wild yeast
I brewed last weekend, a practice run with my equipment for an all-grain run. There is another post about that adventure already.
Like any other time, I drew a sample to measure the original gravity. When the temperature settled, it ended up around 1.040. A little lower than desired, but oh well it was just a practice run.
Well, unlike other times, because I was letting the temp settle out for a more accurate reading (rather than an estimate based on temp. adjustment) I left the test cylinder full. I didn't empty it out. I just let it sit. Unpitched, sitting there on the counter-top, minding it's own business.
Here is what I find today.
Not exactly what I expected. Looks like someone has a case of the wild yeasties.
I think I'll let it go until it subsides and then pitch yeast sediment into a starter. I was thinking of making a small one gallon batch to test the yeast out, see how it turns out. I know that wild yeast are supposed to be ooh, bad, nasty but who knows? It's not like lambic is bad and that follows a similar principle.
Like any other time, I drew a sample to measure the original gravity. When the temperature settled, it ended up around 1.040. A little lower than desired, but oh well it was just a practice run.
Well, unlike other times, because I was letting the temp settle out for a more accurate reading (rather than an estimate based on temp. adjustment) I left the test cylinder full. I didn't empty it out. I just let it sit. Unpitched, sitting there on the counter-top, minding it's own business.
Here is what I find today.
Not exactly what I expected. Looks like someone has a case of the wild yeasties.
I think I'll let it go until it subsides and then pitch yeast sediment into a starter. I was thinking of making a small one gallon batch to test the yeast out, see how it turns out. I know that wild yeast are supposed to be ooh, bad, nasty but who knows? It's not like lambic is bad and that follows a similar principle.
posted by chris @ 10:11 AM
5 Comments:
At 10:41 AM,
Brian said…
Dude.
We are so brewing with that.
At 12:29 PM,
Joseph H. Vilas said…
I've never brewed beer with wild yeast, but I have made bread with it. Do not be afraid of the wild yeasties. Be gentle with them, and make them your friends. :) Besides, then you can have beer that's just that much more special and individual.
At 9:14 PM,
Jonathan said…
Money in the bank. I've yet to encounter a wild yeast I liked, but it looks like you might have the makings of one. I'm curious to see how she turns out.
At 8:41 AM,
Anonymous said…
One bit of advice...
BE CAREFUL WITH THAT!
As you mention, wild yeast is something that can make amazing beers... But you let that get to close to your other equipment, and you'll never have a normal beer again.
I'm not sure if you usually pour your beer from the hydrometer tube back into the main stuff after testing, but you can't ever do it again with that tube. Any tubing you use should be thrown away or sequestered forever as your "wild yeast tubing". About the only thing that you can dual-purpose is glass equipment, since it's the easiest to be sure you sanitize.
I had an infection once... My neighbor's Imperial Rye Pale Ale actually started tasting good after a year... I dumped my entire batch of Wee Heavy. Not fun.
At 12:05 PM,
Anonymous said…
Should be interesting. I brewed a batch of hard cider intentionally using wild yeasts a few years ago...it took a long time to ferment out and clear...a little under a year.
It tasted pretty good...very dry with some bready flavors. Alas, the flora and fauna of Portland isnt quite like Belgium and our wild yeasts dont impart the great flavors like theirs...
My guess is that it will be a pretty gross, funky sour tasting beer...But ya never know...
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