EBY/BBA Brettanomyces Experiment

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berebrando said:
I talked to my LHBS owner about getting twenty 1-gallon glass carboys with stoppers and airlocks for the experiment. He said he'd be glad to help me out.

Last night I prepared 24 slants so that I can save the yeast for future experiments. I want to do some mixed fermentations and some all-brett blends, pending the results of this experiment. Can't wait for this!
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That's super amazing :ban:

I can already tell that all the 20 strains are viable and fermenting. Although five of the strains are really slow growers (EBY005, EBY008, EBY009, EBY011, EBY013 all Cantillon strains and EBY016 B. lembeek I). Everything is right on schedule which means, the strains will be sent off on Monday, the 26th of August. But before that, 350 tubes have to be labeled, filled and sealed for shipping.

I have to be honest, it took way more time and effort to prepare this experiment than I expected. But that's how it is. I hope no problems occur during shipping, propagation and the experiment itself.

Please let me know if someone has any success with blends later on. I am already playing around with some blends but would be really interested to know about other's success.
 
I wouldn't object to you charging over the shipping costs to cover tube and dme costs.
 
It looks like I may have access to a university lab, and my friend - a micro-biologist to help build these up, and also store them. I've never spent any time in a lab, so I'm pretty excited about that.

I also have 20 1-gallon jugs ready to go.
 
Got I hate it when other people get to do such amazing things.
Break a leg guys
 
kerosin said:
That's super amazing :ban:

I can already tell that all the 20 strains are viable and fermenting. Although five of the strains are really slow growers (EBY005, EBY008, EBY009, EBY011, EBY013 all Cantillon strains and EBY016 B. lembeek I). Everything is right on schedule which means, the strains will be sent off on Monday, the 26th of August. But before that, 350 tubes have to be labeled, filled and sealed for shipping.

I have to be honest, it took way more time and effort to prepare this experiment than I expected. But that's how it is. I hope no problems occur during shipping, propagation and the experiment itself.

Please let me know if someone has any success with blends later on. I am already playing around with some blends but would be really interested to know about other's success.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the hard work, I can't imagine how labor intensive putting this together was.
 
Eureka, after a 8 hour marathon of filling and sealing 350 tubes of yeasts, the 38 envelopes are ready for their journey. I will deposit the envelopes at my local post office tomorrow morning (26th of August 2013). Expect to receive the yeasts within three to seven days (according to my post office). I am so relieved, all the preparation work is now over.

Further information about the experiment can be found here:


For all the collaborators, please read the first update if you haven't done so already.

Cheers, Sam
 
Sam,
Thank you for all of your hard work. Your efforts are worth much more than the $4 you are asking!

One question, do you suggest adding any yeast nutrient to our first starter?
 
TychoBrahe said:
Sam,
Thank you for all of your hard work. Your efforts are worth much more than the $4 you are asking!

One question, do you suggest adding any yeast nutrient to our first starter?
Click to expand...
You can certainly add some yeast nutrients if you like. I always add some nutrients to all my starters.

Please keep in mind that EBY005 B. cantillon I, EBY008 B. cantillon II, EBY009 B. cantillon III, EBY011 B. cantillon V, EBY013 B. cantillon VII and EBY016 B. lembeek I are really slow growers. Expect to wait longer to get any signs of fermentation.

Cheers, Sam
 
After some emails and discussions, I hereby announce:

Collaborators2.0 wanted
If someone would be interested to do the BBA/EBY Brett experiment with commercial Brett strains or Brett strains from smaller Yeast labs is hereby invited to do so. We would supply the evaluation sheets and include them all in our final analysis to get the same stats. The entire process is all the same as described in my original post about the experiment (http://eurekabrewing.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/collaboraters-for-bbaeby-brett-experiment-wanted/). Only difference, use different Brett strains.

This only makes sense if the same Brett strain is covered by several brewers. Otherwise, its hard to get some useful information out of it.

Are you up for such an experiment?
Yes? Then propagate some Bretts, get your brew kettles out, crush some grains and get your fermenters bubbling.

Cheers, Sam
 
I am thinking for round 2 we should actually keep the same recipe, but primary with a saison yeast and secondary with the brett strains you sent us.
 
Sam, My yeast arrived today! Looks like EBY002 and EBY008 blew the tops on the viles. There is still a very small amount of liquid in each vile. I guess I will pitch them and see what happens!

Excited to get this project going.
 
My yeast came today. Quite a mess, one was completely empty and at least two are almost empty. I am not sure how I want to proceed at the moment... do you think any of the vials are contaminated now?
 
@ryanhope: I wrote an email to all the collaborates this morning with instructions how to proceed.
Cheers, Sam
 
While I was preparing starters for the vials I got in the mail today I had an idea. I have these plastic 3ml pipets, got a box of 1000 for about $10. It might be possible to use these to trade yeast samples. Draw a sample into the pipet and then melt off the inlet. You would then have a perfectly sealed container of yeast.
 
Just finished first round of starters... 45ml 1.020 gravity wort. 2 of my samples didn't make it.

1185492_10100595327021915_801226873_n.jpg
 
Got my samples yesterday. Two spilled a little but i don't think they got contaminated. I had just enough sterile wort for all 20 samples. About 60ml of wort in each.

image-2905638411.jpg


image-4195203422.jpg
 
All set in 150-200 ml of 1.040 wort. Autoclaved all jars for maximum sanitation. Samples that exploded still got pitched, the hope is that all it takes is a few cells. Just look at procreation :)

IMAG0050.jpg
 
I think mine have been sitting on the loading dock at work over the Holliday weekend. I hope they survive.
 
My samples arrived yesterday and I just got them all into 200ml of 1.020 starter wort. Definitely looking forward to see how things turn out.
 
EBY001 and EBY007 didn't survive the journey for me. Does anyone with these want to send me samples so I can proceed with the whole set as planned?
 
ryanhope said:
EBY001 and EBY007 didn't survive the journey for me. Does anyone with these want to send me samples so I can proceed with the whole set as planned?
Click to expand...

Have emailed Sam? He may be able to replace them. I don't have 001 or 007 or I would send some along.

Mini Update: Pitched my five on 8/30 (late into the night). I was surprised to see that 008, which Sam had informed may lag a while, was active. 052 was also active (more so).
 
Did anyone sterilize their vials before pitching? I'm considering wiping the sealed ones down with isopropyl alcohol (70%) to make sure they don't cross contaminate before pitching. "flaming the lid" seems like a bad idea in this situation - i don't want to kill the samples.

I plan to pop the wort in the pressure cooker tomorrow and then get the 50ml samples started
 
Received my package today, thanks again Sam! Cant wait to get them going.

Unfortunately EBY002 B. dreifonteinii I didnt make it, anyone out there care to share some?
 
brewguyver said:
Did anyone sterilize their vials before pitching? I'm considering wiping the sealed ones down with isopropyl alcohol (70%) to make sure they don't cross contaminate before pitching. "flaming the lid" seems like a bad idea in this situation - i don't want to kill the samples.

I plan to pop the wort in the pressure cooker tomorrow and then get the 50ml samples started
Click to expand...

When I initially unwrapped the bundle I sprayed them down with starsan. Then when it came time to dump each 1ml vile into my starter tubes I sprayed most of them with starsan again... I say most because I know I forgot to do this more than once.
 
Coff said:
Received my package today, thanks again Sam! Cant wait to get them going.

Unfortunately EBY002 B. dreifonteinii I didnt make it, anyone out there care to share some?
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to share, my 002 was fine. Do you have 001 or 007?
 
I'm testing out 019, 021, and 035. Within 2-3 days I saw activity from all three. In particular, 019 (B. cucurbita I) took off quickly and has a pretty interesting pelicle going right now.

image.jpg
 
lawbadger said:
I'm testing out 019, 021, and 035. Within 2-3 days I saw activity from all three. In particular, 019 (B. cucurbita I) took off quickly and has a pretty interesting pelicle going right now.
Click to expand...

Nice pellicle. I'm doing all 20 and haven't seen any activity yet, not worried yet as its still early for Brett.
 
lawbadger said:
I'm testing out 019, 021, and 035. Within 2-3 days I saw activity from all three. In particular, 019 (B. cucurbita I) took off quickly and has a pretty interesting pelicle going right now.
Click to expand...

Yeah thats a lot of head space, pellicle is expected... looks awesome though!
 
ryanhope said:
EBY001 and EBY007 didn't survive the journey for me. Does anyone with these want to send me samples so I can proceed with the whole set as planned?
Click to expand...
@ryanhope Shall I send you new samples for the two yeasts? I am kind of surprised why you did not ask me in the first place nor replied to the email I sent out six days ago where I asked for feedback if any problem occurred.

I will certainly replace all the leaking tubes. Just write me an email. I simply cannot follow all the discussions on the various forums. If there is some volume left in the tube though, please try to make a starter anyway. You can also rinse the tubes with some starter and transfer this volume back to the starter.

Please let me know if any one encounters problems with the starters as well. Once again, write me an email.

Cheers, Sam

PS: The B. cucurbita I starter looks interesting
 
kerosin said:
@ryanhope Shall I send you new samples for the two yeasts? I am kind of surprised why you did not ask me in the first place nor replied to the email I sent out six days ago where I asked for feedback if any problem occurred.

Cheers, Sam
Click to expand...

I guess it wasn't clear that you would be sending out more. I will take new versions of 001 and 007 if you are willing to send them out.
 
ryanhope said:
I'd be willing to share, my 002 was fine. Do you have 001 or 007?
Click to expand...

I dont have either unfortunately. I got 014, 019, 002, and 005.

After I posted this I noticed there was a very small bit still in the vial, I have it in some starter wort now hoping it grows.
 
ryanhope said:
I guess it wasn't clear that you would be sending out more. I will take new versions of 001 and 007 if you are willing to send them out.
Click to expand...
I tried to circumvent mentioning that I am sending out fresh yeasts (to collaborators) as a replacement on any forum to prevent any further requests for yeasts. I guess your quoted post is one reason why I get emails again asking for yeasts :) I will send you fresh EBY001 and EBY007 in new tubes (with screw caps).

For all of those not being part of the experiment, please subscribe to the google group (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/eureka-brewing-yeast) to get any information about upcoming releases. I am not sending out yeast samples for the experiment any more (doesn't apply for those who already got yeast samples from me).

Cheers, Sam
 
Coff said:
Received my package today, thanks again Sam! Cant wait to get them going.

Unfortunately EBY002 B. dreifonteinii I didnt make it, anyone out there care to share some?
Click to expand...

Surprisingly my EBY002 that leaked in transit was actually the first of my 4 strains to get going. Showed activity in ~18 hours.

lawbadger said:
I'm testing out 019, 021, and 035. Within 2-3 days I saw activity from all three. In particular, 019 (B. cucurbita I) took off quickly and has a pretty interesting pelicle going right now.
Click to expand...

I have a very similar pellicle going on my 019 as well, about 5 days in.
 
All 4 strains I got are viable and have shown activity.

I am going to jump the gun on the experiment a little bit and use some to does a few bottles of Saison, it'll give me an idea of how they perform when conditioning as a secondary strain.
 
I received all 20 and lost some volume on a few. I did clean outside with 70% isopropyl ( what we had in the lab) and intend to wipe top with same when I open to start subculture leading to starters.
 

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