Yeast - Chris White with Jamil Zainasheff

[Runwell-Steve]

I didn't really have much of an understanding of yeast when I bought this book, actually I knew very little at all.

My yeast usage in brewing up until this point had involved opening a pack of US-05 or S-04 and sprinkling it on the wort and then leaving it for a week or 2 to do it's work. What it was actually doing I really didn't know, except for the fact that the combination of my wort and what was in the little packet would result in beer.

The Yeast book starts with the basics about yeast and gradually goes into more and more detail. I have to be honest I haven't read it all yet, it was just a bit too hard going for me, but along the way I have learnt a lot about yeast and am now quite happy using liquid yeasts, and I have a much better undersatnding of what effect they will have on my beer.

I think, whether or not you are experimenting with yeast, this is a good book to have on the shelf as it does explain the function of yeast really well, and if you want the nitty gritty, you will find it there as well.

Overall a worthwhile purchase, I may finish reading it one day.

 

[Vossy1]

I can't really add much to the above, R-S has done a great overview which pretty much sums up my own opinion of the book. It will take you 'one step' further in your knowledge of yeast and my own favourite aspects of the book are the culturing sections in chapter 5&6.

 

[artiums_enteri]

The culturing section is very informative, and gave me the knowledge and some tips I was missing to help in culturing.

I use this book as a text book in one of my microbio classes pert staining to brewing science, and really live to just curl up with it.

I think my favorite part of the book is that Jamil stresses the fact that brewers make wort, and yeast makes beer. A lot of brewers forget about the important role yeast really does play in beer. 50% of the flavor of beer is derived from the yeast strain, health, and temp control.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.497518,-120.853041

 

[critch]

its a bloody good book, be you enthusiastic, knowlegable amature, or professional! well recomended!

 

[Good Ed]

A lot of people have been posting on here lately about making starters, and all I can say is that this is an excellent guide to doing such a thing, and a lot more besides. I know I won't be setting up a yeast lab, but if you want to it's all here. I think it's great value and invaluble in understanding how to grow yeast to pitch in your beer.

 

[paulpj26]

Excellent book, if you really want to make your beers shine you've got to get the fermentation process bang on, this book goes a long way in helping you do that. Not overly complicated but I will need to read it a couple more times for it to properly sink in (though that's probably just me!!!).

There's a large section on building your own yeast lab which I did find a little perplexing as to why they had included it but hey ho!

Recommend it to any intermediate-advanced brewer

I think my favorite part of the book is that Jamil stresses the fact that brewers make wort, and yeast makes beer. A lot of brewers forget about the important role yeast really does play in beer. 50% of the flavor of beer is derived from the yeast strain, health, and temp control.

Couldn't agree more!!!

 

[BrotherMalice]

Just ordered this, should be interesting, been wondering about this more and more recently :)

Good price here btw :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280966486500? ... 1497.l2649

 

[Baldbrewer]

Got this book on Wednesday, just dipping in but interesting points about Primary and secondary fermentation and crash cooling.

I think I'm getting obsessed with brewing, I had the Jamil radio show on my iPhone in the gym the other day!

 

[BrotherMalice]

I have the redio shows on all the time, several CD's in the car, ipod has all the Jamil Show podcasts, You Can Brew It podcasts and all the Brew Strong podcasts on it (and a small amount of music...)

Book should be here soon I hope :)

 

[dennisdk2000]

I treated myself to this book upon many recommendations on here, and I'm glad I did! I know an awful lot more about yeast and fermentation than I did, and reading the book a couple more times should bring even further knowledge as I start to properly join up the dots mentally.

However, I now have the dilemma of trying to implement as much as possible of this new-found knowledge into my brewing process! Certain things are straight-forward enough, e.g. temperature control of my fermentations; but I think setting up a yeast lab is beyond me - financially and in terms of space. This is a little frustrating, as after reading the book I'm sure I'm over-pitching and would like to correct this. But without establishing a cell count, it will always be somewhat off.

Another issue I was hoping to go some way in resolving is the issue of harvesting and storing yeast. The harvesting side I now feel much better equipped to do properly. But the guidelines of storage times for slurries, slants etc. and the issue of mutations makes me wonder is this is appropriate for my operation. So far I have been brewing with dried yeast, the main reason being that I brew small batches, so the price of a pack of liquid yeast compared to how much I'd utilize of it at a time has put me off. If I could split the packet into smaller portions more appropriate for my batch size, and/or harvest and re-use the yeast, it wouldn't be an issue. The problem is that I don't brew as often as I'd like, due to lack of time, and as one packed of liquid yeast would suffice for five brews as is, and I like brewing different types of beers calling for different yeasts, I'd soon end up with more yeast than I could use up before it goes out of date. While -20°C freezing might go some way in solving this problem, I wouldn't be able to check the quality of the yeast after freezing (vitality and viability, mutation) and propagate to an appropriate cell count for pitching without more equipment than I can manage.

Maybe I've over-complicating things and being too perfectionistic. Maybe I need to make a note of what exactly I want to be able to do and to improve, and things I'd like to be able to do and improve, and then re-visit the book with this in mind, maybe as more of a reference work.

Overall, I'm glad I bought the book, and I've learnt a lot. I just need to work out what to do with the information and what is realistic within the scope of my humble operation!

Dennis

 

[BrotherMalice]

If you dont already listen to the Brewing Network podcasts, it may be worth a listen, there are several shows about re-pitching yeast & making starteds and generally about yeast.

:

 

[Kinleycat]

Ordered this from Amazon for just over a tenner inc postage.
I look forward to reading it and learning more about something i know so little about but is so important to this hobby.

 

[BrotherMalice]

I have had mins since well before christmas and still not really looked at it

 

[Vossy1]

Another issue I was hoping to go some way in resolving is the issue of harvesting and storing yeast. The harvesting side I now feel much better equipped to do properly. But the guidelines of storage times for slurries, slants etc. and the issue of mutations makes me wonder is this is appropriate for my operation. So far I have been brewing with dried yeast, the main reason being that I brew small batches, so the price of a pack of liquid yeast compared to how much I'd utilize of it at a time has put me off. If I could split the packet into smaller portions more appropriate for my batch size, and/or harvest and re-use the yeast, it wouldn't be an issue. The problem is that I don't brew as often as I'd like, due to lack of time, and as one packed of liquid yeast would suffice for five brews as is, and I like brewing different types of beers calling for different yeasts, I'd soon end up with more yeast than I could use up before it goes out of date. While -20°C freezing might go some way in solving this problem, I wouldn't be able to check the quality of the yeast after freezing (vitality and viability, mutation) and propagate to an appropriate cell count for pitching without more equipment than I can manage.

Maybe I've over-complicating things and being too perfectionistic. Maybe I need to make a note of what exactly I want to be able to do and to improve, and things I'd like to be able to do and improve, and then re-visit the book with this in mind, maybe as more of a reference work.

Overall, I'm glad I bought the book, and I've learnt a lot. I just need to work out what to do with the information and what is realistic within the scope of my humble operation!

A cracking write up D, and a situation I, and I'm sure many brewers will find themselves in. As with everything in life you have to make it fit in with your constraints, and if you're anything like me, the perfectionist in you will always be telling you off :lol: There's the right way, and then there's the only way available to you, there is no choice, we have to be happy with our lot ...not always possible being a perfectionist...caught between a 'rock and a hard place' :P

 

[Springer]

Got my copy , saving it to take on next holiday .........but

S

 

[Good Ed]

Maybe I've over-complicating things and being too perfectionistic. Maybe I need to make a note of what exactly I want to be able to do and to improve, and things I'd like to be able to do and improve, and then re-visit the book with this in mind, maybe as more of a reference work. Dennis

as V says above you have to tailor your operation within your own limits, and for the same reasons of not taking over SWMBO's fridge I buy a WLP vial of the particular type fresh each year, based on this containing ~100bn cells I make a starter with 2L and 200g DME to produce ~200bn cells, split 2 ways put one in the fridge and use the other for my brew as is or stepped up further. This way I keep a plastic bottle with ~100bn cells in the fridge of each type of yeast. I currently have WLP001, 004, 007 & 830, so I'm just storing 4 500ml plastic bottles.

 

[MacKiwi]

Hi Good Ed - so what is your procedure when you want to start a new brew. I'm guessing...

* Get vial from fridge and warm up to room temperature
* pitch in 2 litre starter and grow up to ~200b cells
* split two ways - one half for the brew, the other half back into the fridge for next time

How long can you leave the vial without doing a brew before the yeast becomes ineffective?

With this procedure the yeast generations are succesivly evolving from one batch to the next. Do you notice any change from one brew to the next? And I'm guessing you buy a new vial every year, so that the yeast doesn't become too evolved...

 

[Good Ed]

yes that's pretty much it, I haven't noticed any difference with the yeast "evolving" and get fresh each year anyway. I used to make up a starter and split several ways and keep them in the fridge, but I used a WLP051 batch after about 9 months, and while it fermented ok it wasn't the right taste, so that's one reason I do what I do. The thing is with yeast to give them ideal conditions and TLC, quality of yeast is more important than quantity, that's why BrewLab slants are so good because they're so fresh.

 

[subsub]

Tis indeed a great read, although I was already using slants. I tend to re harvest yearly, as I've found that's when the flavour characteristics change.

 

[dennisdk2000]

Tis indeed a great read, although I was already using slants. I tend to re harvest yearly, as I've found that's when the flavour characteristics change.

Does this mean you know about microbiology? I'd like to start doing a few things, but so far have found the cost of supplies prohibitive. Any advice?

Dennis