My new machine

[McMullan]

Good morning Home Brewers,

I’ve been testing my recently finished yeast harvesting machine.

The main idea behind it was to design something that would allow home brewers to culture a yeast strain indefinitely, without the inevitable colonisation by wild yeast and bacteria.

Please take a look, if that sort of thing is of interest to you.

https://youtu.be/A58kNu3t94w

 

[clibit]

Does it lay yeast eggs? :ugeek: ;-)

 

[McMullan]

Does it lay yeast eggs? :ugeek: ;-)

Unfortunately, no, clibit. Getting yeast to lay eggs would be impressive, though :lol:

 

[Hoppyland]

Looks interesting! But I have to say that the YouTube video didn't really explain to me what you were doing...
Maybe I wasn't paying proper attention, but I wasn't entirely clear why you were using a peristaltic pump to transfer liquid, and why this was better than my usual top-cropping.
I'm definitely not trying to negative, far from it, but I'd love more info on the finer points of what you were doing here!

 

[Hoppyland]

Does it lay yeast eggs?

Of course it does! But only in wet weather, I believe. You know what they say, it never rains but it's spores.
OK, I'll get my coat right now.........

 

[TartanSpecial]

nice set-up, esp with the air filter....is it wlp002??? My brew using harvested 05 from the last time I used it has worked OK, but I prefer the idea of starting with original wlp virgin material and regrowing from that under controlled conditions. Yours is a step up from my manual transfer of half the starter to a 1ltr bottle which does expose it to the air momentarily.

 

[McMullan]

nice set-up, esp with the air filter....is it wlp002??? My brew using harvested 05 from the last time I used it has worked OK, but I prefer the idea of starting with original wlp virgin material and regrowing from that under controlled conditions. Yours is a step up from my manual transfer of half the starter to a 1ltr bottle which does expose it to the air momentarily.

WLP007, TS. But I see no reason why you couldn't put any pure strain in there :thumb:

Relieved a forum member appreciates the potential value of it, TBH. I was about to repost it on Jamie Oliver's website out of sheer desperation :lol:

 

[TartanSpecial]

I worked in laboratories 30 years ago and you never lose interest in clean glass and pipes and peristaltic pumps and aseptic transfers and and.... I haven't heard the word 'peristaltic' for years.... good word.:thumb:

 

[Hoppyland]

I haven't heard the word 'peristaltic' for years.... good word.:thumb:

Yep, neither had I! A bit ironic, when you consider that peristalsis is what happens every time you swallow a swig of beer!!

Seriously, though, I was not entirely clear what this device did that might enable a yeast strain to be indefinitely cultured. Seemingly to exclude wild yeasts and bacteria, but it wasn't clear to me how. Perhaps I'm totally thick. Probably, even....
But a little more info - or commentary on the video - might help at least this forum member to better understand the value of it, even if it is only potential.
I do like the idea of extending the life of my yeasts, though, so I'm certainly interested in what you're doing!

 

[McMullan]

Yep, neither had I! A bit ironic, when you consider that peristalsis is what happens every time you swallow a swig of beer!!

Seriously, though, I was not entirely clear what this device did that might enable a yeast strain to be indefinitely cultured. Seemingly to exclude wild yeasts and bacteria, but it wasn't clear to me how. Perhaps I'm totally thick. Probably, even....
But a little more info - or commentary on the video - might help at least this forum member to better understand the value of it, even if it is only potential.
I do like the idea of extending the life of my yeasts, though, so I'm certainly interested in what you're doing!

It’s a 'closed system' for culturing pure yeast and inoculating sterile wort. The 0.2 micron air filter stops airborne microbes (wild yeast and bacteria) contaminating the starter wort. This is a significant problem for home brewers. The stirred culture (bottle on the left) is a 1.5L starter. When it’s done, 500ml of the culture is pumped to another 1L batch of sterile wort (bottle on the right), inoculating the next 1.5L starter. That’s the basic concept. It has a number of interesting applications useful for home brewing :thumb:

 

[Hoppyland]

Thanks, McMullan.
That makes a lot more sense to me now, very interesting!