Yeast from a bottle conditioned ale

[Jeltz]

A couple of days ago I had a bottle of RCH Pitchfork, its a bottle conditioned ale which I bought from a local Sainsburys.

Just for fun I made up a 1.040 "wort" with Meridian Malt Extract as bought from the local health food shop and mixed the sediment with the "wort" there was enough to make up 2 jam jars full which I elastic banded cling film over the top. Wort was made up with boiling water then allowed to cool and everything else revived a good spray of videne solution.

Well they are bubbling so obviously fermentation is happening.

I shall be attempting my 1st AG a week today, assuming an order which is already late has arrived, and am tempted to just pitch in the contents of one of those jars rather than use the muntons yeast which came with the grain.

Anyone got any thoughts on that?

 

[RobWalker]

Should work a treat. Bottle conditioned beers often use a different strain for bottling than fermenting though, so check out if it does or not before you use it :

 

[Jeltz]

When you say check do you mean ask the company?

 

[Mark1964]

yes email or ring them. You dont want to make a beer only to find that the yeast is from a secondary fermenter. It needs to be yeast used in the primary fermentation. Some you are ok with are fullers 1845, thwaites nutty black and tavern porter also fullers bengal lancer

 

[RobWalker]

Google doesn't throw anything up so yeah, do what mark says :thumb:

 

[pittsy]

if you get the right yeast it will be way better than the muntons :thumb:

 

[adomant]

A couple of days ago I had a bottle of RCH Pitchfork, its a bottle conditioned ale which I bought from a local Sainsburys.

Just for fun I made up a 1.040 "wort" with Meridian Malt Extract as bought from the local health food shop and mixed the sediment with the "wort" there was enough to make up 2 jam jars full which I elastic banded cling film over the top. Wort was made up with boiling water then allowed to cool and everything else revived a good spray of videne solution.

Well they are bubbling so obviously fermentation is happening.

I shall be attempting my 1st AG a week today, assuming an order which is already late has arrived, and am tempted to just pitch in the contents of one of those jars rather than use the muntons yeast which came with the grain.

Anyone got any thoughts on that?

It's a great way to go if you can keep it sterile and it is the yeast you expect. Once the starter yeast has settled out, I would decant the wort and then add some of the brew day wort and mix around prior to pitching rather than just pitching the starter. If there is a gap of time between decanting and pitching, then cover the yeast with some bottled water

 

[Jeltz]

I have sent them an email asking whether its a special secondary yeast or the primary one, we shall wait and see if they reply.

If they don't I might buy a couple more and try a 1 gallon extract brew with it 1st.

 

[Jeltz]

Very fast reply from them, its the same yeast in primary and secondary so all good to go!

That settles it, then I'll pitch in the Pitchfork yeast!

 

[The Goatreich]

It's nice to see professional brewers helping out the home brewers with information like this.