Courage 1977 Silver Jubilee Ale (yeast)

[MyQul]

I've just opened the bottle of Courage 1977 Silver Jubilee Ale that I won on ebay a couple of months ago as a job lot of 9 silver jubilee ales.

I'm hoping theres some Courage yeast in there. Im going to treat the yeast with kid gloves, seeing as this it's nearly as old as I am, and put the dregs from the bottle into 100ml of 1.020 of starter.Then I'llstep up to another 100ml of 1.020 and go from there if I see any activity.

According to the Barclay Perkins blog Timothy Taylor got their yeast from Courage. I've used WYeast 1469 (which is supposed to be the TT strain) and it's really nice. So hopefully I'll get something similar

And what does 40 odd year old beer taste like. Horrible. It tasted like the worst HB cock up ever. A mixed between beer full of fusil alcohol and oxiginated beer (that kind of raisin flavour you can get)

 

[Mavroz]

Fascinating to know what Beer of that age would taste like. I guess it doesn't keep then.
I am more intrigued with the yeast quest.
Does this mean you can extract yeast from "commercial" beer and use it in your own brews?

 

[Clint]

Sounds interesting...a mad scientist project!

 

[MyQul]

Does this mean you can extract yeast from "commercial" beer and use it in your own brews?

Yup, as long as it's bottle conditioned. I often use the Gales strain that I got out of a bottle of HSD.

Here's our bottle conditioned beer list

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/bottle-conditioned-beer-list.58007/

 

[MyQul]

Sounds interesting...a mad scientist project!

Once my milk stout is done, I'm going to have a go at another 'mad science project' and try to dry some yeast out from the slurry

 

[Clint]

Crikey... currently due to the recent weather and chilling issues my sticks are low....no time to faff about I need to brew...the yeast thing really interests me!

 

[MyQul]

Crikey... currently due to the recent weather and chilling issues my sticks are low....no time to faff about I need to brew...the yeast thing really interests me!

Just no chill and use notty. I've had notty up to 27C no problem before

 

[stan.distortion]

Fascinating to know what Beer of that age would taste like. I guess it doesn't keep then.
I am more intrigued with the yeast quest.
Does this mean you can extract yeast from "commercial" beer and use it in your own brews?

Apparently the Bass brewery moved premises a while ago and the cellars of the old place had bottles of just about everything they'd made since the times of Dickens. Some where tasted, lots totally undrinkable but some had aged incredibly well.

 

[marshbrewer]

I'll be watching this thread with interest as it's something that's on my ''to do" list to try.

 

[MyQul]

Well, Im cautiously optomistic. There seems to be about an inch krausen on the starter. I cant see any yeast though or detect any off-gassing when I shake the bottle the starter is in. But this is understandable, as there must only be a miniscule amount of yeast in a very weak and small amount of starter wort. Ill add another 100ml of 1.020 wort on Sunday

 

[MyQul]

Over the course of the day the krausen seems to have gotten thicker and fuller. Im now convinced the bottle contained yeast. So much so Im going to skip a step up step and put what I have into 200ml of 1.040 wort on sunday instead of 100ml of 1.020

 

[MyQul]

I'll be watching this thread with interest as it's something that's on my ''to do" list to try.

I was looking on ebay and there's a bottle of Courage jubilee ale available you might want to keep an eye on if my experiment proves success full. The ind coope jubilee ale definately has yeast in it as I have a bottle and you can see it in the bottom

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silver-Jubille-Ale-Collectable-Elizabeth-II-1977-unopened-Bottle-Courage-Brewery/142922130492?_trkparms=aid=444000&algo=SOI.DEFAULT&ao=1&asc=20170221122447&meid=94116835e49b460ead06e7f3b300ff96&pid=100752&rk=1&rkt=5&sd=142918923498&itm=142922130492&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982

 

[Jakeyboi]

I reckon you got about as much chance as those people who are cryogenically frozen!

 

[MyQul]

I reckon you got about as much chance as those people who are cryogenically frozen!

Better get yourself down to Iceland and climb into one of their freezers, as the yeast appears to be fermenting the starter wort

 

[MyQul]

Success!!! Just came home from work to find a thin but definate layer of yeast on the bottom of the bottle!

I'll step it up to 200ml of 1.040 wort this eve

 

[foxbat]

Loving this thread. Let us know how the first starter wort tastes because if it's not bad you might be on to something.

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

Interesting indeed

 

[NIGHTSKY BREWING]

I have 4 vintage bottles with old yeast and all this sounds to

 

[foxbat]

How's it going @MyQul ?

 

[MyQul]

How's it going @MyQul ?

Currently on temporary hold for a couple of weeks as I have some bottling to do (plus my brew bag is in use) . I've put what I've cultured up so far in the fridge and will do the last step up in 10 days or so.