Questions About Yeast Harvesting From Commercial Beers

[Pie_Man]

I'd like to harvest yeast from a bottle conditioned 12oz commercial beer. I'm comfortable making starters and I've read procedures for bottle harvesting, but I have some other questions that I couldn't find a consistent answer on. My questions are:

1. How much wort should I use for a starter from a 12oz. bottle? Is there a standard starter size per 12oz. bottle?
2. What gravity starter should I make? I usually use a 1.040 starter, but I've read that some people do anywhere from 1.020 to 1.040 when harvesting from a commercial beer.
3. I know I'll be starting with a small starter. What rate should I use when stepping up the starter? I was thinking about stepping up in 5x intervals until I get my desired starter size.
4. Besides counting yeast cells, is there a good way for me to estimate how many yeast cells I'm pitching? The yeast calculators at mrmalty and yeastcalc don't seem to have an option for this scenario.

Thanks in advance. Any comments, suggestions, and/or references would be appreciated.

My plan is to make a Saison using the yeast from Great Divide's Collette. I've read that the bottle conditioned yeast is the same as the fermentation yeast.

 

[H22W]

I have had good success with 1.020 as the first step. Then 5X steps of 1.040 has worked well.

Don't forget to oxygenation of some sort.

 

[Pie_Man]

Thanks H22W. Any other advice out there?

 

[ash1300ad]

I have harvested the Collete from a recent 6 pack, was wondering if you have had any success

 

[Pie_Man]

I have harvested the Collete from a recent 6 pack, was wondering if you have had any success

That's awesome man! I haven't done it yet and I'll need to buy another sixer if I'm going to. Please let me know your process and how your beer turns out. How many bottles did you harvest from? What size starter did you make, and did you step it up? Thanks.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

What I do is pitch the dregs from 3-6 bottles into 250 ml of 1.02 wort. I ferment that completely, cold crash, decant and add slurry to 500 ml of the same gravity. When that's done, I pitch slurry into 500 ml of 1.04 wort. Then onto 1000 ml, then that slurry gets pitched into the brewing starter.

 

[ash1300ad]

That is what the process I began yesterday
Currently I have the dregs from 6 bottles in 250ml of 1.020

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

That is what the process I began yesterday
Currently I have the dregs from 6 bottles in 250ml of 1.020

Now for the waiting game. That first step is slow and inactive, but if you get a little dusting of yeast at the bottom you're good to go.

 

[badlee]

Lets say I have onle one 12oz bottle, what size would I want to start with? A 100ml or so of 1020?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Lets say I have onle one 12oz bottle, what size would I want to start with? A 100ml or so of 1020?

That might work. I always like to start with a few bottles to be sure, but I've gotten yeast out of just one. Just remember, that first mini starter isn't going to do much, if anything. As long as you end up with a bit of yeast on the bottom, it did it's job.

 

[itsbeeryo]

I use the same schedule... 250 ml of 1020 with 4 bottles / 500 ml 1020 / 500 ml 1040 / 1000 ml 1040 -> to starter volume

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I use the same schedule... 250 ml of 1020 with 4 bottles / 500 ml 1020 / 500 ml 1040 / 1000 ml 1040 -> to starter volume

Yeah, it works great. I harvest a lot, and I've always had good results doing it that way.

 

[Voodoo_Child]

Yeah, it works great. I harvest a lot, and I've always had good results doing it that way.

How long do you guy let each step stay on the stirplate for? I'm just building mine now but I'm trying to pick up all the information I can. Is it the standard 12 - 18 hours, then refrigerate/decant?

 

[itsbeeryo]

I've been letting it stir for about 2 days at each level. I basically follow this wiki - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/entries/harvesting-yeast-from-commercial-bottles.html

 

[Voodoo_Child]

I've been letting it stir for about 2 days at each level. I basically follow this wiki - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/entries/harvesting-yeast-from-commercial-bottles.html

Ah, perfect. I don't know how I haven't stumbled upon that before. Thanks.

 

[phillyhomebrew]

I would def start with a 50 or 100ml if your just harvesting from a single 12oz bottle.

 

[badlee]

Thanks guys,you set my mind at rest

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I've been letting it stir for about 2 days at each level. I basically follow this wiki - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/entries/harvesting-yeast-from-commercial-bottles.html

Yep, I just wait until I know there's no more activity, then fridge, decant, repeat.

 

[Wyrmwood]

Any luck with harvesting this Colette yeast? I am enjoying a 6 pack now. I have a saison on deck, but haven't purchased the yeast yet, so was thinking this might be better (it's kind of like a sour saison). I've had luck with Chimay, but most of the other yeast harvests I've tried have come out like US-05.

 

[Pie_Man]

Any luck with harvesting this Colette yeast? I am enjoying a 6 pack now. I have a saison on deck, but haven't purchased the yeast yet, so was thinking this might be better (it's kind of like a sour saison). I've had luck with Chimay, but most of the other yeast harvests I've tried have come out like US-05.

You know, I never ended up trying this with the Colette yeast. I ended up using White Labs WLP565, the Saison DuPont strain. I really liked the Saison I made, but I still want to try the Colette yeast, next time.

If you use the Colette yeast, please post your results.

 

[Wyrmwood]

You know, I never ended up trying this with the Colette yeast. I ended up using White Labs WLP565, the Saison DuPont strain. I really liked the Saison I made, but I still want to try the Colette yeast, next time.

If you use the Colette yeast, please post your results.

Will do. I have a harvest in my fridge. I'll do a starter, step it up and if it has the "Colette twang" going on, use that, otherwise, I might do the same.

 

[Wyrmwood]

I did use the Colette on my last saison and it tastes great! I did however have to finish it with S05. It stalled at 1.035 and although I brought the temp up to ~85F I could not get it to take off again. That makes me suspect it part of the blend is Dupont Saison (WLP565/WY-3724). The flavor of the Colette really is pronounced. This may well become my go to saison yeast.