Saved by the yeast!

[evanvine]

Having got a viable yeast culture from a pint of Greene King Abbot I decided to make a standard simple 5 gal Crystal bitter to evaluate the yeast.
(6 ½ lbs Pale malt and ½ lb Crystal malt).
Guess who forgot to add the Crystal malt!

The result, not noticed until after kegging, was a very pale thinish brew, but boy does it taste good.
This I put down to using one of the best yeasts I’ve ever had!

No sarcasm about Alzheimer’s please.

 

[markp]

No sarcasm about Alzheimer’s please.

I had a good one lined up for you evanvine.....but I forgot it :lol:

As for the yeast. I've recently done a lot of reading about yeast and from this it is quite clear that it can have a marked effect on taste and can accentuate flavours.
Dried yeasts are convenient for the homebrewer and many of them are very good, but I'm sure that even the best homebrewers could improve their beers by obtaining brewery yeast or by using Whitelabs or WYeasts and the likes.

After my readings, I have purchased a couple of WYeast smack-packs that are now sat in my 'fridge.
If I can get round to making a starter today or tomorrow then I might try some against a pack of SO-4 on the 36 litres of 'Phat Kenneth' I have planned for the weekend.
It would be interesting to compare two batches from the same boil.

ATB

 

[evanvine]

It was from this forum that I learnt about the value of decent yeasts.
Hence the extra trouble of making cultures.
I now have three different strains in my freezer and looking to increase!
Pleased you forgot the comment!!!

 

[Aleman]

Dried yeasts are convenient for the homebrewer and many of them are very good, but I'm sure that even the best homebrewers could improve their beers by obtaining brewery yeast or by using Whitelabs or WYeasts and the likes.

Dried yeasts are convenient, and they work well, more or less doing what it says on the tin . . . When used in the manner recommended on the manufacturers website . . . not what it says on the tin . . . In fact many commercial micro breweries used dried yeast . . . and win a lot of prizes when doing so.

Having said that brewery/liquid yeasts do make a difference to your beer . . . but they require a significant investment in time, planning equipment and technique, to be effective . . . . I've not had the time to use liquid yeasts and brew, so in order to keep brewing I reverted back to dried for the past couple of years. . . . . I'm hoping that with some of the changes in circumstances over the last couple of months, I can start yeast ranching again . . . I still owe Russt some yeast

 

[markp]

Just continuing this discussion a little further.

As mentioned above, I have a couple of packets of WYeast propegators.
Now these are not an insignificant cost and I would like to know if it is possible to make these in to 2 or 3 smaller starters for freezer storage; and if it is possible, any negative thoughts/comments on the process.

My plan would be to make up a propegator as per the instructions - the yeast is activated and then placed in 1 litre of wort to multiply.
After a couple or three days, my question is.......can I then harvest the yeast from the wort, split this in to 2 or 3 portions and then store these ready for use in another starter?
i.e. get 2 or 3 pitchings from 1 propegator pack.

Again, many thanks.

 

[dennisking]

I split whitelabs into 6 starters. You can do the same with Wyeast I think, but I`m sure I`ve read somewhere that Wyeast cotains less cells than Whitelabs. Don`t think you can freeze. I keep mine in the fridge.

 

[evanvine]

AM
I don’t know where you got that quote from, but as I have never used those yeasts before I don’t think it was me.
DK
Aren’t dried yeasts freeze dried?
I always freeze my yeast cultures, last forever.

 

[Aleman]

I don’t know where you got that quote from, but as I have never used those yeasts before I don’t think it was me.

My apologies, I was under teh influence when I wrote that . . . . Correected now

Aren’t dried yeasts freeze dried?

They are but the technique used, is a bit more complex than just putting them in a domestic freezer.

I always freeze my yeast cultures, last forever.

Freezing yeast for storage is a technique I could never master . . . I now know that I should be using really small yeast qtys and tiny amounts of water glycerol mix . . . but have found that sterile distilled water storage works just as well . . . and the yeast can be stored in the fridge.
Danstar have yeast slants under a mineral oil which they have frozen (at about -50C) for lifetime (persons lifetime!!) storage just in case of any issues with their usual cultures. This is the technique used by the yeast banks as well.

Back to Mark Ps Question about splitting Wyeast/Whitelabs.

Yes you can do it, make up a 4 or 5 litre starter, and allow it to work out . . . Tip the liquid off the yeast deposit and add 1000ml of cooled boiled water . . . shake and swirl to suspend the yeast . . . then pitch all bar 100ml into the wort . . . top up with a further 900ml of cooled boiled water . . . and then split that between 4 250ml bottles . . . I use the cheap continental lager ones and seal with a crown cap . . . Of course you can use PET bottles if you wish . . . stored in the fridge they should last 3 months . . . but you MUST make a starter with them each time. . . . and it should go without saying that it is best practice to work as aseptically as you possibly can when working with yeast cultures . . . You might be able to get away with being a bit slapdash when you make beer . . . but you do not want your yeast cultures becoming bacterial cultures.

 

[markp]

Thanks for your time Aleman :thumb:

 

[evanvine]

No problem AM, I was just a bit confused!

 

[markp]

I smacked a pack of the WYeast last night and got it going in 5 litres of wort made up from spray malt. The yeast I'm trying is the London III.
I've had a look at it this morning and it's growing at a rapid rate
It looks like an alien life form, swirling away merrily :ugeek:

 

[markp]

I'd be grateful if someone could clarify my thinking on this please.

My yeast culture has done it's thing and has now settled to the bottom.
I don't need to pitch yeast just at the moment.

My intention is to decant the top liquid, leaving a yeast rich slurry.
To this I am going to add 500ml of distilled water that has been boiled an cooled.....agitate to get the yeast in to suspension and then decant in to 4 or 5 small bottles (thoroughly sanitised of course).

Then I can keep these 4 or 5 bottles to make new starters from.

 

[MEB]

I'd be grateful if someone could clarify my thinking on this please.

My yeast culture has done it's thing and has now settled to the bottom.
I don't need to pitch yeast just at the moment.

My intention is to decant the top liquid, leaving a yeast rich slurry.
To this I am going to add 500ml of distilled water that has been boiled an cooled.....agitate to get the yeast in to suspension and then decant in to 4 or 5 small bottles (thoroughly sanitised of course).

Then I can keep these 4 or 5 bottles to make new starters from.

Yep, pretty much that's it. Just be very, very anal about cleanliness and sterilise everything to buggery.

As a footnote I've used some yeast recently that has been in my yeast fridge for 'over' a year. London III it is and I'm going to grow it on after it's fermented out one of my brews. I don't advise this as standard practise but just goes to show how hardy yeast can be.

 

[evanvine]

Yes, Yeast is a very hardy beast else you wouldn't get "Bloom" on grapes and apples etc.

 

[markp]

Thanks for your reassurance guys.

I now have four nice little bottles ready for starters.

I was ultra careful with sanitisation.......15 mins soak in VWP, toothbrush scrub, further 15 mins soak, rinse x 6 and then dunked in a jug of Videne. I hope that keeps any nasties at bay :pray: