Stella Unfiltered Yeast Starter. It Lives! (I think)

[Tetsuo1981]

Hi all just wanted post some pics for posterity / observations and opinions.
I used the dregs from two 750ml bottles of Stella Unfiltered with 4g DME and 75ml of water and a pinch of yeast nutrient. Something is happening, I've got lots of big clumps of what I hope is yeast.

This is after 3 to 4 days on my stir plate. No nasty smells so fingers crossed it's working. Just stepped it up with 40g DME, pinch of nutrient and 750ml water. Will see how it goes over the long weekend.

Just wanted to share and see what everyone's thoughts are

Cheers

 

[Slid]

That should be an interesting experiment.
My thinking is that a HB Stella should be pretty good, if that is your beer style.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

That should be an interesting experiment.
My thinking is that a HB Stella should be pretty good, if that is your beer style.

Thanks for that. Hoping to brew a HB Stella SMASH clone recipe with it if it works

 

[foxbat]

Go easy with the step-ups and you should be fine. At some point pause, chill it and when the spent beer is clear-ish then decant some off to taste. If it tastes bland and a bit yeasty then it's OK.

If it's the real Belgian lager yeast then you should be able to brew some great lagers with it.

 

[foxbat]

I wonder what temperature a Belgian lager should be fermented at? The point of fermenting low is to suppress ester production but the point of Belgians is ester production. Hmmm....

 

[chthon]

Belgian pilsners like Stella Artois and Jupiler are made as real lagers, with the intention of the least possible esters. Except for the birthplace, no real Belgian beer then :-p

 

[Brewnaldo]

Are we sure it's not a bottling yeast?

 

[Thatscold]

I bought and drank a box of Stella unfiltered a couple of weeks ago, and I don’t remember it being bottle conditioned so I can’t imagine it would be bottling yeast. It is also disappointingly brewed in the UK. That being said I did enjoy them, and would buy it again.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Go easy with the step-ups and you should be fine. At some point pause, chill it and when the spent beer is clear-ish then decant some off to taste. If it tastes bland and a bit yeasty then it's OK.

Thanks for that. I'm aiming for next weekend for brew day so will let it settle mid week and test as you suggest then maybe one more step up. Gone less lumpy and more creamier so fingers crossed

I wonder what temperature a Belgian lager should be fermented at?

I've been wondering this. My last kit lager I fermented at 15C and did a dicatyl rest. Was gonna start there and see how it goes

Are we sure it's not a bottling yeast?

I hope not but we'll see I guess. The fact that it's unfiltered gives me some hope.

don’t remember it being bottle conditioned so I can’t imagine it would be bottling yeast.

I sincerely hope its not but who knows? I guess the only way to tell is to try it and see? I'm only planning a small batch as it's my first BIAB / all grain so fingers crossed it'll be drinkable at least

 

[Brewnaldo]

Thanks for that. I'm aiming for next weekend for brew day so will let it settle mid week and test as you suggest then maybe one more step up. Gone less lumpy and more creamier so fingers crossed

I've been wondering this. My last kit lager I fermented at 15C and did a dicatyl rest. Was gonna start there and see how it goes

I hope not but we'll see I guess. The fact that it's unfiltered gives me some hope.


I sincerely hope its not but who knows? I guess the only way to tell is to try it and see? I'm only planning a small batch as it's my first BIAB / all grain so fingers crossed it'll be drinkable at least

Someone has to be the first for everything. Good luck brother and keep us posted

 

[dillz2003]

So what happened?

 

[Ninja7]

Did it work . Used to love the very old true wife beater back in the day . Now days not worth it diffrent drink completly ... just bought 2 bottles of this unfilted stuff to see if like the old stuff.
Is it worth a try to harvest or not.

 

[starseeker]

Used to love the original Stella ,
A local wine bar used to stock it ,and i used to pop in after work sometimes for a pint ,but one evening i had a bit more than one ,when i got home i put a boil in the bag curry on ,passed out, and woke up to the stench of burning plastic where the pan had boiled dry !

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Sorry for lack of updates. Work and life as always getting in the way. Well it worked and it didn't. If I'm honest I shouldn't have bothered stepping it up again as it got infected, I couldn't get it to settle out then mold started in. So if I'm honest I just forgot about it in a huff. Ever since I started using chemsan I've had nothing but grief.

But any way. I think it's worth trying again, it'll be my 3rd and final attempt when I do and I'll report back again.

Sorry guys

 

[RoboBrewBot5000]

Hi, did this work out? I read somewhere that they use a combination of lager and ale yeasts with stella, so potentially culturing the yeast could result in 2 strains?