Couple of questions on water and yeast....

[adm]

While I can't brew up another batch due to lack of FVs (roll on Saturday when the Northdown wonder goes to secondary if it's ready), I'm trying to learn stuff.....

I have several water butts here that are always full with rain water. Is there any problem or issue with using rainwater to brew beer instead of my tapwater? It's likely to be softer and have less chemicals in it, isn't it?

I will try to get a water analysis from my water company some time soon, so I know where I stand, but it's quite palatable tap water anyway, although I was just thinking that rainwater might be nice - especially if fresh.

Also, how would I go about cultivating some yeast from a bottle conditioned beer? I'd like to try and grow the Hop Back strain, and I don't mind drinking a few of their bottled beers to get some!

[prolix]

I would not touch rain water collected in butts, so many bacteria you are asking for spoilage at the least, let alone the chemical absorbed by the rain, just stick to tap water and add a camdpen tablet to all the water involved until you get a water report then you can best guess between their lower and higher scores

As far as the yeast goes get some wort ready (I use spray malt) drink the beer swill the yeast around and pour it in the wort ferment it then build it up to a litre. Sanitise and sterilize everything (boil and flame and iodine the place to death)

There are some good topics in yeast you could read on it by better zymologists than myself

[adm]

Thanks Prolix,

I guess on the rain water thing, I was thinking that it's going to be really soft, plus the 90 min boil would kill anything in it anyway - especially if I filtered it first. Mind you - if it's a known "no-no" then I'll just move on.

On the yeast, I was reading Papazian's chapter on yeast cultivation and it seems fairly simple as long as you keep everything really, really sterile.

I wasn't expecting it to be quite so simple as to just chuck the dregs of a bottle into some sterile wort, but I guess in makes sense. Then just keep it fed until it grows enough to use. How do you know how much to use BTW?

[Aleman]

Mr Malty Pitching Rate Calculator

[adm]

Sweet!

[adm]

So - Campden Tablets......

Lots of recommendations to add one of these to the brew - but why? What is the effect on the water ? And when do you add them? To the water in the boiler before it goes into the mash tun, or do you add them to the wort?

Also - I read that Campden tablets are just compressed Sodium metabisulfide. I have a big jar of that sitting here, so can I just use that rather than going to buy some Campden tablets? If so.....how much?

Thanks,

Alasdair

[BarnsleyBrewer]

good question that about campden tablets, i'd love to know also...

[mysterio]

They neutralise chlorine & chloramines in the water. Leave some of your tap water to warm up to room temp in a glass and give it a taste.. if it has any swimming-pool qualities then you need campden tabs or a filter. Even if it doesn't, it doesn't do any harm to use one anyway. Chlorine in the water is a leading cause of off-flavours... makes the beer taste like TCP.

Half a tablet per 25L I think it is. Crush it up and throw it in the water, stir, then brew with the water. I think the reaction is pretty fast.

Also - I read that Campden tablets are just compressed Sodium metabisulfide. I have a big jar of that sitting here, so can I just use that rather than going to buy some Campden tablets?

C'mon... do you really need to ask us that?

Just chuck in a good sized pinch.

[adm]

To be honest, I DO need to ask that ! I only started on my brewing career a couple of weeks ago, so I need all the advice I can get....

So - basically, a level teaspoon of Sodium Metabisuflide (sulfate?) in let's say 40L of water at the start of my brewing day, then use that as my mash and sparge water?

[adm]

Ta. I'll do that. Would you use the equiv. of a half tablet for the approx 40l that I start with for a 23L batch output ? ( I know it's a lot, but i prefer to have extra hot water on hand for cleaning up with .

[hoppingMad]

Also, how would I go about cultivating some yeast from a bottle conditioned beer? I'd like to try and grow the Hop Back strain, and I don't mind drinking a few of their bottled beers to get some!

I'm not sure just how many step ups you would need to perform to get up to the required amount of yeast for pitching into your wort, but worth a shot, and your main concern is of course mantaining that extreme sanitation throughout the whole process. You want to grow yeast, not bacteria.
I imagine it might take you a couple of weeks to complete the culturing and I would start by mashing a whole bunch of 1.040 light wort from grain ( if you're an all grainer) and keeping it on hand for your incremental fermentations stored at near freezing then re-boiling a few litres before each use, unless you are inclined to buy lots of DME.

A friend of mine did this with a Belgian Ale a few years ago with success, it was his first time trying it. There are plently of people doing this, so why not make a start and keep us posted on your progress, asking Q's all the way. I'm sure you'll get all the help you need.

I don't know the strain you mention, but I've heard that many breweries (not all)are happy enought to share the name of the yeast strain they use.

The slurry tab on Mr Malty's pitching rate calculator is a good way to establish when you have grown enough yeasties.

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I'm interested in this campden tablet treatment cos the water round here is shit.
Do I add it to boiling water or just before I mash when it's 70c?
Sorry if this has been questioned before!
John