Drying Kveik for the first time

[MrJay83]

Hi,

I got some Framgarden flakes with the intention of harvesting and drying for future brews. First time trying to harvest any yeast so this was more of an experiment than anything.
I've read blogs & watched videos on the subject and the following was my procedure.

• Pitched yeast and waited for what I believed was high krausen.
• Sanitized everything and removed about half of the white foam on the top to a container.
• Spread the yeast foam onto a tray with grease proof paper with some kitchen roll underneath.
• Set my fan oven to the lowest setting and dried for about 4 hours (temp cycled between 25-40C).
• Crunched it all up in the paper when dry.

It all seemed to go well but it came out more of a dark cream colour powder than the dark flakes I've seen. I'm a bit in the dark if this has been a success or not and would appreciate any tips or guidance if I have gone wrong. I've seen plenty of videos where they spread a lot of darkish yeast but I'm guessing that is harvested post fermentation. Not an option for me here as I was dry hoping.

Cheers
J

 

[The Baron]

Just culture a small amount to see if it is viable will tell a story if it is usable

 

[MrJay83]

As in boil up some water and dextrose?

 

[The Baron]

Yes just do a small starter then you will know if it is viable

 

[Rwilts]

I would be very surprised if skimming the Krausen would produce the same woodish flakes of the original Yeats. But don't see why it won't be viable yeast

 

[Sadfield]

Yeast however it's collected is usually a cream colour. The brown in other samples of yeast is likely trub and hop resins. The Germans have a name for this, Braun Hefe.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Yeast however it's collected is usually a cream colour. The brown in other samples of yeast is likely trub and hop resins. The Germans have a name for this, Braun Hefe.

Gotta love our deutche friends for calling a spade a spade. I have found unswirled yeast in the bottom of a bottle to have lots of hop aroma. now if that could only stay in the beer rather than been dragged down to the bottom with the yeast....

 

[MrJay83]

Yeast however it's collected is usually a cream colour. The brown in other samples of yeast is likely trub and hop resins. The Germans have a name for this, Braun Hefe.

That's what I was thinking. The Kveik registry doesn't say if it is to be harvested from the top or bottom so I'm guessing both is okay and the bottom is were the flakes I got came from.

 

[Rwilts]

I thought that at least some of the kveik sold is wood shavings that are for want of a better word impregnated with the yeast

 

[DocAnna]

Just wondering why you are collecting and drying the yeast rather than storing the top cropped yeast wet? From an industry perspective, the first top crop should be discarded as it will contain more trub, and then a later top crop collected which will be purer. A problem with drying the yeast at home is always going to be viability and contamination from the bacteria in the air and on the paper. If you are set on drying the yeast to give you longer term storage then you might want to consider using a kitchen dehydrator which would give you good temperature control?

 

[MrJay83]

Just wondering why you are collecting and drying the yeast rather than storing the top cropped yeast wet? From an industry perspective, the first top crop should be discarded as it will contain more trub, and then a later top crop collected which will be purer. A problem with drying the yeast at home is always going to be viability and contamination from the bacteria in the air and on the paper. If you are set on drying the yeast to give you longer term storage then you might want to consider using a kitchen dehydrator which would give you good temperature control?

It was more of an experiment than anything. I do plan to try out both.
Never heard that about the first top crop.
I have a dehydrator but it's an Insta Pot Duo Crisp and it was busy with sunday's slow cooked tagine!

 

[Sadfield]

@DocAnna Kveik yeasts are very tolerant to drying as it uses Trehalose to protect it's cell structure. This makes drying Kveik a good storage option as it survives better than the bacteria and other yeasts that contaminate it. There's detailed explanation in this video, and he goes on to say that kveik slurry can last for 6-12 months, dried Kveik more than 20 years. Fascinating stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/live/bREPI2p-d8g?si=G0-luM9soHPfCoS2

 

[MrJay83]

That video is probably why I decided to dry it. Pretty sure he says in it that drying & freezing Kveik is the best way to store it.