What Commercial Beers have live yeasts

[guest]

Interested to get at various "exotic" yeasts, without forking out $20 a time.
So interested in knowing if there is a site somewhere that reveals which Commercial Beers have live yeasts in them, and maybe even some comments on the nature of those yeasts (or perhaps near equivalents in White Labs or other commercial brands).

I know some (most, all?) the Coopers beers have live yeasts, and believe them to be different yeasts from their dried yeasts (I known they have various dried ale yeats, plus Saflager with their Bav Lager and Pils kits).

I understand many of the Belgian beers use live yeasts. I have used live yeast from Hoegarden (some websites suggest it is that Hoegarden use a different bottling yeast than brewing, but there is dispute on this). I have some Hoegarden Forbidden Fruit awaiting drinking and yeast harvesting.

Looking forward to any advice.

peterd

[Hrundi V Bakshi]

Hello Mr guest,

I am believing that the Hoegaarden Wit is using a lager yeast for bottling priming, but I do not know for sure.

Coopers is having WLP009
Chimay Blue is having WLP500 or WLP550 (debate is very rife om this, my friend).

There was a very humorous man that I was speaking to today who is thinking that the yeasts from Fullers or Youngs is possible for harvesting. hehehehe.

[guest]

Thanks Hrundi.
Noting your location, and thinking of beer, reminds me a a particularly memorable afternoon last year (well, I admit the details are a little hazy ) when, forced to shelter from a prolonged downpour on the steps to Elephanta caves, a fellow traveller (from Perth) and I (from the Gold Coast) drank what we ernestly believed to be every last bottle of Kingfisher (or any other beer for that matter) on the island.
As they say, every cloud has a silver lining!

peterd

[NRB]

Guest,

Perhaps you should register so we know who we're talking to.

Point your browser here http://www.nada.kth.se/~alun/Beer/Bottle-Yeasts/ for the information you're after.

Nick

[guest]

Nick,
thank you for the information.

Unfortunately, the majority of beers listed are not available in this hemisphere. Don't know how the yeast would go on the slow trip "downhill" anyway. Will lookout for any of those listed that suggest live primary strain yeasts.

Wasn't meaning to be rude: have now registered.

peterd

[Oliver]

peterd,

Welcome.

Don't forget to log in before you post

(Or tick the "Log me on each time I visit" checkbox.)

Oliver

[gregb]

Would sediment on the bottom of the bottle be an indicator?

Greg

[peterd]

Greg,
the sediment is a very strong indicator that the beer is "bottle conditioned" (i.e. naturally carbonated), but it doesn't mean that the same yeast was used for bottle conditioning as was used for brewing. Often is, often isn't (and often isn't known).


peterd

[NRB]

Peter,

I didn't take it as being rude, nor was I attempting to be a smartarse; I just like to distinguish between users' posts.

I beg to differ on the availability of the beers in the page I linked to - I guess it depends on the bottle shop you attend. I have a local that stock an enormous range of imported beer and I've become accustomed to having a tough time selecting brews due to the sheer number available. Perhaps you should look for other outlets?

As for the yeast surviving the trip - I don't believe it to be a major concern. The majority of beers are fresh when they arrive and taste fine when drinking. I've successfully cultured yeast from bottle conditioned beers and am currently growing a wonderful starter from Hoegaarden that I'll be pitching into my clone tomorrow (damn temp's high in Melbourne atm ). Hopefully it'll be a good one, but is an experiment to see how the yeast performs.

Oliver or Geoff, wouldn't it be prudent to prevent non-registered users posting? A couple of minutes registering is all it takes.

[Oliver]

NRB,

I'm happy to let non-members post.

The reason is that nothing annoys me more than having to register on a forum if I only want to ask one question, have the question answered and never visit again. I think that many of the guests who post fall into this category.

I'll keep an eye on the situation, though.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Jazman]

with out wasting money on a hit and mis approach with reculturing a commerical yeast bottle buy a liquid yeast and u cna have lots of good strong and if your clean u can get a lot of beer out that yeast it is a very cheap way of using yeast cheaper than buying safale ect

[peterd]

Nick,

Hopefully it'll be a good one, but is an experiment to see how the yeast performs.

I have used the Hoegaarden yeast (well, the one that comes in the bottle at least) for a number of different brews, not all of which were vaguely Hoegaarden clones. I have yet to be dis-satisfied with the outcome.

peterd

[NRB]

Thanks for the encouragement Peterd. I brewed yesterday, but unfortunately my efficiency was down and the wort was consequently quite watery. It's going to be a light version of Hoegaarden I guess.

Jazman, I've heard good things about the yeast and believe it to be WYeast 3944 Belgian Witbier. I'm confident in my yeast handling abilities so wanted to see how the bottle yeast performs. The other bonus is that I didn't have to split a starter for storage. The yeast cost me under $4 and I had a lovely drink of its transport solution

Recipe is:

2.7kg Hoepfner Pilsner Malt
2.0kg TF Torrefied Wheat Malt
0.5kg TF Oat Malt
Rice hulls

Styrian Goldings Hops to 16IBU
1 tsp crushed corriander seeds
zest of 1/2 orange

Cultured Hoegaarden yeast.

I took 250g of the grist and sour mashed it for 3 days

Mash Scedule:
Protein rest 50C 30mins
Saccarification rest 65C 50mins

Boiled 90mins

24.5L, OG 1033 (WATER!)

Airlock activity started in under 1hr and it's thrown one hell on a krausen.

[Dogger Dan]

Just my two cents,

I have tried to cultivate Coopers yeast on more than one occasion here in Canada and it didn't work.

I think the yeast takes a lot of abuse when it gets exported so I would be a bit leary of using it anyway.

That being said, I pretty much suck at yeast cultivation anyway so it may mean nothing.

Dogger

[NRB]

The one thing I've noticed when culturing from the dregs of any beer is that it take a very long time for them to get going.

[gregb]

NRB,

How long is very long - days, weeks etc?

Thanks,

Greg.

I tried with the dregs from an Erdinger but chucked it after 3 days of no activity.

[peterd]

> How long is very long - days, weeks etc?

Obviously depends highly on several factors (yeast, "concentration", temp, food, aeration (surprisingly important), ... ), but I have found it to take several days (and I live in Queensland, where, of course, the weather varies only between beautiful and perfect - although not necessarily for yeasts!).

I have fitted an airlock to a coke bottle lid for the purpose, and when I step up, I refit the old lid to the new (larger) bottle. Apart from the obvious benefits of an airlock, you get to see minor pressure differentials showing up in the airlock levels, thereby satisfyig yourself that the little yeasty beasties are doing God's work and multiplying.

peterd

[r.magnay]

peterd,
Did you say the weather in "sunny" Queensland varies between beautiful and perfect, last time I was in the "sunshine state" for a week on the gold coast it was as cold as a nuns.......... kiss, and bloody raining!!

[Oliver]

Me, too, Ross.

Got up there on a Friday night. Rained the whole week. There were storms and the whole bit.

Of course, it was beautiful and sunny the day I left to go home.

Oliver

[NRB]

Greg,

Peterd's answered it as I would've "it depends". There's many factors, but it took me 7 days utiilising the dregs of a couple of bottles to get to a nice pitchable quantity. Also took quite a few step up procedures.

It's chewing through the wort beautifully.

Nick