Harveys Sin - Fermented with Harveys yeast :-)

[floydmeddler]

I've been looking to use Harveys of Sussex yeast now for ages but could never work out the best way around it. They don't do bottle conditioned (apart from their porter but I don't know it they use their usual strain in that) so the idea was to get a 'carry out' from the bar in a sanitised bottle, add some sugar then build up a starter from the dregs later. However, after talking the the boys on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=33558&start=30 (cheers lads!) I decided to go down the yeast slant route. I'd already acquired my Harveys Bitter 'carry out' in a sanitised bottle so added a few droplets of this beer to a yeast slant. After a few days, single colonies started appearing. I separated one and let it grow then gave it a try in a 7ml mini starter. It tasted good. I am now pretty confident I have their delicious strain forever more.

Harveys Yeast Slant


Have built up another starter to 600ml which is all ready for today's brew.


I've come up with a basic enough recipe with no overpowering speciality malts. Really want that yeast to do the talking. Here it is:

Harveys Sin
8-B Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Date: 03/07/2010

Size: 25.0 L
Efficiency: 80.0%
Attenuation: 77.0%

Original Gravity: 1.045 (1.040 - 1.048)
Terminal Gravity: 1.010 (1.008 - 1.012)
Color: 12.73 (5.0 - 16.0)
Alcohol: 4.57% (3.8% - 4.6%)
Bitterness: 48.4

Ingredients:
4 kg Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt -
400 g British Crystal 55°L
100 g Torrified Wheat
200 g Dark Brown Sugar
45.0 g Northern Brewer (9.25%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
25.0 g Goldings (6.8%) - added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
600ml Harvey's Yeast Starter

Will update later when I start brewing.

[Bigveees]

Good work! You have surpassed the normal restrictions of home brewing and are entering a world of espionage! What ever next?

[floydmeddler]

...entering a world of espionage!

Feels that way!

[floydmeddler]

Stuck the mash on and went out for a few hours. Recirculating now as the sparge water heats. Running really clear already.

[floydmeddler]

All in the fermenter with slight signs of fermentation. Forgot to add the brown sugar and will probably simply leave it out now. Managed 82% efficiency which I'm happy with. Great brew day/evening.

[floydmeddler]

I swear this beer is starting to taste like a Harveys. Still fermenting away merrily so yeast flavour will increase. The Harveys taste is there though.

[floydmeddler]

Update on this:

Collected a bottle's worth during fermentation and allowed to ferment out. Drank it yesterday and there is a faint Harvey's yeast taste. Certainly not as much as their own beers. I'm thinking they use multiple strains and I've only used one of them. Lovely beer though and like I say, there's a slight Harveys-ness to it.

Plan is to buy their bottled conditioned porter and streak the slurry. Should pick up all strains then.

[floydmeddler]

Okay, bottling this today. Was in secondary for a few weeks. Gravity now fallen to 1005!

[Bigveees]

Wow, that is a low gravity, maybe too low! I've just heard through a friend that they will give out yeast samples anyway !

Did you Burtonise your water or do any treatment?

[floydmeddler]

I treated with CRS and gypsum. Have had a few beers turn out that low recently. Tastes great though.

[EliteEvil]

Culturing from carryouts!

Great idea, stealing that.

Assuming all their pipes are clean and so on.

[floydmeddler]

Culturing from carryouts!

Great idea, stealing that.

Assuming all their pipes are clean and so on.

Streaking allows you to separate single colonies so you can leave bacteria behind. However, wild yeast can be an issue so it's best to make up little mini starters to get an idea before pitching into 40 pints.

[Bigveees]

Update please!

I've raided the Railways cellar again and now have a brew going with the starter I made up using slurry from a barrel of Best, Harveys!
It went off pretty quick but has now slowed right down and after 5 days of fermenting it is down to 1019 from 1050
So still expecting a few more points drop!

[floydmeddler]

I'm thinking the really low gravity was due to a wild yeast infection that took during bottling. Yours should drop more than 1019. I'd keep it in primary for a few weeks. It's still early days!

Does it taste like Harvey's?

[Bigveees]

I havn't used a Harveys recipe so wasn't expecting it to taste like one and it hasn't finished fermenting yet! I was wondering if you had also had a really thick yeast head, mine was almost like custard

Also I have yet to master Burtonisation of my water as it is a bit too chalk here.