Timeline for Wild Yeast

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

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

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Morkin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
318
Reaction score
2
Location
Missouri
Should have posted this here to begin with.....

I've read the numerous forums on Wild Yeast, and love the concept but am a little unsure still on timing.

I set my starter wort outside last night with cheescloth and no activity yet, as is expected.

My question is, can I bring it inside once signs of fermentation start and close it off? I eventually want to build up starters with it to get enough viable yeast for a blonde ale or beglain of some sort.

I am going on this schedule found on the forum:

(3 to 7 days) Enteric Bacteria and Kloeckera Apiculata
(2 weeks) Saccharomyces
(3 to 4 months) Lactic Acid Bacteria
(8 months) Brettanomyces plus Pichia, Candida, Hansenula and Cryptococcus

Is that 2 weeks of exposure to outside yeast, or 2 weeks of fermentation?

My plan was once is shows signs of fermentation, cover with a stopper and airlock, or at the very least, put foil over it to avoid contamination. Please, any help is appreciated, as I'm already 20 hours into this and want to start brewing with the yeast in the next couple of months. Thanks,
 
Leave it out and open for two weeks, then I would airlock it. Also I would boil the DME with some hops first.

BTW, have you read the sticky at the top: "How to: Capture wild yeast"
 
Its already a bit too warm to do this, ideally you want cool nights and days, sometime in the fall or early spring is the best, during the other times theres too much nasty critters in the air
 
Yep I've read the stickys, but was a little unclear on if that was 2 weeks fermentation time or 2 weeks open.

Thanks. Ryane, you are probably right on the too warm thought, but it has been relatively cool, and I have a stretched Muslin bag over the top of the container to keep out critters, but stretched far enough to allow yeast to flow through. No signs of anything yet after about 40 hours.

When is the timeframe that mold would start showing if it does take hold?
 
I think the chart is actually a lambic / spontaneous fermentation "schedule." Check out http://www.wyeastlab.com/com-lambic-brewing.cfm for what I am referring to. From what I've read, most of your bugs, yeasts, etc will get into your wort within a few hours to a few days. Leaving it in the open longer risks molding and other things...

FWIW, I've never had a problem capturing yeast in a few days, fall, winter, and early spring. I agree, however, that it is probably too warm in most parts to get a "good" strain without risking capturing a lot more molds and "bad" bacteria, not to mention the possibility of a lot more crawling bugs!
 
1 week thus far. No signs of fermentation, and no signs of mold or anything else. Does smell like biscuits....

I have it covered with a Muslin bag, but just to keep bugs out and air can flow through. But it is in a yeast starter flask, think the little neck has something to do with it?
 
IMO, you want a large opening to increase the possibility of capturing something. I typically use sanitized glasses...
 
It's two weeks for out in the open for a spontaneous fermentation in the lambic region of belgium ;)

Two weeks has been my experience though too. So yes, it's two weeks open.
 
I dumped the yeast after 1 1/2 weeks. No signs of anything, nada, zip. I had the flask though covered with muslin bag tightly, and also sat by window with a screen. As it is the summer, I don't want flies and other crap in there. I am going to retry with Mason Jar and still go with the Muslin bag, but I'm going to leave it outside.
 
According to what I've read (Wild Brews and numerous articles) and what I've experienced (capturing yeast myself), 2 weeks is much too long. Most lambic and Flanders producers only leave their worts out in the open for a night, or less, as many of them cool their worts the same as any other beer maker would. After the wort is cool, they pour it into the fermenter (either a wooden barrel or a stainless steel container). Typically, the barrel is what causes the "spontaneous" fermentation. Lots of times, they add fermenting beer from a previous batch. Most lambic and Flanders producers put an airlock on their barrels. Those that don't allow the overflowing blow-off to form an "air-proof" crust over the fermenting beer. However, 2 weeks out in the open is asking for all manner of bad stuff to include molds and bugs (with legs). If it works for you, more power to you but it isn't what is typically done in Belgium to produce a lambic or Flanders.

I'll say it again, the chart referenced is how long that type of fermentation typically lasts / the sequence of fermentation, not how long it takes to capture a yeast:
Enteric Bacteria typically cuts out after a few hours to a few days. This, if memory serves, includes bacteria like E. coli and the like and aren't considered good.
Sacc fermentation lasts about 2 weeks. It can last longer but typically is done at that point.
Lacto and some other lactic acid bacterias can actually go much longer than 3 to 4 months. This should be the key to letting anyone know that the chart doesn't mean "how long to leave this out to catch a certain bacteria or yeast..." since lacto is typically caught in the first few hours. If not, sourdough bread probably wouldn't exist or would take you months instead of days to get a starter of...
Etc...

Like I said, if it works for you go for it. Take a look at the link I provided if you've got other questions on the chart.
 
Back
Top