Fuller's London Pride and ESB

[Stonechat]

Have brewed all the recipes in BYOBRAAH, except for 8 of the old ales, where I couldn't get the required amount of grain in the mash tun, but the notes at the bottom of pages 119 and 120 have always intrigued me. I'm referring to Fullers chucking a bucket full of yeast into the copper halfway through the boil.
If they were doing it to get rid of a surplus, could they not contract to supply Marmite?
Has anyone on the forum actually done this, albeit on a smaller scale, say a small jam-jar full?

[Graham]

If they were doing it to get rid of a surplus, could they not contract to supply Marmite?

Marmite have a yeast propagator these days, have had for many years. Besides, they couldn't take everybody's yeast. Not that many jars of Marmite sold compared to the beer being produced.

I would have thought that sending a lorry-load of yeast from Chiswick to Burton-upon-Trent would be like sending sand to Saudi Arabia.

[Vossy1]

[Garth]

If they were doing it to get rid of a surplus, could they not contract to supply Marmite?

Marmite have a yeast propagator these days,

I was under the impression that they took Everards excess yeast, that's what we got told from the head brewer anyway..

[Graham]

I was under the impression that they took Everards excess yeast, that's what we got told from the head brewer anyway.

I was told that they had a yeast propagator, perhaps they don't. The Marmite web site does say "spent brewers' yeast", so perhaps they still do get yeast in. Bass was their main source in the early days; I can remember seeing Marmite lorries going in to collect the yeast, and BOC tankers going in to collect CO2, presumably from their conicals. Bass would certainly of been capable of supplying the whole of Marmite (and Bovril's) needs, and some more; they certainly would not have needed to go outside of Burton even if they wanted to spread the load for "all eggs in one basket" reasons.

It is common brewery tour-guide "blurb" to say their yeast goes off to make Marmite, which it doesn't. I've heard this said in North Yorkshire and in Reading. There is no need for Marmite to travel that far in either direction.

Spent yeast is used for lots of other products though; Vitamin supplements, OXO cubes, Bisto, Vetzymes, enzyme production and pharmaceuticals, to name a few. So some breweries will be lucky enough to flog their surplus yeast, if the are sited close enough to the plant - just not to Marmite.

Someone on here who lives close to Burton should be able to find out if Marmite have a yeast propagator. I'd have one if I owned Marmite.

[Stonechat]

Have just received an E-mail from Fullers, which contains the following information on yeast.
Currently surplus yeast is sent to pig farms in Wiltshire. I guess all the pigs down in Wiltshire are Perky rather than Pinky after all those minerals and vitamins!
Fullers did send yeast to Marmite, but stopped, due to falling sales of Marmite.
Finally, the best bit: they still throw a bucket of yeast into the copper as the minerals within act as yeast food for the live yeast pitched into the fermenters.

[flytact]

Have brewed all the recipes in BYOBRAAH, except for 8 of the old ales

Now you've gone and done it, I'd like a detailed analysis of each and which were your favorites.

[Stonechat]

I'd like a detailed analysis of each and which were your favorites.


I guess that's colonial humour But for what it's worth my favourites are listed below:
Mild......Sarah Hughes Brewery Dark Ruby Mild...comes out a lovely ruby colour and rich malty taste.
Pale Ale/Bitter.....in the barrel...Donnington SBA...a really fruity flavour from the malt and Fuggle combined...in the bottle...Moorhouse's Pendle Witches' Brew...nice dark amber colour and very malty. Have done about a dozen of each of these two!
Porters/Stouts...Caledonian Porter...rich choc/coffee taste.
OldAles etc....Broughton Old Jock...for best tasting old ale, if a b****r of a slow mash run-off due to the flaked maize....Theakston's Old Peculier...for coming so close to the commercial version.

Nice to know that GW's book is popular across the Atlantic. For my money it's the simplest to follow of all brewing books, but produces great beers.
It got me started on AG and I used it this Monday for my 274th AG...Morrell's Varsity Bitter.

[Graham]

Currently surplus yeast is sent to pig farms in Wiltshire. I guess all the pigs down in Wiltshire are Perky rather than Pinky after all those minerals and vitamins!

Breweries have a tradition of feeding unsuspecting pigs their surplus stuff. Uley Brewery was among the first, when they used to have a herd (?) of Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs as their mascots. They even used to take the ruddy things to beer festivals when they were exhibiting.

Another brewery can't really remember who, Palmer's perhaps - someone that sort of size, made national television news with their herd of pigs. They used to feed them everything - yeast, grain, hops, slummage, slops. They had a problem with their pigs getting pissed, hence the national coverage. Talking to someone about it at the beer festival, apparently when these little piggies went to market they tasted of beer, so, after that experience, they swapped their pigs with a nearby farmer's pigs to wean them off the beer week or two before the little piggies went to market.

To me a beer-flavoured pork pie sounds a good idea, but there you are.

Fullers did send yeast to Marmite, but stopped, due to falling sales of Marmite.

Well, Marmite used to have a factory in Vauxhall, London. Perhaps their yeast went there. Can't see it being worthwhile to either Marmite or Fullers to send it to Burton upon Trent when their were lots of much bigger breweries a lot closer. Vauxhall had the Truman brewery, and the massive Whitbread, Chiswell Street brewery just across the river, and many other London Breweries. Mind you, Wiltshire doesn't sound much better, but then I don't suppose there are many pig farms in Chiswick.

Finally, the best bit: they still throw a bucket of yeast into the copper as the minerals within act as yeast food for the live yeast pitched into the fermenters.

Remember where you heard it first.

[Stonechat]

I usually get about 400g of yeast barm off the top of a brew, of that lot I weigh 140g into one or two kilner jars to go in the fridge for the Monday brew(s). Have been putting the surplus into compost bins so the nutrients find their way into the soil, but for the next brew or two I'll give the boiler a dose of surplus yeast as a trial.
It hasn't done Fuller's beers any harm, taste-wise IMHO.
Does make you wonder if any other breweries do the same thing, but keep quiet about it due to the "yuk" factor from Joe Public.

[iowalad]

I have liked all the recipes. The recipes have never let me down but my brewing has (me mucking up my water on one)!

I was really pleased with the Donningtons SBA as well. I believe I liked it better than the real mccoy.

I used Thames Vallye 1275 yeast on that batch.

Nice simple recipe - nice tasting beer.

EDITED: First paragraph to clarify