Reculture - Rogue Dead guy & Pacman

[hazelbrew]

I bought a few new toys recently - a few Erlenmeyer flasks (2 x 250ml, 2000ml and 5000ml), and a heated stir plate.

So I have been reculturing yeast from bottles. Maybe I am more a grower than brewer? It is strangely satisfying to reculture dregs. Especially if it is for a strain that I can't buy... I thought to capture my successes or failures here. Not sure if there is an existing thread for it... if there is let me know.


On to the current effort - Pacman yeast from Rogue.

There is a pub near me with excellent selection of bottled beers, including Rogue Dead Guy. This is a maibock brewed with their proprietary yeast - pacman.
reading the US forums there appears some dispute over what beers you can culture this yeast. I only had the option of Rogue Dead Guy.

I suffered a bit of p"£$ taking but took two white labs yeast vials to the pub, cleaned and with a shot of starsan in them, plus a lighter.

method:
- careful pour of the beer leaving about half an inch in the bottle
- swished bottle round to get the sediment up
- flamed lip with lighter
- put contents into the yeast vial.
- drink beer.

I can say dead guy is a lovely beer Also did the same to an Orval bottle, and that is now in a 250ml flask

11th May - 100ml water and 5g DME into flask and boiled. This should give OG1020 before adding the dregs.
little evidence of any activity in this initial step.
16th May - opened and smelt the flask - quite noticeable peachy/sweet smell. definitely no longer malt and no clear with small dusting on bottom of flask.
Made up 800ml water and approx 60g DME for an OG 1030 ish starter.

18th may - starter has gone nuts. Pacman yeast most definitely alive...

Layer of yeast this evening.


This is after a vigorous shake to aerate. Oh yes this is alive...

[Rookie]

Pacman is a great yeast.
I used it in a sort of pilsner at ale temperatures and it came out great; got a 37 (average of three scores) in a competition in the German pilsner category with no mention of it being at all ale like.

[hazelbrew]

Pacman is a great yeast.
I used it in a sort of pilsner at ale temperatures and it came out great; got a 37 (average of three scores) in a competition in the German pilsner category with no mention of it being at all ale like.

Thanks - good to know.

to be honest I don't know what I am going to do with it. I am just having fun growing yeast... It is a lot quicker than doing a full brew, less messy, and quite rewarding.

so suggestions for a recipe? I have only tried the Rogue Dead Guy - and really liked it.

[Chug]

Thanks - good to know.

to be honest I don't know what I am going to do with it. I am just having fun growing yeast... It is a lot quicker than doing a full brew, less messy, and quite rewarding.

so suggestions for a recipe? I have only tried the Rogue Dead Guy - and really liked it.

That gave me a good grin

[Rookie]

Pacman is a great yeast.
I used it in a sort of pilsner at ale temperatures and it came out great; got a 37 (average of three scores) in a competition in the German pilsner category with no mention of it being at all ale like.

Thanks - good to know.

to be honest I don't know what I am going to do with it. I am just having fun growing yeast... It is a lot quicker than doing a full brew, less messy, and quite rewarding.

so suggestions for a recipe? I have only tried the Rogue Dead Guy - and really liked it.

Any recipe that you would use the Chico strain in would work with Pacman. It's a really clean yeast over a good range of temperatures.

The above pilsnerish ale got me banned from a little forum that focuses on German beer.

[Fastline]

I'm curious, would there be any yeast in a non bottle conditioned beer, I understand if its pasteurised that's a definite no, but there are lots of non pasteurised bottled beers.

Would there likely to be any yeast still alive

[Rookie]

I'm curious, would there be any yeast in a non bottle conditioned beer, I understand if its pasteurised that's a definite no, but there are lots of non pasteurised bottled beers.

Would there likely to be any yeast still alive

Be aware that some brewers remove the original yeast (filter or pasteurize) and add a different yeast for bottle conditioning. So you can still build up enough to ferment a batch, but will end up with a different beer than you are expecting. Not necessarily bad just different.

[hazelbrew]

Yes do your research.

Rogue apparently only use pacman yeast, and don't pasteurise.
My starter is now done with fresh white yeast stuck to the bottom.
Thinking of using it in the brewalong recipe this weekend