Harvesting Spotted Cow yeast

[joety]

It's a beautiful brewery, made to look like an European castle or chateau. They also took the tops off of some old copper mash tuns or brew kettles to sit over the top of their stainless steel tanks to enhance that appearance. However, appearances, like words, can be deceiving. I also toured Capital Brewery the same day, where they actually use a copper tun and kettle. Looking through the door of the kettle, the difference was apparent.

I still have to get out to New Glarus and do that one. Their brewery does look beautiful in the pics, and I'm very familiar with topography in the area. Southwest Wisconsin reminds me a lot of Southern Belgium near the border with Luxembourg with the rolling hills and stone farmhouses. We used to camp at nearby Yellowstone Lake every summer.

If you are up in that area again you should try Ale Asylum and the Great Dane Brewpup. Great Dane has several locations in the area, be sure to try the one on the ismuth.

 

[ThreeDogsNE]

This is interesting to me. Perhaps I was misinformed or they have changed there yeast. Either way I am sure it is a similar strain.

We happened upon a tour given by a guy who said he had worked there for a dozen years or so. He made kind of a big deal about the yeast arriving from the university as a very small specimen and being cultured up to an appropriate sized starter, then being re-used for five brews before being discarded. He also talked some about their pasteurization protecting their proprietary yeast strain. It all sounded legitimate. I suppose it could have been salesmanship, though the guy came across as more of a techie than a salesman (which would be excellent salesmanship/acting). He seemed genuinely proud of "his" company. I just took it at face value, and bought a few cases...