I can remember years ago going to the local microbrewery in Uley and getting a live yeast culture from them, which - not unsurprisingly - made my brews taste quite similar to their own...
Is it still possible to do this or are people getting pernickity over their brans these days...?
Live Yeast from local brewers
I've never tried this myself, but if you've got the bottle to turn up and ask for a jarfull, you'll certainly get good results, provided your brew is similar in style to the brewery's own.
An alternative is to use one of the specialist yeast cultures available from the likes of http://www.wyeastlab.com/.
You can pick from a huge range of genuine yeast styles; the only drawback is the price, which means the only economical way is to reuse the yeast from one brew to the next.
This can get complicated, because the yeast deteriorates between brews, so you need to know how to handle it (e.g. using acid washing to remove the build up of bacteria that contaminates the yeast upon constant reuse).
An alternative is to use one of the specialist yeast cultures available from the likes of http://www.wyeastlab.com/.
You can pick from a huge range of genuine yeast styles; the only drawback is the price, which means the only economical way is to reuse the yeast from one brew to the next.
This can get complicated, because the yeast deteriorates between brews, so you need to know how to handle it (e.g. using acid washing to remove the build up of bacteria that contaminates the yeast upon constant reuse).
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Road Runner
I visited Woodfordes Brewery yesterday near Norwich, as I just happened to be working that way. I asked for a yeast sample, which they are willing to supply for 75p. Sounds like they frequently supply yeast to home brewers. They were taking a skim for me today, ready for me to collect tomorrow.
Seeing Andy's pics a couple of weeks back of his brew using Hogs Back Brewery's yeast, do I assume that you get a much bigger yeast head during fermentation using commercial breweries yeast, over dried packet yeast? Is this because it's a true top fermenting yeast?
Also I've read in some posts here about skimming the yeast head of trub etc. How frequently do you skim the head & how much do you skim off? Do you just skim, say an inch or so, or skim down quite close to the beer?
I hope to be brewing a Bitter this weekend, so will be very interested in the results using this yeast. Also it's much cheaper than Safale yeast
Seeing Andy's pics a couple of weeks back of his brew using Hogs Back Brewery's yeast, do I assume that you get a much bigger yeast head during fermentation using commercial breweries yeast, over dried packet yeast? Is this because it's a true top fermenting yeast?
Also I've read in some posts here about skimming the yeast head of trub etc. How frequently do you skim the head & how much do you skim off? Do you just skim, say an inch or so, or skim down quite close to the beer?
I hope to be brewing a Bitter this weekend, so will be very interested in the results using this yeast. Also it's much cheaper than Safale yeast
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Road Runner
I have looked at both Wyeast & White Labs. But as I had the opportunity to try Woodfordes yeast at 75p, I thought I'd do just that. Also it's much more preferable than the cost of smack packs and even the £1.75 I've been paying for Safale SO-4.
The guy in my HBS recommends Safale over Gervin yeast, so I guess Saflager yeast is also a good yeast. Have to say I'm quite happy with the results using Safale so far.
I was also thinking of reusing the yeast in some way. Although my next brew after the Bitter (which should be of a similar style to Woodfordes Wherry) was going to be a dark beer, so not sure the Woodfordes yeast would be the best for it. But thought I'd try it any way.
I hope to brew a week or so after the bitter, so I hope the used yeast will keep this long in the fridge. I've read other posts on here regarding keeping yeast under sterile water in the fridge, so may try that.
The guy in my HBS recommends Safale over Gervin yeast, so I guess Saflager yeast is also a good yeast. Have to say I'm quite happy with the results using Safale so far.
I was also thinking of reusing the yeast in some way. Although my next brew after the Bitter (which should be of a similar style to Woodfordes Wherry) was going to be a dark beer, so not sure the Woodfordes yeast would be the best for it. But thought I'd try it any way.
I hope to brew a week or so after the bitter, so I hope the used yeast will keep this long in the fridge. I've read other posts on here regarding keeping yeast under sterile water in the fridge, so may try that.
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Road Runner
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Road Runner
QUOTE Woodefords produce a dark beer called Norfolk Nog I believe so assuing they just use the one strain of yeast I would imagine it will suit your dark beer too.
I picked up my Woodfordes yeast today, ready for a brew this weekend. I asked if they use the same yeast or different yeast strains for different types of beer.
They said they only use the one strain of yeast. The same one that they have always used. So I hope to make it last a couple of brews. :beer
I picked up my Woodfordes yeast today, ready for a brew this weekend. I asked if they use the same yeast or different yeast strains for different types of beer.
They said they only use the one strain of yeast. The same one that they have always used. So I hope to make it last a couple of brews. :beer
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FlippinMental
- Hollow Legs
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there's an interesting article at www.portchesterbrewer.co.uk regarding acid cleaning yeast. doesn't seem too involved if you can source the chemical and have a ph meter to hand.
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Road Runner
Acid washing doesn't look too difficult. I don't have a ph meter at the mo though. I guess you could possibly get the chemical from a good chemists maybe.
I was thinking on this occasion, being the 1st use of the yeast, I would just take some of the yeast cake from the bottom of the fermentor after primary fermentaion, store it under sterile pre boiled water in the fridge ready for the next brew in another week or so.
Hopefully this would work. But at the cost of just 75p for a batch of yeast & if I get 2 or 3 brews out of it, it hardly seems worth the bother. Apart from being an interesting experiment to see if I could do it maybe.
I was thinking on this occasion, being the 1st use of the yeast, I would just take some of the yeast cake from the bottom of the fermentor after primary fermentaion, store it under sterile pre boiled water in the fridge ready for the next brew in another week or so.
Hopefully this would work. But at the cost of just 75p for a batch of yeast & if I get 2 or 3 brews out of it, it hardly seems worth the bother. Apart from being an interesting experiment to see if I could do it maybe.
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Road Runner
Racked my bitter into a carboy for secondary fermentation last night. Took a sample of my Woodfordes yeast from the cake at the bottom of the primary fermentor. It's now stored under a little sterile water in my fridge.
I was thinking of doing another brew with it this weekend. But it looks doubtful I'll have time now for brewing.
How long do you think the yeast will be ok for in the fridge. It may another week or 2 before the next brew.
I was thinking of doing another brew with it this weekend. But it looks doubtful I'll have time now for brewing.
How long do you think the yeast will be ok for in the fridge. It may another week or 2 before the next brew.
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Road Runner
QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ Mar 15 2006, 06:57 PM)Have a look at this article on http://www.wyeastlab.com/hbrew/hbyewash.htm (not acid washing yeast so it doesnt steralise it) , it also says your yeast should be good for a month, I reckon more, just make up a starter before hand.
That's an interesting article. I didn't wash my yeast at all though. I just took some off the bottom of the primary, poured it into a small sterilised pot with some pre boiled & cooled water & bunged it in the fridge.
I was going to make up a starter the day before my next brew I thought. Hope this will be ok.
That's an interesting article. I didn't wash my yeast at all though. I just took some off the bottom of the primary, poured it into a small sterilised pot with some pre boiled & cooled water & bunged it in the fridge.
I was going to make up a starter the day before my next brew I thought. Hope this will be ok.
Just bought some malt & hops from the Titanic brewery. The head brewer said "I'd really like you to try our yeast - it hits the ground running - you'll be amazed".
So I went back with a container, he had a couple of two gallon buckets of fresh yeast in his fridge. They don't carry it forward to the next brew but use fresh each time. Fortunatly, they'd ordered in a lot more than they were going to use.
I 've divided it up into smaller containers and frozen most of it. I wonder if I should make a starter with the stuff that's been frozen or if it'll be OK to just pitch it? With the fresh stuff, he said definatly no need for a starter.
So I went back with a container, he had a couple of two gallon buckets of fresh yeast in his fridge. They don't carry it forward to the next brew but use fresh each time. Fortunatly, they'd ordered in a lot more than they were going to use.
I 've divided it up into smaller containers and frozen most of it. I wonder if I should make a starter with the stuff that's been frozen or if it'll be OK to just pitch it? With the fresh stuff, he said definatly no need for a starter.
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Andy
- Virtually comatose but still standing
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john - result on finding a brewery who's so eager to give you live yeast!
The bad news is that freezing yeast without any special treatment will kill it.
Chilling is OK, freezing is a no no.
If you've still got any unfrozen live yeast then just pitch it, no need for a starter. I do this with live yeast from the Hogs Back Brewery with good results.
The bad news is that freezing yeast without any special treatment will kill it.
Chilling is OK, freezing is a no no.If you've still got any unfrozen live yeast then just pitch it, no need for a starter. I do this with live yeast from the Hogs Back Brewery with good results.
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eskimobob