Bell's Oarsman Ale = Bell's Yeast?

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cosgcm5

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I've been a huge fan of harvesting and using Bell's House yeast in my beers for a little over a year now. A few weeks ago, I came across a sixer of their Oarsman Ale, and seeing as it is only 4% ABV, thought it to be the perfect candidate for harvesting up some healthy non-stressed yeast.

I've already stepped up the starter enough that it's ready to pitch into 10 gallons of IPA tomorrow, but I've read some conflicting reports on this site and others as to whether the Bell's yeast can actually be harvested from this beer.

From the Bell's website: "...The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while citrusy hops lend bright notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell’s house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume...."

Is there anything I should be worried about here, or am I fine to pitch away? Does the sour mash have any impact on the characteristics of the yeast? Are there more bugs added after the initial fermentation that they aren't listing in the description?

Thanks
 
I have asked them about this and the answer I was given was that all acidity was formed before the boil so that takes care of any nasties that were there. Just the bell's yeast is added post boil so your culture should be fine providing you took the proper precautions. As long as you can find pretty fresh oarsman I would think it would be great for culturing!
 
I thought the same thing. I opted for the 4.8% Third Coast Beer because I was a little afraid of the sourness in Oarsman. Let us know if it works! My neighborhood place always has Oarsman but doesn't always have Third Coast.
 
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