Harvesting yeast from a pub carry out

[rpt]

Has anyone harvested the yeast from a carry out? How do you do it? Is one pint enough? Do you just leave it in the fridge for the yeast to drop out and then treat it like a bottle conditioned beer?

 

[calumscott]

I guess in theory that should work but I'd be highly suspicious about the cleanliness of the dispense.

Were you considering taking a sterile PET bottle for them to fill for you?

 

[rpt]

I take your point about cleanliness but I have read of this being possible. However, the actual technique wasn't mentioned. Taking a sterile container would be the plan.

 

[graysalchemy]

You are better getting it from the brewery than the pub because of cleanliness and also the amount of time it has been in a barrel. :thumb:

 

[calumscott]

You are better getting it from the brewery

Yup!

But if you can't, I don't see why it wouldn't work. The process would be just the same, try to precipitate out some of the yeast in suspension drink the beer, pitch the dregs into a starter wort and grow it on.

 

[rpt]

You are better getting it from the brewery

But if you don't live near your favourite brewery or they aren't willing to let you have some, and they don't do bottle conditioned beers, how else can you get the yeast? (I'm assuming you can't get it from Wyeast etc)

 

[graysalchemy]

I was meaning that you would be better off getting yeast from a local micro, but if it is a specific brewery as you describe then you have no choice. I would however see if you can get the dregs from an empty barrel but as fresh as possible ie one that hasn't been broached for long and one that hasn't been hanging around. :thumb:

 

[evanvine]

I have made many yeast cultures from a pint of carry out!
Make up a starter from DME, add the carried out pint and put on the mag stir for about 2 weeks.
Harvest as you would any other yeast!

 

[rpt]

How big a starter? Do you add the whole pint?

 

[evanvine]

I make up a starter of 2 pints such that when the pint of beer is added I have an OG 1040 (ignore the gravity of the beer)

 

[pittsy]

you only need the dregs , 100 ml of boiled water and 10g of dme , 2 days then up it to 500ml and 50 g plus 2 days then 2.5 litre and 250g , however you may have enough yeast at 500 ml (if it's an ale at around 4% , 23 litre brew) if you have enough time fridge 24 hours then decant wort off yeast and pitch into brew or even add 500 ml of your ag wort before pitching to get it going again then pitch .

 

[evanvine]

you only need the dregs

There are no dregs in a pint of carry out!