So, I'm brewing a saison. Absolutely impressed with the yeast, crazy fermentation. Using WLP566, Belgian Saison II. So, does anyone know how this yeast evolved? Who started using this yeast, how long ago? I've read Farmhouse Ales, and the saison style has fascinated me. If this yeast evolved from naturally-occurring yeast in the air, a few hundred years ago, I'm interested if anyone knows why, and how... this yeast was naturally present in the air. Thank you!
saison yeast evolution
- Thread starter bosunbrew
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Saisons are fun.
I don't think they were generally spontaneous fermentations, though, at least not most of the time. On the top of p. 110 of Farmhouse Ales, the author states that Brewers repitched yeasts from previous batches, as was the conventional practice for all beer around then. This was certainly a slurry of pure brewers' yeasts, wild yeasts, and probably even lactobacillus, etc.
Yeast is everywhere. You can culture it from straight out of the air pretty much anywhere.
I don't think they were generally spontaneous fermentations, though, at least not most of the time. On the top of p. 110 of Farmhouse Ales, the author states that Brewers repitched yeasts from previous batches, as was the conventional practice for all beer around then. This was certainly a slurry of pure brewers' yeasts, wild yeasts, and probably even lactobacillus, etc.
Yeast is everywhere. You can culture it from straight out of the air pretty much anywhere.
Yeah, I was pretty drunk when I posted and forgot some yeast basics. Maybe the specific type of yeast, being from the Belgian/French border, has something to do with the development of wine yeast. The yeast for saison beer is unlike any other beer yeast I'm aware of, but probably shares some characteristics with wine yeast. Well, it's an interesting subject to think about when having a few!
