Scientists unearth 45 million year old yeast... And brew with it

LuxAeterna · Sep 29, 2011

http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/#clip540587

Check out this video from Discovery; scientists found a 45 million year old strain of prehistoric yeast locked away in amber samples. Absolutely astounding how resilient yeast is and also how long it has been around. Definitely looking forward to trying a brew made from this stuff!

Edit: Here is their website if anyone is interested http://www.fossilfuelsbrewingco.com/

COLObrewer · Sep 30, 2011

It's starting to become really old news too

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/45-million-year-old-yeast-beer-129285/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/yeast-viability-45-million-years-81559/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f5/really-olde-ale-78646/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/new-yeast-strain-44158/

dantheman13 · Sep 30, 2011

Well, news to me... thanks!

gsector · Sep 30, 2011

Yeah, the guy who found it is a professor at my school. He gave a few talks around campus on it about a year or two ago. I wasn't into brewing at the time though, so I never saw one of them

MaltMountain · Sep 30, 2011

Call it Jurassic Ale (ok techically, 45 mya was the Paleogene era, but who's heard of that?)

xjmox14x · Sep 30, 2011

I have a feeling that it either tastes like the Holy Grail of beers, or like stegosaurus sh*t.

Revvy · Sep 30, 2011

Yeah waitaminute I've been using that story as an analogy for yeast's tenacity for years....

ploppythesausage · Sep 30, 2011

MaltMountain said:
Call it Jurassic Ale (ok techically, 45 mya was the Paleogene era, but who's heard of that?)

They should use it to make a Pale-ale-ogene

mychalg9 · Sep 30, 2011

Who found it, some Pale-eontologist? gaw gaw gaw.......

ajfranke · Sep 30, 2011

gsector said:
Yeah, the guy who found it is a professor at my school. He gave a few talks around campus on it about a year or two ago. I wasn't into brewing at the time though, so I never saw one of them

Any chance he still has spare slants lying around?

That something can be alive for 45 million years is mind-blowing. I know it's apples-to-oranges, but it makes the threads starting with "My starter has been in the fridge for a week ZOMG am I screwed?!?!" seem all the more hilarious.

Scientists unearth 45 million year old yeast... And brew with it

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

LuxAeterna

Active Member

COLObrewer

Well-Known Member

dantheman13

Supporting Member

gsector

Active Member

MaltMountain

New Member

xjmox14x

Well-Known Member

Revvy

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

ploppythesausage

Well-Known Member

mychalg9

Well-Known Member

ajfranke

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Scientists unearth 45 million year old yeast... And brew with it

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

Active Member

New Member

Well-Known Member

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!