How do they create new yeast strains?

[Susloslav]

Hello guys, I'd like to ask you a few questions about creation of the new yeast strains for beer:

1. Approximately how much time, money, which laboratory equipment would typically need the one who tries on his own to create a new strain that fulfills his brewing needs? I mean not "any new strain", but designated strain with parameters you've planned - exactly this aroma, temperatures etc.
2. Can you recommend some literature that provides enough knowledge for this goal? If there are more than a 10000-15000 pages in these books - I'm absolutely ok with that.

I found this topic, but it wasn't much of a help.

(sorry for the unusual questions and bad English)

 

[Chanoc]

I'd suggest you read the wild ferments forum and everything you can on slanting, propagating, harvesting...
Then based on the knowledge acquired you decide how deep you want to go...
HTH

 

[Susloslav]

A very shy bump.

 

[kh54s10]

What is your background? Unless you are a microbiologist I doubt it is even possible.

What I have seen most on a hobby level is to capture a wild yeast, or to take a yeast through many generations, they will mutate over time. The question is whether the mutation produces something good or something awful.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Yeast aren't created. They harvested from nature and isolated. Sometimes two or more strains are blended together.

There are ways to capture wild yeast, but much of it is trial and error. I'm the wrong person to ask, but @Chanoc is correct, the Wild Fermentation forum is where you should start.

 

[cyanmonkey]

What is your background? Unless you are a microbiologist I doubt it is even possible.

What I have seen most on a hobby level is to capture a wild yeast, or to take a yeast through many generations, they will mutate over time. The question is whether the mutation produces something good or something awful.

It's as easy as making a starter, covering it with cheesecloth and putting it next to a flower, or plant, or just out in the backyard for a few days, bringing it inside and seeing what it does.

But yes, isolating and propagating are a little more involved, but not impossible for someone without a degree in microbiology. Especially someone as dedicated as he says he'll be.

 

[Chanoc]

I received an e-mail a about this topic and had a read...
There are a few commercial strains already in the market. It would be a chore to try every single one of them in all available configurations of SG, and temperature...
What are you trying to achieve? The perfect yeast for your tastes? Or bragging rights?
Not trying to be rude, but maybe reading about results obtained from a myriad of users in this and other forums (sp?) may lead you to a few strains and performing tests on those and combinations may prove equally complicated... but much easier than starting from scratch...
Do a search for a facility of a yeast producing company in which they have an assortment of the same beer fermented with their array of yeasts...
That may also be a good start...
It's early in the morning and I'm typing on my mobile, so sorry for any miss spelling or rudeness on my behalf...
Hope this brings new light I the tread.

 

[user 141939]

Most of the Brewers yeasts today have evolved over long periods of time in individual breweries or regions.

Since brewers yeast does not reproduce sexually (we have selected against that) it is not so easy to make a new strain of yeast.

You could create hybrids, or wait for mutations to occur. I suppose if you got a favorable mutation and were able to preserve that... but that wouldn't neccesarily be a new strain.