Commercial Beer Yeast Harvest List

[LowOG]

I can confirm that yeast can be harvested from unfiltered canned beer. I grew some from Heady Topper (I asked about it a while back and there didn't seem to be an answer out there).

My first IPA and my first harvested yeast are both a success as of bottling today!

 

[beergolf]

Pranqster harvest worked....

Just took a gravity reading for a tripel I brewed and it went from1.071 to 1.010. Am going to bottle either next week or the week after that....

Sample tasted pretty good.

 

[mewithstewpid]

Just successfully harvested from Ommegang Aphrodite

its ommegang house and brett

hopefully going to make an awesome saison!

 

[ChillWill]

Delirium tremens harvest took my beer from 1.086 to 1.013, 83% attenuation. Smells and tastes pretty good so far, bottling today.

 

[Tinga]

I did my first bottle harvest on my new stir plate and was amazed at how much this took off. The yeast was harvested from a single bottle of Bell's Winter White Ale. I believe this yeast is very different from the yeast Bell's uses in their year round beers. The website says it's a belgian strain. tastes a bit like a hefe but not as much banana. pretty god wheat yeast though. pitched it into 250 ml of about 1.020 wort and was surprised to find this much krausen when I got home from work today.

 

[Brewitt]

Pranqster harvest worked....

Just took a gravity reading for a tripel I brewed and it went from1.071 to 1.010. Am going to bottle either next week or the week after that....

Sample tasted pretty good.

Just started drinking a Belgian Golden brewed with Pranqster yeast. Mine also fermented out very well, 1.080 to 1.010 (87%!). 10.1% ABV Tasting very good and great body. Seems like I should have raised the temperature a bit for some stronger belgian character but a great brew nevertheless.

 

[Sirwood]

Has anyone had any luck with Rouge Dead Guy ale?

 

[tcdehay]

I harvest pacman from dead guy all the time. It takes several step ups, but about twice a year I'll harvest pacman and share with my brew club.

 

[Jukas]

Has anyone had any luck with Rouge Dead Guy ale?

I harvested from two bottles of dead guy. Took 4 days on a stir plate before I saw any activity. I came home from running errands intending to dump it and found krausen and it fermenting like gangbusters.

 

[Sirwood]

Ok so I'm new to harvesting and making larger starters. Question is this, how important is it to use a stir plate? Also is it necessary to use yeast nutrients?

 

[zrule]

The main purpose of a stir plate is to introduce oxygen and does really make a difference. I use a small amount of nutrients. Check out www.mrmalty.com and you can calculate starters with and with out a stir plate.

 

[Jukas]

Ok so I'm new to harvesting and making larger starters. Question is this, how important is it to use a stir plate? Also is it necessary to use yeast nutrients?

I'd imagine unless you were harvesting from a large sample that a stir plate would be pretty much required. At least for non bottle conditioned (like Dead Guy) where you're attempting to harvest from yeast that got through filtration, I don't see it being likely to do it without a stir plate.

The last two times I've harvested dead guy I've done it form 2-3 bottles with 1/4 - 1/2" dregs in each bottle. It's taken 3-4 days to take off each time and that's with a stir plate. I've never added yeast nutrient, but it wouldn't be a terrible idea.

 

[Sirwood]

Finally got some pacman yeast going off you a rogue oatmeal stout. Sat for almost a week with no activity and then boom it just started. No stir plate by the way

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Finally got some pacman yeast going off you a rogue oatmeal stout. Sat for almost a week with no activity and then boom it just started. No stir plate by the way

People are all about this Pacman yeast. If I grew some up would people want it?

Edit: scratch that, you can buy it from wyeast.

 

[Jukas]

People are all about this Pacman yeast. If I grew some up would people want it?

Edit: scratch that, you can buy it from wyeast.

It can be bought from Wyeast, but apparently only goes through certain distributors, and I think may only be available during certain months (or every other month). When I ordered it from my lhbs they said they had to order it from someone other than their normal supplier, it cost 50% more and took a month to get in

I ended up harvesting in the meantime, so now I have a Wyeast smack pack sitting in my fridge... Go figure.

 

[Bradinator]

Bad News: I was trying to harvest a bottling of the Three Philosophers Ommengang and had it successfully take, but it became infected with some very gross looking hairy mold

Good News: Another successful harvest of Pacman from a bottle of Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale using a bottle of Malta.

 

[lagavulin]

Bad News: I was trying to harvest a bottling of the Three Philosophers Ommengang and had it successfully take, but it became infected with some very gross looking hairy mold

Same thing happened to me a couple weeks ago with a bottle of Hennepin. Can't imagine what happened. There seemed to be a good amount of yeast on the bottom. Attempted to step to 6 oz of 1.040 wort @ 75 degrees. No luck - infection.

 

[Bradinator]

I think poor sanitation was at fault for mine. I used a spoon to stir it but did not bother to clean it beforehand. It was some pretty funky looking growth... Kind of like crazy old man ear hair. Maybe I should have tried to grow it out into a wig or something.

 

[lagavulin]

I think poor sanitation was at fault for mine. I used a spoon to stir it but did not bother to clean it beforehand. It was some pretty funky looking growth... Kind of like crazy old man ear hair. Maybe I should have tried to grow it out into a wig or something.

Yeah, I think the yeast in my bottle were dead or something - I had no activity for 6 days and then infection set in.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Yeah, I think the yeast in my bottle were dead or something - I had no activity for 6 days and then infection set in.

The activity from that first step is minimal if any.... first step, the yeast are really just waking up.

Admittedly, I haven't read this entire thread yet, but I keep noticing talk on how exactly to harvest yeast. I'm sure it's been gone over several times now, but here's a link to a little write up I did on harvesting from several 12 oz bottles. I do this all the time to get Bell's and Pacman yeast.

you can buy it from wyeast.

Sometimes. It's seasonal, I think. Either way, it's more fun to harvest. Plus ya get beer for your $7.

 

[lagavulin]

The activity from that first step is minimal if any.... first step, the yeast are really just waking up.

Admittedly, I haven't read this entire thread yet, but I keep noticing talk on how exactly to harvest yeast. I'm sure it's been gone over several times now, but here's a link to a little write up I did on harvesting from several 12 oz bottles. I do this all the time to get Bell's and Pacman yeast.

Yeah, I've been successful with bells, orval and a number of others. This is my first fail. There was literally no activity -- if it had fermented the likelihood of an infection would be low.

Oh well, try, try again...

 

[tifosichris]

Port Brewing Mongo

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Yeah, I've been successful with bells, orval and a number of others. This is my first fail. There was literally no activity -- if it had fermented the likelihood of an infection would be low.

Oh well, try, try again...

It happens. Sucks though. Do you use a really small, low grav. starter to start with?

 

[lagavulin]

Stepped to 6 oz 1.040 wort

 

[ShawnNelson]

Did anyone ever figure out if the yeast in the dregs of Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss is the primary fermenting yeast?

 

[Accidic]

Stepped to 6 oz 1.040 wort

I try not to use more than 1.030 for the first and second stepping. After that though I treat it as normal.

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

I recently made a hefeweizen with it and it seems to be the primary yeast strain.

 

[emjay]

Did anyone ever figure out if the yeast in the dregs of Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss is the primary fermenting yeast?

Using a separate "bottling" yeast is an exceedingly rare practice, yet your question is extremely common in this thread. The truth is, it's almost always a safe bet that the yeast in the bottle was used to ferment the beer itself, especially in beers that aren't extreme-ABV beers (like 13+ percent).

In fact, it's so unlikely to be a different strain in any given beer that you're always best off just going for it, unless you've heard otherwise either straight from the horse's mouth, or from so many other people that it's obviously common knowledge. It's so unlikely that if somebody tells you that a certain beer uses a different strain for bottling, there's a high probability that they're wrong, because many homebrewers have the mistaken idea that it's a somewhat common practice. It really isn't. MANY (if not most) brewers who ROUTINELY harvest yeast will *never* encounter such a product.

 

[SnowBird]

Great list, Thanks!

 

[RobMT]

Was successful getting yeast from Koninshoeven La Trappe Tripel
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/184/658

and currently have the (very active) yeast spinning from Great Lakes Brewing Belgian Saison
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/1244676--great-lakes-25th-anniversary-saison-what-s-brewing
That's the only link I could find with a picture of the bottle. This one might be tough for people outside of the Greater Toronto area to find.