Harvesting Duvel Yeast

DoubleAught · Mar 31, 2012

Anyone harvested Duvel yeast with success? I'm in the process of doing it right now by emptying two bottles :mug:

. I've got my starter wort cooling in the freezer. We'll see how it goes in a few days!

TomRep · Mar 31, 2012

I've done it, but with more then two bottles. I think I had 4-6 until I was done. I had a good starter going, but never got to use it. life got in the way and I never did anything with it. I did hear, however, that they bottle condition with a differnt yeast.
tom

DoubleAught · Mar 31, 2012

TomRep said:
I've done it, but with more then two bottles. I think I had 4-6 until I was done. I had a good starter going, but never got to use it. life got in the way and I never did anything with it. I did hear, however, that they bottle condition with a differnt yeast.
tom

I was afraid two may not be enough, and also wondered if the conditioning yeast was different. Oh well, I'll try anyway and see what I get.

However these are 750ml bottles, is that what you used?

TomRep · Apr 1, 2012

No I used the smaller (13oz?) bottles. I certainly wouldn't give up on it! Even if it is a different conditioning yeast, it still might be good.
tom

rgontasz · Apr 1, 2012

I'm not sure if they bottle with their primary strain, but if they do one bottle would be fine. I always only use one bottle. Just make sure to be patient and super sterile and you will be fine!

DoubleAught · Apr 5, 2012

The Harvesting is coming along well. I've got a nice layer of Duvel yeast on the bottom of my flask. I read the other day in http://www.amazon.com/Brew-Like-Monk-Trappist-Belgian/dp/093738187X that Duvel uses the same yeast for both primary fermentation and bottling, however the yeast used for bottling has different characteristics. It doesn't say what that is though.

rgontasz · Apr 5, 2012

Glad to hear its going well! What exactly dots it mean to have the same strain, but different characteristics? Wouldn't it be the same?

DoubleAught · Apr 6, 2012

Yeah I would think "the same" means the same too. I'm not sure either.

shoreman · Apr 6, 2012

I'd be interested to see the results on this - the Orval (Bastogne) yeast from white labs that I used in a golden ended up with a similar profile to the duvel yeast. Its the only belgian yeast I've used that came close.