Guava induced wild fermentation

[luke_d]

So, about a year ago, I brewed an American IPA. It was fantastic! I bottled four of the five gallons and left one gallon on the yeast cake. I then picked ten guavas from the tree in the backyard and dropped them right in. Within a month there was a half inch, white pellicle with nice bubbles. I left the poor gallon of IPA to its fate, until now.

Fast forward a year to now! Yesterday I took a sample and it was reaaaalllyyy good! It has a hint of Belgian tasting funk. Tastes like it'll be a delicious yeast experiment. so after I took the tasting, I figured, why not throw a bunch of fruit in there? So I put a pound of strawberries, a pound of blueberries, about twenty guavas from the same tree, and an apple. Just to see what'll happen!! Since adding the fruit, it's already begun another fermentation.

I'll report back with more, next time I taste it. I'm just fascinated that you can culture yeast strains off of just about anything, and it's even cooler when it's from a tree in your very own backyard!

Cheers!
Luke

 

[badlee]

man,you know that you are just going to have to ferment a whole batch with the beasts you got from that fruit.

 

[luke_d]

What do you mean?

 

[badlee]

well,if you have managed to get wild beasties from the guava,ypu should try them out on a brew just for them. Give them their own party.
There is the chance,but, that the original yeast was just feeding on the fruit sugars

 

[luke_d]

Oh, I get it! Yea, I'm not sure what I should brew with it! And how would I harvest it? Just make a starter from slurry?

 

[Crayfish]

Very cool. I love guava. Was it at all astringent from the seeds?

 

[luke_d]

Not really! This particular type of guava is the Pineapple Guava. They are a tad bit different from the usual guava, but they generally taste the same. The seeds are reaaaally small, and they almost incorporate themselves into the mush, almost like a banana seed would in a really overripe banana.

No astringency, but it had a really nice funky Belgian-ish character to it, which is cool considering the original IPA was made with WLP001. So it's cool to see that flavor come through with the wild yeast.

Here's a couple pictures of it now, about 3 days after I pitched the fruit.

 

[fivepoundpossum]

i'd definitely use the yeast cake on the bottom of this fermenter to make something like a saison or other light, dry style and see what those wild bugs are made of. love to see this kind of thing!

 

[luke_d]

New pictures! That pellicle is taking over the fruit, I love it.

 

[luke_d]

For anyone wondering, here's an update. Today I took a hydrometer reading and it has finished out at about 1.005. Pretty dry! But a nice, fruity aroma is what dominates this sample. So much strawberry, I love it! Going to bottle soon.

 

[oach]

Are u sure that 1.005 is terminal gravity. Let it go another week and test again. Wild yeast, at times, can get lower. Don't want you to have bottle bombs

Thank you for the update.

 

[luke_d]

It has been sitting for about 5 months with the wild yeast, and I've checked a couple times. I think it's done, but I'll wait a little while longer. Thanks!!

 

[statseeker]

Nice! I did something similar with yeast I harvested off of wild grapes. Threw it in a saison with great results. I should have kept that yeast.

 

[TrickyDick]

What did you do with the guavas? Peel? Quarter?


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[luke_d]

Update! For those still interested. I know it's been awhile, seeing as it's now September.

To answer the question, I just cut them in quarters and dropped them in the fermenter.

Now I bottled this early March, and it's been conditioning in the bottle since then. Popped them in the fridge a few days ago, and tasting them now.

It ended up being 1.000, thanks to some radical wild yeast and bacteria. It's REALLY refreshing and dry. It actually smells and tastes like a fruity chardonnay. Its delicious. The fruit added a lot of flavor and earthiness, which I'm thinking is from a slight astringency due to seeds.

Overall, it ended up being a worthy experiment. Definitely something I'd consider trying again.

 

[TrickyDick]

Wow clear and reddish color!

I ended up quartering mine. Some had blemishes so I dunked those in pot of boiling water for 10-15 seconds and carved away any funky looking stuff. I ended up running most of the gauge through a type of food mill that I use to remove skin and seed from tomatoes. It did a good job on the guava. The beer was intentionally sour unlike the one you describe. I used ECY01 and some Cantillon dregs. It is fantastic stuff and ready to be bottled. Tastes and smells like guava too! No vinous character that I can detect, but still a young beer that should improve in the bottle.

TD


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[badlee]

A work of art! Congrats,glad it turned out well

 

[luke_d]

Thanks, guys! Adding dregs sounds like a great idea... I think the vinous qualities cone from the other fruit that I added. The guava was not at all the main source of flavor, just the main source of funk. Prost!