Seymour Tiny Hop Trial & Yeast Starter Project

[seymour]

Next up, one of my biggest challenges yet: 2005 Gales Prize Old Ale.

I've used several supposed derivations of the old Gales strain, and always loved 'em, such as a Marble Dobber bottle culture, and Wyeast's 1332 Northwest Ale which actually came from Hales Brewery in Seattle, Washington, which originally came from Gales. Fullers says they still use the Gales strain in their reproductions, but have adapted it to much bigger, taller, cylindroconical fermentors.


The 2005 vintage Prize Old Ale is the last thing Gales brewed before the Fullers take-over, and they left the yeast in the bottle, so I'm hoping to go back to the source strain. But it's been 9 years in a very high alcohol solution, so wish me luck.

Oh, and this time I kept the "grainbill" the same as above, but for the "tiny hop trial" aspect, I used Hallertau hops with some freshly picked rosemary. Don't scoff, the boil smelled wonderful.


A brandy snifter of Gales Prize Old Ale, the bottle reloaded with fresh wort. If you look closely, the airlock has positive pressure, which is a hopeful sign.
Oh, and that's more of Monkeybrew's Ringwood yeast in the background.

[timothy]

Very cool. Really into seeing how these turn out.

[6470zzy]

Any airlock activity yet?

[seymour]

Sadly, I don't think so. I keep telling myself it's possible only a few cells survived, so it could take a very long time for them to reproduce to a population size big enough to fill the headspace with CO2. I haven't given-up yet.

The pressure's on, too, because I discovered this week Marble beers are no longer sold in my area, which is where I used to get fresh Gales yeast starters.

[mozza]

You need to believe it will work Seymour

[6470zzy]

Sadly, I don't think so. I keep telling myself it's possible only a few cells survived, so it could take a very long time for them to reproduce to a population size big enough to fill the headspace with CO2. I haven't given-up yet.

The pressure's on, too, because I discovered this week Marble beers are no longer sold in my area, which is where I used to get fresh Gales yeast starters.

What is the number size on the stopper that you have in the Gale's bottle?

[seymour]

What is the number size on the stopper that you have in the Gale's bottle?

Sorry, I can't remember for sure. I got tired of never having the right size for any given job, so one time I just bought a bunch of different sizes to keep in a baggie with my homebrew gear. I didn't write-down the sizes, but I'll try to remember to check again next time I'm at that shop.

Cheers!

[mozza]

Any luck yet Seymour?

[seymour]

Any luck yet Seymour?

Can't be sure yet with the Gales, probably not, but haven't given up. There still appears to be positive pressure in the airlock, but not enough to bubble, and I don't see any krausen inside.

I built-up a nice population of Lvivske yeast, though, and that Ringwood yeast keeps on truckin'.

[6470zzy]

Any action yet on the yeast or have you binned it?

[seymour]

You need to believe it will work Seymour

Any action yet on the yeast or have you binned it?

You were right, mozza, I simply lacked faith.

Hot damn, it worked!!!

I noticed the 2005 Gales Prize Old Ale bottle culture was starting to exhibit some krausen activity, so I mixed up a new starter solution, moved the Ringwood yeast to cold storage, and thoroughly sanitized the Nalgene bottle before stepping the Gales culture into it. It is definitely alive and actively fermenting now, and combined with the Challenger hops I used this time, smells wonderful. I really don't think it's a cross-infection, because it's clearly a healthy, estery English ale yeast, and it smells different than the Ringwood fermentation, and acidophilous, wild yeasts, etc.

This is really exciting for me: a pre-Hales brewery, pre-Fullers brewery, actual Gales yeast culture. I'm sure I'm propagating extremely alcohol-tolerant survivors, I predict this might've morphed toward something like the McEwans Scottish ale strain. We'll see.

Guys, you see how easy this is, right? I didn't even use a stir plate or anything.

[6470zzy]

Good to hear

[mozza]

Awesome!!!!!!!!

[6470zzy]

How have you progressed with the Gales yeast?

[seymour]

How have you progressed with the Gales yeast?

Well, I definitely got something from the 2005 Gales Prize Old Ale, which is certainly a capable fermenter. My resulting trials are funky, funky, FUNKY, clearly from a blend of yeasts, lactobacillus bacteria, and surely some form(s) of brett too. I know the English Old Ale style descriptions mention some of these traits, and I've tasted several classic commercial examples with a little sourness, but this stuff resembles a vinegary Lambic or Flanders Red more than anything else. It's odd but not unpleasant. I'm planning to try a brew with a tamer so-called Gales yeast (like the one cultured from Marble Dobber) in the primary, then pitch this sour blend in the secondary, which might taste a lot like an historical Gales brew. Dunno. What do you think?