Is it possible to create your own yeast strain?

[JonBrew]

This may be a bit of a noob question. I've recently started harvesting yeast from previous batches to reuse in future beers, namely Wyeast Scottish ale which has become my "house strain".

I'm only practicing basic yeast storage at this stage. However, I have done some googling and understand the principles of yeast washing and slanting etc. I also understand that it is possible to culture wild yeasts to use in brewing. However, I'm not really into the wild stuff... yet.

I like the idea of being able to cultivate, grow and use a yeast strain that is in essence unique to me. I've done some searching on how this might be achieved but have found little in the way of information.

My original idea was to blend existing commercial yeast strains that I like the qualities of and then harvest from that mixed pool but I'm fairly sure this wouldnt work and would offer viturally no consisitancy from batch to batch.

I know many micro breweries have their own unique house strain which is idividual to them so it's clearly possible. They must have started with an existing strain at some point and somehow changed it to meet their needs/wants (right?). I suppose my question is therefore - is the same achievable as a homebrewer?

Has anyone tried / experimented / had any success with this? Has anyone come across any info on this that I could refer too?

Cheers

 

[JonBrew]

I have just come across the following link - I didn't even realise there was a Beer Science section. It's fairly comprehensive :

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=246089

I would, however, still be very keen to hear from others who have experimented with this or simply have a view to share!

 

[catdaddy66]

I know that a member on HBT has developed a yeast that was named after him. Denny Conn... He's a sharp dude and a wealth of knowledge for the homebrewer. Look him up.

 

[CA_Mouse]

I am working with a local lab to produce my own versions of 2 of my house yeasts. So the answer to your question is yes. You can create your own strain, but in most cases it isn't two strains that you mix. As you said, this would result in a lot of inconsistency. A typical house strain is a single strain that has mutated to match your brewery's particulars (ie WLP001 from vial, used on a pale ale, fermented ta 66*F; same beer brewed again and pitched using slurry from first batch; third batch of the same beer pitched with slurry from batch 2). The slurry from batch 3 will have mutated slightly from the original strain that White Labs cultured, giving you a house strain that gives you a certain flavor profile, attenuation level and ester production. Your yeast has become accustomed to how your brewery produces the sugars, how you oxygenate the wort and the ambient temperature of fermentation.