice for the casual brewer who doesn’t plan on being a master brewer but instead just wants to make some good beer. You will need a 5 gallon or larger pot and a thermometer in addition to the items included in the kit. This kit lacks a carboy for secondary fermentation but many knowledgeable brewers feel that a secondary is not necessary.

Our best selling kit is the Brewer’s Best Deluxe Kit with either a glass or plastic carboy. Again, you will need to provide a 5 gallon or larger pot but everything else you need comes with the kit. Customers often wonder what is the difference between glass and plastic carboys when trying to choose. Glass, while heavy and breakable, doesn’t scratch easily and scratches are where little microbes can hide and ultimately ruin your beer. Plastic on the other hand is lighter and does not shatter but it is more easily scratched. Careful cleaning of plastic carboys can lead to years of usage without worry of ruined beer caused by contamination. So really, it’s a mater of preference and both will perform equally as well when properly cared for.

The Brewer’s Beast is our top of the line kit. It’s a complete kit that includes a 5 gallon stainless steel pot along with some other very handy items like a test jar for your hydrometer, an auto-siphon and a lab thermometer. Purchasing this kit means you won’t require any other equipment until you’re ready to move up to all grain brewing!

Once you’ve decided on which kit’s for you, you’re next decision is what beer to brew. This is fun part, stay tuned!

When it comes down to which will cool your wort quicker, copper immersion chillers is the clear choice. The heat exchange copper provides is superior to stainless thereby providing quicker cool downs which help reduce DMS and provides better cold break. Fast cooling is also imperative to reduce wort temperature to under 175° in order to halt isomerization and lock in your bitterness.

So why stainless steel you may ask? Well, it has excellent corrosion resistance, it's easy to clean, and will last a lifetime. Another advantage of stainless over copper is that copper can develop a greenish-blue toxic oxide called Verdigris. Though it's easily removed from copper, if left on when immersed in wort it can contaminate your beer.

High copper cost have made stainless steel wort chillers more attractive price wise, and a proper sized stainless steel chiller will do an adequate job of cooling wort. But when it comes down to which will cool your wort quicker, copper is the better choice.