Forever yeast 👍

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I shall be watching with interest as I also found his interview with John Palmer very interesting.Could be a great way to replicate a consistent beer of a particular style that you liked.Worth a try.:thumb:
 
I have been conducting a similar experiment, although I guess how we are cropping the yeast differs (I like to keep it really simple).

I have a thread that started when I began here, I am still using the same yeast & plan to do so until it either lets me down or I get bored with it.
 
I've been harvesting my yeast for reuse and I asked the brewery that I got the yeast from how many times they would recommend reusing before it was no good and they replied that they have been harvesting from their last brew and repitching into the next brew since the late nineties!. :thumb:
 
I listened to that youtube vid whilst I was brewing earlier. It might be all that fanciful. If you use overbuilding you can go to at least 13 generations (according to Brulosopher) without any negative consequences and I read some people reckon indefinately

I think you can go for hundreds of generation, in not indefinately with top cropping if done right. I imagine the brewery @cheapbrew got his yeast from top crops if it's been going since the nineties.

The problem with the way craig was doing it, scooping yeast from bottom of the FV (bottom cropping) is you put selective pressure on it doing things this way. As you're always cropping from the bottom your harvesting ever more flocculant cells. The consequence of doing this is you get lower and lower attenuation as yeast wont ferment your wort if it's chillaxing on the bottom of your FV, it has to be in suspention
 
I listened to that youtube vid whilst I was brewing earlier. It might be all that fanciful. If you use overbuilding you can go to at least 13 generations (according to Brulosopher) without any negative consequences and I read some people reckon indefinately

I think you can go for hundreds of generation, in not indefinately with top cropping if done right. I imagine the brewery @cheapbrew got his yeast from top crops if it's been going since the nineties.

The problem with the way craig was doing it, scooping yeast from bottom of the FV (bottom cropping) is you put selective pressure on it doing things this way. As you're always cropping from the bottom your harvesting ever more flocculant cells. The consequence of doing this is you get lower and lower attenuation as yeast wont ferment your wort if it's chillaxing on the bottom of your FV, it has to be in suspention

Yes top cropping,
move the main krausen out of the way and take scoops from just below the surface, store in the fridge and use within a month maximum, preferably less (I've used up to 3 month old but it took a good awhile to get going as there are less viable yeast cells and this can stress the yeast and produce off flavours) so if it's more than a month old just add some fresh wort and make a starter.

Also yeast harvested from the bottom will have dead yeast and hop debris mixed in
 
Yes top cropping,
move the main krausen out of the way and take scoops from just below the surface, store in the fridge and use within a month maximum, preferably less (I've used up to 3 month old but it took a good awhile to get going as there are less viable yeast cells and this can stress the yeast and produce off flavours) so if it's more than a month old just add some fresh wort and make a starter.




Also yeast harvested from the bottom will have dead yeast and hop debris mixed in

This I would be interested in doing and maybe a great help to some brewers on the forum if you could post a video/pics of the procedure:whistle:
 
I listened to that youtube vid whilst I was brewing earlier. It might be all that fanciful. If you use overbuilding you can go to at least 13 generations (according to Brulosopher) without any negative consequences and I read some people reckon indefinately

I think you can go for hundreds of generation, in not indefinately with top cropping if done right. I imagine the brewery @cheapbrew got his yeast from top crops if it's been going since the nineties.

The problem with the way craig was doing it, scooping yeast from bottom of the FV (bottom cropping) is you put selective pressure on it doing things this way. As you're always cropping from the bottom your harvesting ever more flocculant cells. The consequence of doing this is you get lower and lower attenuation as yeast wont ferment your wort if it's chillaxing on the bottom of your FV, it has to be in suspention

I personally think this would be an interesting experiment although it would be long term too pitch these styles against one another.i.e
One SMaSH say 20 litre/10 litre split the wort between top and bottom harvests,and retrieve both harvests at the end of fermentation again one top and bottom for say ten brews using the same recipe.This way you are recovering the yeast from the same brew too see what dissimilarities there is between them at the end and also if there is any significant differences between each brew number from 1 to 10.Just a thought.:thumb::whistle:
 
I have a lush ginger beer (at wine strength) that is still in hen FV and sat I have just been feeding from it and adding sugar to it each time to push oxygen out of the vessel as a bubbler is on it, would I be able to remove most of the brew and hen just put the new ginger beer solution on top of it to reuse he yeast colony ?
 
I personally think this would be an interesting experiment although it would be long term too pitch these styles against one another.i.e
One SMaSH say 20 litre/10 litre split the wort between top and bottom harvests,and retrieve both harvests at the end of fermentation again one top and bottom for say ten brews using the same recipe.This way you are recovering the yeast from the same brew too see what dissimilarities there is between them at the end and also if there is any significant differences between each brew number from 1 to 10.Just a thought.:thumb::whistle:

Very interesting experiment. Pretty long term though
 
Very interesting experiment. Pretty long term though

Yes it would be,though I was thinking maybe giving 2+2+2 scenario it could be done over 6 months to complete providing you were brewing back to back so to speak.
I'm currently in the middle of completing a brew bench for my self in the garage which will have a dedicated fermenting cupboard which shall be insulated and allow for two fermentors.
So when this is completed I think I might give this a go but the question is what type of yeast shall I go for as well as grain and hops.The water profile I'm not to concerned about as I have soft water and the beer does taste good and as I don't have a grain mill it is a sure way of using 25kg of crushed grain.
:thumb:
 
I have a lush ginger beer (at wine strength) that is still in hen FV and sat I have just been feeding from it and adding sugar to it each time to push oxygen out of the vessel as a bubbler is on it, would I be able to remove most of the brew and hen just put the new ginger beer solution on top of it to reuse he yeast colony ?

I'm afraid I would be of no help with that but @Chippy_Tea or @Dutto maybe of help:thumb::whistle:
 
I have a lush ginger beer (at wine strength) that is still in hen FV and I have just been feeding from it and adding sugar to it each time to push oxygen out of the vessel as a bubbler is on it, would I be able to remove most of the brew and hen just put the new ginger beer solution on top of it to reuse he yeast colony ?

Before I ever heard of wild yeasts and infections my Mum had what was called "A Ginger Beer Plant" that sat in a Kilner jar on top of the mantlepiece and was fed sugar and powdered ginger every day. (I'm not sure of the amounts 'cos it was Mum's "project"!)

At regular intervals Mum used to take the "plant" down, shake it up in the jar, remove about 75% of the liquid sludge and start it off again.

The 75% of "sludge" was then diluted down into six bottles, primed with sugar and left to what I now know as "carbonate".

The "plant" lasted all one summer until she made a batch that started exploding in the pantry! (I presume that she over carbonated the bottles!) at which time it was poured down the sink and never seen again.

Maybe Mum got lucky but you could definitely give your idea a whirl because on my Mum's "plant" nothing went "off" for at least the two months it was sat on the mantlepiece! :thumb::thumb:
 
Very interesting experiment. Pretty long term though

It shall be at least a month before I get started on this but as GEB have a hop sale on I was thinking of ordering 1kg of Cascade allowing 50 boil and 50 dry hop or hop tea which I may syringe into the bottle maybe.
I'm toying with US05 yeast but I'm open to suggestions but only for dry yeast and as for the grain bill it will be simple as shown below.Now looking for your thoughts on this and anyone else who maybe interested.

:thumb:

Yeast trial reacipe.jpg
 
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