I have two beers in the fridge that appear to have been bottle conditioned... Ommegang Abbey Ale and Flensburger Weizen. Does anyone know if I can harvest the yeast from either of these ?
Harvesting Yeast from Commercial Beer
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BrewerofBeers
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Sometimes you can harvest a great yeast! Save up some bottles. Use a really light starter, like 1.010 SG, and step it up. Use yeast nutrient. Could take more than a week. Sometimes there's info on the yeast on the web and whether or not it's just a yeast used to bottle condition, or if it's the real deal used to ferment the beer.
Good luck!
Good luck!
You have to make sure it is not a simple bottle yeast, to do this you have to make a starter with normal wort, and see how low it goes, bottle yeasts only ferment simple sugars, so if it doesn't go low enough throw it away.
Also the easiest way is to leave about a cm in the bottle and add some apple juice to it, if you see activity then you can create a starter.
Also the easiest way is to leave about a cm in the bottle and add some apple juice to it, if you see activity then you can create a starter.
OP
OP
OK, so nobody know specifically about these two beers whether or not they are bottle conditioned and can be harvested? I know the process and have done it before with beers that I know that it can be done with but these beers are new to me and I can't find any specific info.
BrewerofBeers
Well-Known Member
Well, those sound like two beer styles that would have yeast in the bottles. Can you see the yeast? If so, then you know you can. Sorry, I don't know specifically about those 2.
Ommegang uses the same yeast for both fermenting and bottling. You can get that yeast and starter it. Don't know about Flensburger.
Hefeweizens are cloudy from all the yeast, it is part of the style. In fact all that yeast in suspension is part of the thrill. I’d start there.
I have harvested yeast from Bell's Oberon and Schell's Hefeweizen, and both worked great. I'm not familiar with the two beers you mentioned.
MicroMickey
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Hold on there Sparky! German Weissbier (Hefeweizen) is almost invariably primed with krausen and lager yeast. There are a number of Belgian yeasts that are well worth propagating from bottle dregs.
Yeast Culturing
This attachment may help to get you started.
Yeast Culturing
This attachment may help to get you started.
I just learned that Weihenstephaner is pasteurized!
Check out post #5.
OP
OP
Flensburger Weizen pours pretty clear.
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@Jeroen79 , I don't think that the USA requires imported beers to be pasteurized. The breweries might do it for their exported beers because they'll be longer in transit and stored where storage temps aren't ideal. So pasteurizing just helps them maintain the their intended taste longer.
After all, beers change over time and live yeast are one of the things that might drive that flavor change as we condition our beers.
As for domestic beers in any country, they aren't going to be stored as long before being consumed. And the storage conditions can be better controlled along the way. So not as much need to go through a process that will take money from the bottom line.
Although I don't know for certain, I always thought the really big breweries here in USA, do pasteurize everything whether for domestic or export. I might be wrong.
After all, beers change over time and live yeast are one of the things that might drive that flavor change as we condition our beers.
As for domestic beers in any country, they aren't going to be stored as long before being consumed. And the storage conditions can be better controlled along the way. So not as much need to go through a process that will take money from the bottom line.
Although I don't know for certain, I always thought the really big breweries here in USA, do pasteurize everything whether for domestic or export. I might be wrong.
jsphlynch
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I've successfully harvested yeast from Ommegang Hennepin, so I'd guess Abbey would work just fine as well.
When in doubt, I have emailed breweries to find out if their beers were pasteurized. They usually reply; that's how I knew Schell's Hefe could be cultured.
I've pulled yeast from Widmer Hefeweizen, but I understand it is really an Alt yeast.
Really easy to do and that yeast made the batch taste just like Widmer. Identical.
Really easy to do and that yeast made the batch taste just like Widmer. Identical.
faithie999
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Did you use the dregs from several bottles of Bell's? what OG starter did you make?
thanks
What I used for the Schell's was the dregs from 2 cans (refrigerated for several days to maximize the sediment, poured slowly so not to disturb it much, then swirled it up with the last swallow and poured in the starter flask.) I usually use 1.035 to 1.040 starters. The Bell's was a few years ago so I don't remember the details but it was probably exactly the same. HTH
One of the best beers I've ever brewed was a porter fermented with the Bell's yeast.
I got a tip some years ago to add cooled starter wort directly to the bottle the yeast it’s in, cover top with sanitized foil, a give a swirl several times a day. Successful there, great, then build it up in the usual way.
mashpaddled
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You should be able to harvest from the Ommegang bottle. I'm not sure about the weizen. If it's not pasteurized, it may be a different bottling yeast. Some German breweries are known to centrifuge out the weizen strain and use a more neutral but poor flocculating strain for bottling to maintain cloudiness.
Really only one way to find out.
Really only one way to find out.
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