Community Cultures Yeast Lab

[Zuljin]

Community Cultures Yeast Lab, established in 2016, is a small lab out of San Antonio, Texas. Rob and Mara Green travel Texas and the US collecting and cultivating wild yeast strains. Looks like they have some international strains, too. They presently sell their yeast in liquid form. It's available to home and commercial brewers. I bought some at Brew Hound in Fort Worth, Texas.

Community Cultures Yeast Lab has a community scientist program where they will accept and bank qualified samples from the public.

I pitched Chisos for the first time yesterday. It's happily bubbling away in a chocolate stout now. I was going to use Safale US-05 since it's my go-to if I'm not trying to get anything except fermentation out of a yeast. Chisos claims to be the "most versatile" and create fruity notes. Okay. Fruit and chocolate go well, and I am aiming for a sweet stout. We shall see.

Chisos, TCLR32 – Just like the Chisos Campground, this strain is beautiful, native, and fun....yet at the same time, reliable, versatile, and perhaps a little more predictable than some of its more wild sister strains. This yeast has very mild flavors and aromas of its own, while still providing an excellent performer for brewery needs.

Cattail Falls– Big Bend, Texas

Fermentation – Top/Ale

Flocculation – Low

Attenuation – 86-91

Alcohol Tolerance –6-11%

Optimum Fermentation Temp- 65F -70F

Suggested Use – Clean, Golden Ale, Kolsch

Style and Flavor Notes -Hints of apple and cherry, citrus, floral, bright, our most versatile strain.

https://ccyeastlab.com/

 

[RPh_Guy]

It doesn't look like I can buy online. (?) Interesting descriptions though!

Is there much of a homebrew market for novel cultures like this? I feel like I could do this kind of thing pretty easily. The problem is that I can't protect/patent the strain if I discover one that becomes popular, so every other yeast supplier would just steal it. ... I think that's the main reason there such a lack of innovation/discovery in this industry.

 

[Zuljin]

2.63% ABV after the first week. Good signs of active fermentation.

Looks like they are only selling to homebrewers through local shops. Maybe one of them would ship some. I don't know.

I imagine the market would be good, once word got out. What with the whole 'shop local, support your state' thing going on, and beer folks are always looking for that good local brew. Okay. Here's a way to make it at home with local yeast even.

My attempts at collecting my own wild yeast have been great, for Area 51. They love the stuff I catch. I was watching a YouTube a few days ago that said when the temperatures are cooling off, to even near freezing, is the best time to collect. We're about there now. May try again soon.

 

[Sujeto]

I just purchased packages of Yucca and The Window to be used in a coconut porter and scotch ale respectively.

The package says ~200 billion cells and there's quite a bit of liquid in the pouches. Did you create a starter or pitch the pouch?

I'm doing 10 gallon batches and considering making a 2L starter.

 

[Redeemer]

Last week I went to Home Brew Party, in San Antonio for the first time, looking for Kveik yeasts. I got the Hothead, and the Voss by Omega. I asked the owners about Hornidal, because I am eager to test it, and they had none. This is when they informed me about Community Cultures. Apparently they have some Kveik strains as well, and they took my number, and said they would call me when more come in.

I'm excited that there are folks doing this kind of work, and this must be a pretty top notch operation, as many of the smaller commercial brewers are using their yeasts. Once I get my hands on some and test them out, I will post results.

 

[Zuljin]

I just purchased packages of Yucca and The Window to be used in a coconut porter and scotch ale respectively.

The package says ~200 billion cells and there's quite a bit of liquid in the pouches. Did you create a starter or pitch the pouch?

I'm doing 10 gallon batches and considering making a 2L starter.

Five gallon here and no starter. Brew Hound said there was no need so I just dumped it straight out the bag. I did shake and lightly rinse the bag, of course. Gotta get all those yeasties out of the creases.

4% ABV at bottling today. Was aiming for 5%. Considering this is my first time using this yeast, fist BIAB, and I did tweak my chocolate stout recipe some- I can't say it I missed a percent because of the yeast. It did grow a sandy looking bubbly pellicle on top.

The gravity sample tastes amazing. Straight forward chocolate flavor with a 'yep. this is beer' taste right with it and a subtle hint of vanilla. A little sharpness (but not hotness at 4%) to the flavor and a smooth clean mouthfeel.

As of now, I will use more of this yeast brand, and am sold on BIAB. It was so much easier than a tun. The final result will be in a week or so when it's carbed up.

A few years ago, I was reading something that was a more than a few years ago older, and it said 40-50% efficiency was great for a homebrewer. Ha! I usually get mid 70s. Didn't this time, got about 60, but I think that's mainly due to needing practice with BIAB.

 

[Zuljin]

Drank one tonight. Very nice. The chocolate is right there, like cocoa. It's really as if cocoa was a beer. The taste finishes so clean. It's carbonated to style. This yeast did an honest job. Five stars. Will use more.