Bell's Yeast Strain

[crlova2]

Just an updated, but I have now stepped the dredges from my six pack of two hearted into two seperate 1 gallon starters. I am going to use one for a wheat ale, and another for a two hearted clone. I am then going to use one of the cakes for an arrogent bastard type beer.....

I am just harvesting too much yeast these days, chimay, pacman, bells, hoegaarden......it's just to easy. I have a feeling that the bells yeast is going to become my default strain. As I was stepping up the starters and the yeast colonies became larger and more healthy, they ravanously ate up the sugars in the starters. They are quite cloudy initially as stated above, but if floculates very well after it is done.

I am thinking about doing my first stab at yeast harvesting to do a Bell's TH clone. I have no idea really what to do so could you give me some tips/instructions on what has worked for you? Also, should I get the initial yeast from Oberon or from THA since Oberon has lower ABV and it seems to be a consensus that they use the same yeast for both at the brewery....

Thanks

 

[Homercidal]

There is a sticky on how to harvest yeast and use it I think.

Basically you get a sanitized jar and make a starter in it, using the dredges from a couple of bottles. Then step it up from there until you get a pitching amount.

I've used bottled yeast before, but I've never successfully kept any yeast longer than a few weeks. Just never took the time to do it.

I'd recommend using the Pale Ale yeast instead of the Two-Hearted. I'm sure the 2H will work, because I've done it, but the Pale might offer a better product since it is lower ABV and the yeast is likely to have less stress on it. But it would be more fun to drink the 2H I know!

So basically sanitize a bottle and pry off. Pour the beer into glass, leaving a bit on the bottom, then pour this into your "starter". You can do a few times, either with a friend or over a few days. I think I used 2 bottles but it took a while to get the population up. Then just keep adding wort to build up the population. When it gets big enough, you can decant the slurry and throw out the wort (instructions on yeast washing thread).

Pitch your slurry into your beer.

Also, a stirplate helps out when making starters. Not necessary, but easier than swirling the starter a few times a day...

 

[crlova2]

There is a sticky on how to harvest yeast and use it I think.

Basically you get a sanitized jar and make a starter in it, using the dredges from a couple of bottles. Then step it up from there until you get a pitching amount.

I've used bottled yeast before, but I've never successfully kept any yeast longer than a few weeks. Just never took the time to do it.

I'd recommend using the Pale Ale yeast instead of the Two-Hearted. I'm sure the 2H will work, because I've done it, but the Pale might offer a better product since it is lower ABV and the yeast is likely to have less stress on it. But it would be more fun to drink the 2H I know!

So basically sanitize a bottle and pry off. Pour the beer into glass, leaving a bit on the bottom, then pour this into your "starter". You can do a few times, either with a friend or over a few days. I think I used 2 bottles but it took a while to get the population up. Then just keep adding wort to build up the population. When it gets big enough, you can decant the slurry and throw out the wort (instructions on yeast washing thread).

Pitch your slurry into your beer.

Also, a stirplate helps out when making starters. Not necessary, but easier than swirling the starter a few times a day...

Thanks, say I used 3 bottles of the TH ale with a stir plate starter how long do you think it would take to build it up to pitching volume for a 5.5 gallon batch?

 

[Homercidal]

For me it took a couple of days to really get going. I'd guess you should be ok in about a week. I'm sure there are others who do this more often that could give you a better idea. I'd start with a small volume, like 1/4 liter and step it up, doubling twice.

 

[wyzazz]

I'd say a week & a half just to be safe.

 

[crlova2]

How do you tell when you have enough? Just by eying the size of the cake on the bottom of the flask?

 

[permo]

I have now brewed 3 beers with this yeast, full attenuation each time. I ferment for the first 3-4 days at about 67 degrees or until I notice the activity in the airlock starting to slow, I then give it another 3-4 days at about 74-75 degrees to finish up and dry out. The beers come out fantastic this way.

The yeast does have a slight fruit component too it, that I find really tasty. I just used it on a bitter that I will keg this weekend. I will let you know how that one turns out. But Mashing at 154, this bitter went from 1.044 to 1.010 with no problems, so it should be about perfect.

 

[crlova2]

I have now brewed 3 beers with this yeast, full attenuation each time. I ferment for the first 3-4 days at about 67 degrees or until I notice the activity in the airlock starting to slow, I then give it another 3-4 days at about 74-75 degrees to finish up and dry out. The beers come out fantastic this way.

The yeast does have a slight fruit component too it, that I find really tasty. I just used it on a bitter that I will keg this weekend. I will let you know how that one turns out. But Mashing at 154, this bitter went from 1.044 to 1.010 with no problems, so it should be about perfect.

Can you explain your process of harvesting the yeast? Which beer did you harvest out of? How long and how many additions of how much wort did you add?
Thanks

 

[permo]

There are numerous threads on this site regarding yeast harvesting and making starters. I do not have the time to elaborate on both of those topics in the context of this thread. use the search functionality of this site and you will find all the information that you need.

 

[crlova2]

There are numerous threads on this site regarding yeast harvesting and making starters. I do not have the time to elaborate on both of those topics in the context of this thread. use the search functionality of this site and you will find all the information that you need.

Alright well can you at least tell me which Bell's beer worked best for your results and about how long it took to get them to the amount you needed and how many initial bottles you used?

Thanks

 

[permo]

Alright well can you at least tell me which Bell's beer worked best for your results and about how long it took to get them to the amount you needed and how many initial bottles you used?

Thanks

I used 6 bottles of BTH, but I think Oberon is a better choice, lower gravity, lower IBUs....I nursed my yeast back to health pretty good with a low gravity starter and lots of O2 and nutrient.

I started with 1/2 quart of 1.030 starter wort, and stepped it up to a 2 quart starter for my BTH clone and it tastes awesome.

 

[crlova2]

Alright thanks a lot. I can't decide whether to use BTH for the yeast or Oberon. As much as people say they use the same yeast in those beers it is still hard for me to accept it since the styles are so different. Glad to know BTH worked for your though that is insuring.

 

[foltster]

Alright thanks a lot. I can't decide whether to use BTH for the yeast or Oberon. As much as people say they use the same yeast in those beers it is still hard for me to accept it since the styles are so different. Glad to know BTH worked for your though that is insuring.

Go with the Bell's Pale Ale if you have access to it locally. The yeast in my bottles of Oberon doesn't seem nearly as flocculant as the TH or Pale.

The Pale yeast should have experienced less stress since it is not as high in alcohol or IBUs.

-Scott

 

[permo]

You can harvest yeast from whichever you like, pale ale is a good call, two hearted worked fine for me. No matter what beer you harvest from, the yeast are going to be stressed from sitting in alcohol, temperature changes and age. use a lower than normal gravity starter with lots of O2 and Nutrient to nurse the healthy cells up into a nice population. Worked great for me and now the Bells yeast is my #2 house strain. It will take a behometh to unseat Pacman!

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Was in Whole Foods last night and saw THA so I had to get it since I've never tried it and have a THA-inspired ale on tap right now (made with Bell's yeast from a BPA). Wow, this stuff is really good. Not a big bitter-bomb which is fine with me. I brewed my THA-inspired ale to only ~45 IBU and mine, if anything, is slightly more bitter than the real thing. Other than that I came surprisingly close considering I had never even SEEN THA and didn't even know the color (mine is slightly lighter). I got right under 80% attenuation on it. I used a little Simcoe in addition to Centennial so I have less Centennial 'spice' and some added grapefruit, which imo isn't as good.

I really like the two batches I made with their yeast. I'm def going to harvest it again.

 

[permo]

Was in Whole Foods last night and saw THA so I had to get it since I've never tried it and have a THA-inspired ale on tap right now (made with Bell's yeast from a BPA). Wow, this stuff is really good. Not a big bitter-bomb which is fine with me. I brewed my THA-inspired ale to only ~45 IBU and mine, if anything, is slightly more bitter than the real thing. Other than that I came surprisingly close considering I had never even SEEN THA and didn't even know the color (mine is slightly lighter). I got right under 80% attenuation on it. I used a little Simcoe in addition to Centennial so I have less Centennial 'spice' and some added grapefruit, which imo isn't as good.

I really like the two batches I made with their yeast. I'm def going to harvest it again.

May I ask you how long you let the beer ferment in order to achieve the %80 attenuation? I just pitched a India Brown (OG = 1.064) on a bells yeast cake from a 1.044 OG bitter. After 4 days I am down to 1.024 and still have some krausen and the yeast is still in suspension. I overnight mashed at 151 so I am hoping to get this hog down to at least 1.015.

My previous ferments have all taken about two weeks with this yeast, while increasing temp to 75 or so once the majority of the fermentation is completed.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

18 days but I'm sure it was at terminal gravity way before that. I did let the temp rise to room temp after vigorous fermentation subsided. I didn't record how long I kept it cool and almost never take gravity readings during fermentation so don't know when it was at terminal gravity.

 

[elproducto]

I just brewed a Two-Hearted clone with cultured Bell's yeast. I did a split batch and after 4 days, the S-04 Krausen has fallen, and the Bell's batch has a really thick, muddy looking Krausen.

Anyone else notice a strange Krausen with the yeast? Just hope I don't have an infection.

 

[permo]

I just brewed a Two-Hearted clone with cultured Bell's yeast. I did a split batch and after 4 days, the S-04 Krausen has fallen, and the Bell's batch has a really thick, muddy looking Krausen.

Anyone else notice a strange Krausen with the yeast? Just hope I don't have an infection.

I didn't notice a wierd krausen, but I did notice that this yeast is very fluffy and does not flocculate well.

 

[Calix_Meus_Inebrians]

I just brewed a Two-Hearted clone with cultured Bell's yeast. I did a split batch and after 4 days, the S-04 Krausen has fallen, and the Bell's batch has a really thick, muddy looking Krausen.

Anyone else notice a strange Krausen with the yeast? Just hope I don't have an infection.

No weird Krausens here, but tons of yeast in the head that is quite fluffy. My guess is that it just has a lot of break proteins caught up in it but I doubt its infected. As permo said it doesn't like to flocculate well but give it a good 5 day cold crash to convince it to drop out.

 

[oldschool]

The Brett strain is probably used on something funky they have on tap at their brew pub.

Yep, like "Wild One." It's quite tasty.

 

[oldschool]

I can't believe some kind soul that works at bell's won't just tell us what the yeast strain is.
Bell's isn't a microbiology lab (thought they have one). They didn't just "invent" their own strain! Some ******* (Wyeast or Whitelabs) is maintaining it for them.

 

[Calix_Meus_Inebrians]

I can't believe some kind soul that works at bell's won't just tell us what the yeast strain is.
Bell's isn't a microbiology lab (thought they have one). They didn't just "invent" their own strain! Some ******* (Wyeast or Whitelabs) is maintaining it for them.

Not quite as simple as finding an employee to tell you. They didn't invent the strain but it sure is a mutant of some strain Larry Bell started using in the mid to early 80's. Whitelabs maintains the culture for them but I doubt even they know where it started. I have asked around and even the kind souls that work there don't explicitly know and figure that Larry Bell is the only one who really knows where it started.

Unless of course you are referring to the Brett strains they use, which you could probably run down.

 

[permo]

I don't think the strain is all that special.....I actually stopped keeping it around because I can get a virtually indestinguishable BTH clone using the much more widely available WLP001. That is also the reccomendation for yeast that I got when I emailed Bells.

 

[DawgBrewer]

Has anyone actually fermented the harvested yeast out at 76 degrees? I'm interested to hear the results.

 

[kpr121]

Has anyone actually fermented the harvested yeast out at 76 degrees? I'm interested to hear the results.

Interested in this as well. I have an IPA fermenting with harvested Oberon, temp controlled and under 7 psi pressure at 65 degrees. Its been 10 days and one keg (fermenter) is still at around 1.030. Its still falling, but I really think this yeast needs to be up in the 70s to ferment out. The other keg is at 1.016. Im going to bump my temp controller up to 72 tonight and see what happens.

 

[HomebrewPadawan]

Dead post, but relative...I cultured 3 bottles of Bells Pale Ale and just used it in my SMaSH APA. It's been fermenting for 3 days now and is starting to show signs of slowing. After reading this thread, a few people said how slowly this yeast can work...is it worth raising the temp from 68 to 72+ to try and help it along, or does this strain attenuate just fine with time?
Thanks...I love beer brewing

 

[copper2hopper]

What is a good gravity to start out at when doing a starter for for the dregs off the bottles of this stuff?? And whatever that may be what is the ratio of water to DME to get that???