Chimay Blue

[Calum]

I am thinking about consuming a bottle of Chimay Blue tonight.

Has anyone recovered the yeast from Chimay Blue? Is it a good yeast - is it conditioned with the same yeast as it is brewed with?

[oblivious]

It been sitting in a high alcohol environment for a while and the availability of a pure culture of WLP500 I would opted for the white labs option, but that been said people have done it

[Calum]

Thanks Oblivious. I was going to give it a go as SWMBO put a bottle in my Christmas stocking adn I am only just getting around to drinking it.

[AT]

Thanks Oblivious. I was going to give it a go as SWMBO put a bottle in my Christmas stocking adn I am only just getting around to drinking it.

You should be ashamed of yourself, it wouldn't last that long in my house

[Calum]

Thanks Oblivious. I was going to give it a go as SWMBO put a bottle in my Christmas stocking adn I am only just getting around to drinking it.

You should be ashamed of yourself, it wouldn't last that long in my house

It does appear to be a bit lightweight doesn't it However, it is going to be kept for a few more days due to me managing to break my "trusty starter milk bottle". Thats the last time i call it my "trusty starter milk bottle"

[AT]

Now you're making me thirsty, i love that stuff

[Burner]

I put the yeast from a Chimay blue into a rather sluggish wyeast 1214 starter and wham! Vigorous activity and a very active fermentation.

[Calum]

It took me a few days to drink this one but once I did I went ahead and tried to recover the yeast. I created a simple starter medium with some DME and boiled water, poured it into an old lucozade bottle and throw on an airlock (the bottles are the perfect size for a rubber bung). It took a few days to show any major activity but once it did it was off like a rocket.

The activity had slowed down by today so I poured the beer off and created another starter with some more DME. I had a wee sip of the beer before I poured it away and I could really taste the influence of the Chimay yeast. It was clean with no sign of any off flavours.

So, if the next lot still tastes clean and uninfected I think I will risk it with a belgian type beer (I have an ancient abbey about half a mile from my house so I feel I have some heritage to uphold ).

I'll update if I go for it.

[oblivious]

The conical fermentors are said to be having a big effect upon the ester production in chimay, do be surprised if you get something fruiter then chimay

Keeps us posed on how you get in

[Calum]

Cheers Oblivious.

I'm in uncharted waters but that is what I love about this hobby

[Aleman]

IIRC its not the primary yeast . . . Which is a mixture of yeasts . . . Still it will be interesting to see what transpires

[oblivious]

IIRC its not the primary yeast . . . Which is a mixture of yeasts . . . Still it will be interesting to see what transpires

Really, I know orval is.

[steve_flack]

The yeast in the Orval bottles is the primary yeast (which is a fairly normal Belgian Saccharomyces strain) and some Brettanomyces. Orval ferment with just the normal yeast. The bottles are seeded with both it and Brett for flavour development.

If you want just the Orval primary yeast it's the Belgian Bastogne yeast (WLP510).

[delboy]

I harvested the yeast from a bottle of chimay and used it in the fermentation of a kwak clone.

It produced a beer very high in clovey phenolics, (think supping on a pint with a dash of clove oil) not unpleasant, but not something you'd want a great deal of in a single sitting.

[oblivious]

It can produce some very different flavors at different temps. Brew like a monk has a good table of the flavor aromas from it, if i get a chance i will try to scan it in.