The crossmyloof brewery yeast

[JohnB]

Just a quick note following that cell count. I made the samples up in 100ml batches. I checked back just now - going to clean up and wash out the beakers. the water batch had settled out and there was no action at all. Just plain old water with a sludge of yeast in the bottom. The sample in the wort was fizzing away with a good head of froth on top. This is 3 1/2 hours after I started to re-hydrate the yeast. So perhaps re-hydrate in water but use it fairly smartish. Or maybe have some wort ready, re-hydrate for a few minutes in water and then add to a starter say, 1l of wort within 15 minutes or so. Then pitch at your leisure.

Incidentally, for the cell counts I used Methylene Blue as the dye and the top image was water and the bottom was wort (the MB colours the wort a little), otherwise the settings were exactly the same. The images were taken at 400x (2700 x 1800 px), but then reduced for uploading so they don't take up too much bandwidth.

 

[Drunkula]

So perhaps re-hydrate in water but use it fairly smartish.

Yep, they reckon 15 to 30 minutes, after that the autolysis starts.

 

[Ajhutch]

I've just made a cider with their Saison de Lille yeast and I'm very happy with it. Best tasting cider I've made to date from shop bought juice.

Fascinated by this idea!

 

[braziliain]

Fascinated by this idea!

I have to admit I stole the idea of using a Saison yeast from the Brulosophy podcast on hard cider making.

The fruity, estery funk really seems to suit the drink. My previous turbo ciders have been pretty boring but this one has a traditional scrumpy like taste and the yeast is really coming through. I can quite happily drink this one flat which I definitely couldn't with previous turbos.

I actually just scooped some of the yeast cake out of a Saison I'd made and pitched it into a demijohn of apple juice.

 

[Clint]

Methylene blue...also used in fish tanks to kill fish infections...very dangerous in large amounts..

 

[JohnB]

@Clint That's the stuff, Clint. Get it from aquarium shops, and the dilution is about 1:1000 for yeast, that way you get a vital stain which gives about 15 minutes of use.

Now, the brew using CML Real Ale Yeast, it's still popping and now down to 1007 after 10 days - no idea when it'll stop! Still 2+2+2, so I have time.

 

[braziliain]

I've just sampled an APA fermented using the CML US Pale and it is down at 1.006 from 1.051 after 7 days.

That's attenuation of 88% which is way higher than they advertise on the pack.

What are people's experience of this? Have I got unwanted visitors in my FV?

The sample tasted a bit fruity but but the yeast cake is huge and quite a bit came through the spigot with the sample...

 

[AdeDunn]

I've just sampled an APA fermented using the CML US Pale and it is down at 1.006 from 1.051 after 7 days.

That's attenuation of 88% which is way higher than they advertise on the pack.

What are people's experience of this? Have I got unwanted visitors in my FV?

The sample tasted a bit fruity but but the yeast cake is huge and quite a bit came through the spigot with the sample...

A couple of yeasts can give results like this, often it's down to variables in things like mash temps (mashing at 64 degrees C for example can make for very high attenuation in my experience), or fermentation temps (temps on the warmer side can lead to higher attenuation). I had a similar thing happen using Mangrove Jack's M44 West Coast yeast, where I ended up with 89% apparent attenuation... Yeah, ended up a bit stronger than I was planning too...

If it keeps happening, try mashing a bit warmer, see if that reduces the attenuation a bit. If it doesn't then it could be the yeast has a bit of the old var diasticus in it from packaging... OR your FVs could if you've used a French Saison yeast in them at some point.

 

[Druncan]

For me, it's the constant fight against the addition of our healthy native crop of wild yeast up here,,,, But, hey it still works! and my beers have been regularly analysed by Beerlab (and even tasted by other HBF members!)

 

[JohnB]

Hi @braziliain , That's interesting because I've had a similar experience with CML yeast and attenuation of around 85%, like yours is way higher than they advertise at 75%. Their Real Ale Yeast which is what I'm having probs with is really fluffy? when it settles out. It doesn't flocculate well, some settles on the bottom, some floats in the wort and some is in clumps on the top. However I am just starting to drink some ale that I bottled about a month ago and it is flipping super; not just my words either. My buddies reckon it's a good imitation of Newcastle B! I have 4 gallons left and will be having another go at this one. Yeast cake was really high though - about 2" and soft, not really solid, some came over in bottling.

I started out at 1048 and finished at 1005 after - well, I left it in the FV for 12 days, but after 6 days it was down to 1006. Bottling at 12 days it was 1005. Cracking pint though!

I'm happy!

 

[braziliain]

Thanks gents. Interesting.

I just checked the notes from the last pale I made and that actually used CML US Pale too. It finished at 1.007.

The yeast cake is huge and fluffy yes, it is above my spigot which means I'm going to have to syphon to the keg.

Was aiming for a 5.2% and it's up closer to 6%.

I did a couple of Saisons recently with the CML Saison de Lille yeast, but I don't think I used this FV...

 

[Ajhutch]

What do you brew on? Seems plausible that you lost a few degrees in the mash and that’s contributed to high attenuation.

I have found the CML US Pale attenuates well though, I’ve done extract brews with it that have gone from above 1.050 to below 1.010

 

[Clint]

Used it loads of times and get in the 80's attenuation. Yes they are a bit fluffy but I find careful racking to bottling bucket and bottling minimises it. I have tried others but really like the CML stuff.

 

[braziliain]

What do you brew on? Seems plausible that you lost a few degrees in the mash and that’s contributed to high attenuation.

I have found the CML US Pale attenuates well though, I’ve done extract brews with it that have gone from above 1.050 to below 1.010

Three vessel system with a coolbox mash tun. I was aiming for 66C mash temp and ended up at 66.8C. After an hour the tun was at 66.1C.

It's mostly Maris Otter with a touch of Caramalt and Caragold.

 

[Ajhutch]

Just a beast of a yeast I guess then!

 

[marshbrewer]

Just an update for completeness sake - the CML Kolsch yeast is great. Double pitched at 12° and the results are really good. So that and the CML California Common with for me, alas not the real ale or US pale. Just the Belgian to go!

 

[Pavros]

Funnily enough, I just finished some bottles at the weekend which were brewed using the US Pale yeast. Initially I found that the yeast didn't compact well in the bottle so it was difficult to pour a clear pint.

These last bottles (which must be at least 6 months old) had a very thin layer of yeast sediment which wasn't disturbed on opening and allowed me to pour just about all the beer from the bottle. I suspect that the US pale yeast needs a fair bit of time to settle but does eventually compact well.

 

[andylynch9]

I'm just coming to the end of fermentation with the Belgian Yeast and so far so good!

 

[smithsj1]

I can certainly give the Lille Saison yeast a big thumbs up. Used it with Pilsner malt, tettnang and Saaz hops and it came out a little bit on the funky side with a subtle hint of banana. It was real tasty and proved a hit when I took some to relatives for Christmas Day lunch. The only thing I would say is that the beer didn't really clear that well even after leaving it in the keg for a few weeks before getting stuck into it. I didn't really mind though as it tasted good and only lasted about 3 weeks. I got attenuation of 80% in this batch which is at the low end (81-90) :)

update: oops just checked my records again and it was the efficiency at 80% and the attenuation was actually bang on at 85%.

 

[MickDundee]

The only one I’ve been impressed with so far is the California Common yeast, but I’ve just ordered the Kolsch yeast to hopefully brew on Friday for a mate’s stag do. Was planning on pitching 2 packs and fermenting at 14/15 for a week then ramping up to 20 for a week and cold crashing for a week before bottling. Then I’ll bottle and carbonate then “lager” for as long as possible before I need to make brew no2 for the stag (an American blonde so I should be able to leave brewing it until Mid-March so hopefully will be able to lager for at least 3 weeks).