Manchester Brewers - Free Brewery Yeast (By Appointment!)

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Darcey

Landlord.
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Hello there people.

I work at Black Jack Beers in Central Manchester (near the new Cooperative building). If anyone wants some brewery yeast for a brewday you are more than welcome to come and take as much as you want. If you want more than 2L then we will need at least 24 hours notice but for general pitching it is no problem in fact we throw a lot more away than we will ever use!

To give you a profile of the yeast if you are interested:

Original Strain: Secret English Brewery - Which still operates under a larger independent (Secret can be discovered by providing beer in the pub). This strain was then used for 10 years by a Manchester Micro brewery transforming it in to somewhat of a yeast oddity. It tends not to fit many profiles but ferments fast and clean at temperatures between 15-27c.

Alcohol Tolerence: Maximnum ferment up to 10.5% this did involve alot of rousing and re pitching etc.

Floculation: Typically forms large crumb like clumps and floculates very well after fermentation finished or in secondary. May require rousing or repitching for slower higher ABV ferments.
Attenuation: Variable but this yeast has been known to get down to 1.004 on a low ABV beer and chews through most strike temperature cock ups.

Fermentation Speed: Quick/average depending on freshness. If pitched high this yeast will devour most beers in 2-5 days, in which case you will need temperature control as it can kick up diacetyl

Lagtime: As with any active yeast I would expect a a beer pitched with fresh yeast to be observably fermenting with in 6 hours.

Temperature: Very variable in commercial fermenters. Has proven to ferment at 15c to produce clean 'Lager Beers' and is happiest at 21-23c for general fermentation. Highest temperature 25c *not recommended but acceptable... Again be careful of diacetyl. If you are concerned over fusel alcohols then condition on the yeast for a week to reabsorb or ferment at the lower end of the spectrum.

Limitations. Due to the floculent nature of this yeast it tends to work better in short/stout fermenters. Taller and conical ferments seem to need much more rousing to finish the beer however this is something I would like to get feedback on.

Beer Styles Suited: English beer styles mainly including the crafty English hop bomb! If you want more of a APA then over pitch and ferment at about 18c resulting in a cleaner beer that ferments right down. Otherwise you can produce very clean IPA and pale ales from this yeast. Has been used to create clean lager style beers at 15c. Personally I like the Barley wines and strong stouts you can make. I think the yeast really moulds the malt flavours and actually allows the hops to do abit of a jig.

Please note that all yeast collected will NOT be acid washed and is direct krausen skim from our beer. Do what you wish with the yeast but its not our fault if your commercial batch sours!

All you have to do is let me know at [email protected] or txt 07920446251 before you are coming down and bring something suitable to take it away in. I can sanitise at the brewery but please try not to bring dirty FV's etc in to the brewery. Gernerally a clean 500ml coke bottle will be more than enough for a HB batch.

I am there Monday - Friday 8.30am - 6.15pm and would be happy to show any yeastmongerers how we do things unless I am hungover or doing a duty/VAT return at the time.

Thanks,

Darcey.
 
Hi Darcey.

Yes I would be interested. I will arrange something in a few weeks before I next brew which is going to be a dark ale.

Cheers

Alistair
 
and I'm pressuring GA to get me one also.
Thanks for the generous offer...
 
Damn and I only left manchester this time last year. I know of a brewing co operative in manchester that would definitely take up your offer. I will let them know
 
No problem! Send me a txt or email a few days before you come down so I can make sure we have enough. I'll start collecting 500ml PET bottles for the task so I can have it ready or meet people in the pub etc.

D
 
Well I have had a lot of interest! Has someone posted this on a Manchester Home Brew Group? I would rather keep it to the forum for the moment as there appears to be a lot of demand! :shock:

Darcey
 
I work for co-op and may be up at Head Office in Manchester soon, will give you a shout when I know. Thanks for the kind gesture
 
great offer Darcey, thanks. TBH I havent heard of the micro, which pubs do you supply, I'm always looking to try out new beers, and will be brewing in a week or so, so this is good timing.
Any pointers on the yeast washing side, I've never repitched yet.

:thumb:
hb
 

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