Yeasts

62 topics

Yeasts
1. Freezing test tubes of yeast
  21 Replies 40957 Views
  
  First post by Beachbum, 12 years ago
  
  First post
  
  A lot of brewers do yeast slants in test tubes of a medium like gelatine or agar agar where they culture up yeast and store the tubes in the fridge for future use. I was interested in slanting, to keep a constant supply of yeast and to keep examples of yeast that is often unavailable, for example Wyeast West Yorkshire 1469 that they only release every two years.
  
  Whilst researching slanting, I was presented with the other popular method, actually freezing the yeast and keeping it in the...
  
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  I would think these are a better option.
  
  21 Replies
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  Last post by Lumpy5oh
  7 years ago
2. Yeasty's Yeast Slants (slopes)
  48 Replies 68973 Views
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  First post by Yeasty, 11 years ago
  
  First post
  
  I've just made some slants to save yeast cultures on. Easier than I thought :shoot: just letting them prove for a couple of days to see if I've been sterile enough.
  The main reason for this is to save some of the liquid yeast I've got. Its £6 ish a vial and I'd like it to last more than one brew.
  
  Pictures below for those who can't read. :)
  
  Last post
  
  I want them to be the prettiest slants!
  I used homemalted grains for making the wort, and in only 2 liters of water it turned very cloudy, with a lot of break, proteins, etc. Is not the usual cloudy wort that you get normaly with biab (i think the small volume of water is the issue, beside malt, of course). Also, the rootlets were still on the malted grains. I made a beer too with that malt, before bottling tasted good enough, i am waiting for carbing to get take a final conclusion :-)
  48 Replies
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  Last post by bionut
  8 years ago
3. Disaster Pressure fermenting of Wyeast 3724
  1 Replies 18151 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 11 months ago
  
  First post
  
  I created a yeast starter with Wyeast 3724.
  I brewed a Saison and tried pressure fermenting at 90F = 32C with a spunding valve set at 10psi.
  Wyeast recommend fermenting at this temperature.
  It started out OK but then went for a week and 2 days of no fermentation and developed a horrible taste.
  Then I learned Wyeast 3724 does not like Pressure.
  So I transferred the 2 corny kegs to 2 fermentation buckets i.e. no pressure
  Kept the temperature at 90F = 32C controlled with a STC1000 but it was still...
  
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  Hi Phillip I've experienced something very similar following a stuck fermentation where I pitched a different yeast the second time around.
  I'm no expert but I know yeast can produce some pretty disgusting off flavours when you stress it out and depending on which two yeasts you use the resulting combined esters can be a bit too funky to enjoy. I'm a fan of pressure fermenting pale ales and IPA'S where you want neutral esters from the yeast but if the yeast esters need to shine in your beer...
  
  1 Replies
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  Last post by hoptician
  11 months ago
4. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
  1 Replies 16086 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 11 months ago
  
  First post
  
  Here are the photos of my home made stir plates and starters in a fridge.
  
  The 5 litre = (1.32 US Liquid Gallon water container) has an aquarium heater in it.
  Controlled by my home made STC1000
  
  On top of the STC1000 is a temperature sender so I can read it while I’m in my lounge.
  
  The fridge door closes OK with the cables coming out of the door.
  
  The reason why I want heat while the starters are on the stir plates is:-
  Wyeast say to ferment Wyeast 3724 at 90F = 32C
  I’m going to try and not...
  
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  I did make a stir plate from a computer hard drive and some bits from Radio Shack (remember them?). The stir bar magnet would sometimes wander from its coupling and bash about in the container. There are rare reportings of loose stir bars breaking the glass (I had one go through an Erlenmeyer wall once in 35 years of lab work), alternatively, the magnet would merely wiggle against the wall, away from the center.
  So I read up on oxygenating starters and wort. Here's one from Wyeast. Assuming...
  
  1 Replies
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  Last post by ShorePoints
  11 months ago
5. Wyeast 3724 Starter
  0 Replies 1866 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 11 months ago
  
  Wyeast recommend fermenting their Wyeast 3724 at 90°F = 32°C to prevent the dreaded stuck fermentation.
  I use a stir plate.
  I live in England and have to add heat to ferment as opposed to keeping things cool.
  What temperature should I have the starter?
  If I have to keep the starter at 90°F = 32°C How can I keep the starter warm i.e. What would I place the Erlenmyer flask in; But I use a stir plate.
  I do have a fermentation chamber but it is massive. See my post in:-
  Bags, Mashers,...
  
  0 Replies
  1866 Views
  
  Last post by Philip321
  11 months ago
6. Pitching Rate of Yeast
  3 Replies 2557 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 1 year ago
  
  First post
  
  Please could someone check my yeast pitching calculations for a Saison.
  Batch Volume 38 Litres
  OG = 1.051
  Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison Liquid yeast
  Step up Yeast starter 700ml and then 1.4Litre with stir plate.
  Using I get it to 360 billion Yeast Cells Which is nearly 4 packets but I'm making a step up yeast starter.
  
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  :salute: No problem at all. Let us know how it goes.
  
  3 Replies
  2557 Views
  
  Last post by Am33106
  1 year ago
7. Fermentis Dry Yeast Study
  1 Replies 19918 Views
  
  First post by Scott, 1 year ago
  
  First post
  
  Fermentis recently recently posted results of a dry yeast study that sounds very interesting. I read some comments about it on the American Homebrewers Association blog and am about to watch the YouTube video.
  
  AHA Blog:
  
  YouTube Video:
  
  Fermentis Paper:
  
  Apparently the video and paper each have info that is not in the other information piece.
  
  Last post
  
  Well after having watched the video and read the info PDF, it is interesting information but complex. They are doing webinars and posting videos regularly over the next few weeks sounds like. All is in support of their product naturally, but that is only fair.
  
  Some quick notes...
  1) Pitch dry yeast directly into the wort works slightly better as far as cell life and is easiest for most to do.
  2) Do not shake the wort after adding the dry yeast. Dry yeast is fragile and will take some time...
  
  1 Replies
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  Last post by Scott
  1 year ago
8. American Brown Ale and Omega Hothead Kveik
  3 Replies 22195 Views
  
  First post by shetc, 3 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Hey Guys,
  
  Well, I had to do it. I brewed Gordon Strong's American Brown ale recipe from Modern Homebrew Recipes , but I swapped the Wyeast 1272 American ale yeast for Omega Hothead kveik strain. To ferment, I used 1/2 teaspoon of yeast slurry from the Omega package and pitched into 5.6 US gallons of 1.056 OG wort. I then sat the fermenter on my workbench, in my garage, which averages around 95F at this time of year. In 3 days, the beer reached an FG of 1.012. Packaged in a keg and burst...
  
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  Thanks, Pat!
  
  3 Replies
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  Last post by shetc
  3 years ago
9. Year old Yeast
  5 Replies 25731 Views
  
  First post by xfumbler, 3 years ago
  
  First post
  
  I went to my LHBS and picked up the last package of Yeast 3944 they had, got it home and found out it has a born by date of 8/1/2018. I entered the info in the homebrew dad yeast calculator and came up with these numbers.
  
  Method of Aeration: Stir Plate
  Starter Volume: .45 L
  Dry Malt Extract: 45 grams
  Inoculation Rate: 14
  New Cells Created: 64
  Total Cells: 70
  Growth Factor: 9.9
  
  2nd Starter Step
  Method of Aeration: Stir Plate
  Starter Volume: 2 L
  Dry Malt Extract: 202 grams
  Inoculation Rate:...
  
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  Nice to hear it worked out for you.
  
  Probably would say, you can sometimes make year old yeast work...in a pinch, if cannot get new yeast. And yes with multiple step starters. But probably not the best practice if a homebrewer can get fresh yeast.
  
  Good job! Thanks for letting us know. :thumbs:
  
  5 Replies
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  Last post by Scott
  3 years ago
10. Brewing a Belgian with a Kveik yeast
  3 Replies 8535 Views
  
  First post by gvhorwitz, 3 years ago
  
  First post
  
  I am planning on brewing a Belgian with my son. I have the Belgian yeast that came with the kit. But it’s hot as the devil here right now, and I have no means to make sure the beer brews at the proper temperature.
  
  Do any of you folks have an idea what would happen if I used a kveik (Norwegian farmhouse) yeast such as offered by Imperial Yeast or Omega Yeast? I’m thinking of this because this strain can work excellently in high temperatures.
  
  Omega offers one called hothead. Apparently it...
  
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  Hi Greg,
  
  I just had a beer brewed by lukasfab using Imperial A20 Citrus yeast. The beer was an AMerican Pale ALe and the hop bill tasted fantastic but the yeast (he fermented it at 22-23°C / 71.6-73.4°F) and it gave it a slightly unpleasant flavour, not hugely terrible though. We reckon if he ferments it lower next time then that flavour won't appear.
  
  Hopefully Lukas will experiment more so I don't have to :)
  Pat
  
  3 Replies
  8535 Views
  
  Last post by PistolPatch
  3 years ago
11. Shaken, not Stirred (aka James Bond) yeast starter method
  9 Replies 15969 Views
  
  First post by tizoc, 4 years ago
  
  First post
  
  This is the yeast starter method I have been using lately, and so far I'm very happy with the results (I haven't used my stir-plate since I first tried it):
  
  Interesting related posts:
  
  A writeup on yeast by the inventor of the method:
  Trial by denny from the AHA forum:
  Thread of the above:
  On the recommended vessel size of at least 4:1 ratio of vessel volume to starter volume:
  Pitching during high krausen is ideal, but not strictly required:
  On yeast and bacteria replication, UFA and...
  
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  Great, thanks for the explanation!
  
  9 Replies
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  Last post by Yak_NN
  3 years ago
12. adding flaked oats to a yeast starter
  5 Replies 10224 Views
  
  First post by ShorePoints, 4 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Consider adding flaked oats (dry oatmeal flakes) at a rate of 10 grams / 100 grams of Dry Malt Extract (DME) to the water you then boil to prepare in making a yeast starter. The wet oats can be strained off (sanitised strainer!) after cooling during transfer to the vessel where the yeast will be added.
  
  tizoc has provided a link with background
  
  Last post
  
  Thank you! this confirms what I suspected.
  
  I'm not sure what to think about it, on one hand, the foam going away so quickly when oats are added, is counterproductive for what you are supposed to be accomplishing with the SNS method (lots of foam to increase surface area). On the other hand, the presence of such lipids should make oxygen less important (at least thats my understanding based on those experiments where they use olive oil instead of oxygenation to help with yeast growth).
  
  Maybe...
  
  5 Replies
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  Last post by tizoc
  4 years ago
13. Disaster
  5 Replies 10309 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 5 years ago
  
  First post
  
  I don't want to scare anyone but:-
  
  I went to great lengths to set up and store yeast in slants and I was painfully hygenic using A septic techniques.
  
  I've just had to throw away 46 litres as it turned the wort into the worst thing imaginable.
  
  I've given up trying to store yeast.
  
  Last post
  
  Philip and anyone who is re-using yeast, two things...
  
  1. Always smell the yeast before you pitch it.
  2. Always taste it before you pitch it.
  
  If there is something wrong, in my experience, one or both of those tests will reveal it.
  
  5 Replies
  10309 Views
  
  Last post by PistolPatch
  5 years ago
14. Storing wort
  3 Replies 8001 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 5 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Does anyone ever store their unfermented wort for say 5 days until a yeast cake is ready.
  
  Would I be able to store unfermented wort in a fermentaion vesel for 5 days in a chiller?
  
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  Thank you for your replies Scott and Mad-scientist.
  
  Scott, I did not think of band-aid ester taste so I won't store the wort. It is not worth the risk.
  
  Also I do not like the idea of handling almost boiling wort and putting it in a cube for two reasons, To dangerous and hot wort in plastic is probably not a good idea for health reasons and taste.
  
  3 Replies
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  Last post by Philip321
  5 years ago
15. Wyeast vs White Labs
  9 Replies 18757 Views
  
  First post by Gyro, 11 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Not really a contest, but .....
  
  Which do you reccomend, and why? So far I've used dry yeast; mainly Fermentis, with good results. Sometimes, I've re-hydrated in luke warm water or wort, but most often have sprinkled straight onto the top of the wort.
  
  I'm contemplating brewing a Belgian Ale next, and appreciate that Wyeast or White Labs have a greater variety and perceived better quantity than what I normally get. But how easy are they to use?
  
  Without seeing it, this 'smack pack' business...
  
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  I know what you mean about the limited supply of dry yeast strains, I asked one time about this and was told that a lot of the strains they offer for liquid packaged yeast would not hold up well to the drying process, I do not know if that is true or not.
  
  I used white labs for years, and thought it was great stuff, I lived a few miles from a HBS and could pick it up fresh a few days before brewing any time I needed to and make a starter. I have tried the smack pack stuff and agree it gives...
  
  9 Replies
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  Last post by Jamato
  5 years ago
16. Petri Dishes
  1 Replies 6373 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 6 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Do I need 3 vented or single vented or non vented petri dishes for yeast for brewing beer.
  
  Also does anyone sanitise / sterilise Polystyrene Petri Dishes, If yes how do you do it?
  
  Last post
  
  Hi Philip,
  
  Short on time atm so haven't logged in for a bit. Only threads I'm going to read today are unanswered ones so, you are one of the two. Also, at time of writing, some members will not be getting Topic Reply Notifications via email so not sure if you will even see this?
  
  Okay, I reckon your question needs lots more detail. I don't know much about propagating yeast but I do know a bit and the first question you have, I really don't understand so other readers probably don't as well.
  
  A...
  
  1 Replies
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  Last post by PistolPatch
  5 years ago
17. Real Wort Starter?
  28 Replies 43787 Views
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  First post by joshua, 11 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Good Day, When I No-Chill there is always around 1L-2L of wort in the trub.
  
  I now use a fine strainer to seperate the trub from the hot wort, then cool the wort to 18C. It is really easy to chill 1-2L.
  
  I then add my yeast to the cooled wort, and when it starts working, I place it into the 'Fridge. Covered with some plastic film. This slows done the growth.
  
  The next day or so, when it is time to frement, I remove the starter from my 'Fridge , Warm it to the wort temperature, and Pitch.
  
  The...
  
  Last post
  
  I'm planning out two identical grain bills of Stout to ferment at the same time in separate F.Vs. both with Wyeast Irish Ale 1084. One Pride of Ringwood, the other Fuggles.
  I've only used a smack pack once before (whole thing all in), and wanted to split this one for the two starters using 1L of post boil/pre no chill cube wort from each of the batches I'll be fermenting. O.G is 1.047, so I'll dilute a little down to 1.040.
  I like the idea of using the same wort it's going into and wanted to...
  28 Replies
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  Last post by Muggy Dawson
  6 years ago
18. Safbrew BE-256 Abbaye dry
  0 Replies 11882 Views
  
  First post by Brew4me, 6 years ago
  
  Thought I would share my recent brew experience with this dry yeast.
  
  Just brewed a Belgian Pale Ale based on a recipe from Brewing Classic Styles by Zainasheff and Palmer. Instead of using a liquid yeast from the recipe I went with the Safbrew BE-256 Abbaye dry.
  
  This was a 3 gallon into a 3 gallon carboy brew with two packs of safbrew directly pitched.
  
  OG expected 1.052, actual 1.050
  FG expected 1.013, actual 1.008
  Brewed Sunday - pitched at 70F (21C), and put into chamber set at 66F...
  
  0 Replies
  11882 Views
  
  Last post by Brew4me
  6 years ago
19. Safale S-04 - Fermentis
  9 Replies 18008 Views
  
  First post by BDP, 7 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Hi,
  
  I've read numerous posts on this forum from members who've used S-04. I've used 5 other yeast strains to date, and S-04 is now the 6th. No other yeast has dropped out so quickly. What I mean is that high krausen only lasted a day, and then the surface was clear! I.e. no krausen but still plenty of fermentation taking place (bubbling like soda). I've never brewed a lager style, which I understand use bottom fermenting yeast strains, but I imagine this is how a lager strain would behave....
  
  Last post
  
  I've ruined beer with Nottingham too, so I know what you are talking about there Rick. Now I aim for the low end ale fermentation temps. In fact, am busy fermenting an English IPA with Nottingham at 64F.
  
  I was using liquid yeasts for most batches but have switched back to dry recently. Want to see how things compare. Was finding that building starters was a bit of a pain. Will note your recommendation should I feel the urge to use a liquid yeast again. Thanks!
  
  Mally, thanks for the reminder...
  
  9 Replies
  18008 Views
  
  Last post by BDP
  6 years ago
20. ADO: SafaleUS-05 - American Ale Yeast
  2 Replies 8951 Views
  
  First post by LloydieP, 12 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Very clean, crisp flavor characteristics. Low fruitiness and mild ester production. Slightly citrus like with cool (60-66F, 15-19C) fermentation temperatures. Versatile yeast, which produces many beer styles allowing malt and hop character to dominate the beer profile. Flocculation improves with dark malts in grain bill. Normally requires filtration for bright beers. DE or pad filtration recommended.
  
  Origin:
  Flocculation: Medium-Low
  Attenuation: 73-77%
  Temperature Range: 60-72F, 15-22C...
  
  Last post
  
  I continuously get 84% AA with it
  
  1.070 OG
  1.010 FG
  
  Single Infusion @ 149F 90m
  75 to 90m boil
  5.2 target mash pH
  
  92.3% Great Western PNW 2-Row
  2.6% Honey Malt
  5.1% Crystal 15
  
  Fermented at 66F, typically ready for secondary in 10 days.
  
  2 Replies
  8951 Views
  
  Last post by Rick
  7 years ago
21. CAN I FREEZE
  5 Replies 12442 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 7 years ago
  
  First post
  
  I have harvested the yeast by putting some water in with the trub in the bottom of the fermenter. I have let it settle for 3 days and poured off the water from the top which leaves me with 3 glass jars containing 520g = 18oz in each jar.
  
  I have two questions:-
  
  If I add some glycerene to it can I freeze it? (I'll use suitable containers)
  
  Also if it is ok to freeze, how long will it last in the freezer?
  
  (I'll put them in the freezer in ice containers with ice in them as my freezer is self...
  
  Last post
  
  thughes,
  So that's the trick. Top them with water to keep the oxygen out.
  No wonder mine smelled eggy after only two months.
  Thanx for the reply thughes.
  
  5 Replies
  12442 Views
  
  Last post by Philip321
  7 years ago
22. Yeast Harvesting
  2 Replies 8182 Views
  
  First post by Philip321, 7 years ago
  
  First post
  
  I'll be using WLP 002 Yeast.
  I have not brewed in a bag before. Do I need to use finings to clear the beer before I put it into corni kegs?
  
  If yes will the finings prevent me from washing/harvesting the yeast?
  
  Last post
  
  As per BelleyBuster, cold crash is all you need to clear your beer up. In regards to finings, I've never used them but I would assume that they shouldn't affect yeast washing.
  
  ---Todd
  
  2 Replies
  8182 Views
  
  Last post by thughes
  7 years ago
23. WLP001 direct
  6 Replies 13521 Views
  
  First post by alanem, 7 years ago
  
  First post
  
  At the moment I am in the process of using a liquid yeast for the first time, more out of curiosity than anything else.
  I intend to use White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast in a DrSmurto Golden Ale. I'm not really fussed about splitting or making starters etc as I haven't the equipment, (eg: mason jars or flasks etc), my ambition is to shake the crap out of the vial and use it direct in my 19l 1.047 Ale and aerate by shaking vigorously for a while.
  I know white labs and such say you should...
  
  Last post
  
  @Alanem, I'm with Todd. Keep it simple. Use 2 vials, don't secondary and pitch onto yeast cake. There's no reason that this won't make excellent beer. If you're relatively new to this don't overcomplicate it
  
  Mate, you and Todd have both won me over with simplicity, I think using LY for the first time and on a trial and error basis, this is perhaps the best idea so that's how I will go.
  
  Maybe at a later date, and I am happy with the brewing results from liquid yeasts, I'll then establish a...
  
  6 Replies
  13521 Views
  
  Last post by alanem
  7 years ago
24. Harvesting yeast cake
  16 Replies 27599 Views
  
  First post by Gyro, 11 years ago
  
  First post
  
  NEWBIE ALERT !!!
  
  So, what does the above title actually mean in practical terms?
  
  Once there's a yeast head in the fermenter, do I scoop some off? Normally, my brews seem to ferment pretty speedily for a couple of days, and then there's barely any activity, and after this time I don't think the head itself lasts very long.
  
  And once I taken some cake, what do I do with it then....?
  
  Apols if this is covered in another thread, but humour me.
  
  Cheers,
  G
  
  Last post
  
  Bump:
  
  I do this now and find it the easiest way to re-use yeast over and over again.
  
  16 Replies
  27599 Views
  
  Last post by gregbyday
  7 years ago
25. WLP550 - Belgian Ale Yeast
  2 Replies 8885 Views
  
  First post by DaveDoran, 8 years ago
  
  First post
  
  Not sure if you all have much experience with WLP550 - Belgian Ale Yeast. Im very surprised by it. Pitched on fri at 20 deg. Finished ferment by Mon morning. 1.065 - 1.013 in 3 days. Ill leave it another week to finish up but it already lower than the target fg.
  
  Last post
  
  I used it for a Biere de Garde and came out really good. Bit peppery and dark fruits. Would be really good for a dubbel or maybe even tripple.
  
  2 Replies
  8885 Views
  
  Last post by DaveDoran
  8 years ago

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