Blending Yeast

[TheKveiking]

Hello everyone, I am wondering if there is any benefit from blending two yeast strains together. A little background, I am making a Kentucky Common as well as just experimenting with yeast. I’m following a recipe with everything except the yeast, which calls for US-05. I was curious if I could split my batch and pitch two types of yeast and then blend them after a few days and let the lager go as it takes longer. I was going to do Imperial Kveiking and Imperial Global lager yeast. The fermentation temperature ranges do not overlap so I don’t think I could pitch them together. If this marriage of yeast wouldn’t work I’ll just try the lager since I’ve never done one. Please any tips are welcome as well. Sorry for the longish post.

 

[VikeMan]

Copitching yeast is a thing. The idea is to try to get desired attributes from both strains. For example: the ester profile from one strain and the higher attenuation of another strain. But what are you trying to accomplish?

 

[TheKveiking]

I was just more curious of what would come of it. I’m still new to brewing. I can make beer and mead, but I don’t understand how the yeast affects the flavor. I was think the combination would make a clean tasting, slightly fruity, lager taste. I think I’m going to save the kveik and do a wheat beer maybe like hoegaarden or Einstok ish clone.

 

[Sammy86]

Hello everyone, I am wondering if there is any benefit from blending two yeast strains together. A little background, I am making a Kentucky Common as well as just experimenting with yeast. I’m following a recipe with everything except the yeast, which calls for US-05. I was curious if I could split my batch and pitch two types of yeast and then blend them after a few days and let the lager go as it takes longer. I was going to do Imperial Kveiking and Imperial Global lager yeast. The fermentation temperature ranges do not overlap so I don’t think I could pitch them together. If this marriage of yeast wouldn’t work I’ll just try the lager since I’ve never done one. Please any tips are welcome as well. Sorry for the longish post.

I wouldn't mix anything with the Kveiking...on a recent Basic Brewing Episode James had one of the R&D guys from Imperial on discussing the Kevik strains...from what I understand to keep the Kveik nice and healthy in the old days they would introduce new yeast to it and it would merge/eat the other yeast to create a bigger/better Kveik.

Not to say you can't split and blend but I don't believe you'll get the flavor profile for the lager that you mentioned. When I used Keveking on my American Wheat beer it had a weird twang to it for almost 3 weeks...I did not like the flavor profile at all.

Any way, good luck...My vote would be to stick with the lager yeast!

 

[VikeMan]

I wouldn't mix anything with the Kveiking...on a recent Basic Brewing Episode James had one of the R&D guys from Imperial on discussing the Kevik strains...from what I understand to keep the Kveik nice and healthy in the old days they would introduce new yeast to it and it would merge/eat the other yeast to create a bigger/better Kveik.

I think you're reading more into what was said than was actually said. Brewers added other cultures, which resulted in mixed cultures, i.e. two or more strains living together. Natural hybridization is quite a rare event, because S. cerevisiae yeast cells do not normally exchange genetic material with each other.

FWIW, Kveiking itself is a blend of three strains, i.e. a mixed culture (not a hybrid).

 

[Sammy86]

I think you're reading more into what was said than was actually said.

This is distinctly possible. I'm definitely not a scientist, just a middle school social studies teacher who passed out in college bio during the pig disection.

 

[TheKveiking]

I wouldn't mix anything with the Kveiking...on a recent Basic Brewing Episode James had one of the R&D guys from Imperial on discussing the Kevik strains...from what I understand to keep the Kveik nice and healthy in the old days they would introduce new yeast to it and it would merge/eat the other yeast to create a bigger/better Kveik.

Not to say you can't split and blend but I don't believe you'll get the flavor profile for the lager that you mentioned. When I used Keveking on my American Wheat beer it had a weird twang to it for almost 3 weeks...I did not like the flavor profile at all.

Any way, good luck...My vote would be to stick with the lager yeast!

Perfect! That’s what I did. I felt the lager is a better fit for a Kentucky Common. Thanks, I will check out this Basic Brewing