Harvesting Yeast from Houblon Chouffe?

[ThreeStrandsBrewing]

Hey, now -

I was planning to harvest yeast from four bottles of Chouffe and then slowly step them up. After some research, however, I came across some information that this is only possible from the larger bottles, not the smaller bottles (which I have), as these are filtered?? I'm hoping this info is wrong. Can anyone confirm either way? Has anyone had success propagating yeast from the smaller bottles as I hope to do? Thanks!

 

[serum]

Hey, now -

I was planning to harvest yeast from four bottles of Chouffe and then slowly step them up. After some research, however, I came across some information that this is only possible from the larger bottles, not the smaller bottles (which I have), as these are filtered?? I'm hoping this info is wrong. Can anyone confirm either way? Has anyone had success propagating yeast from the smaller bottles as I hope to do? Thanks!

I've done it from smaller bottles. It's easier from the large ones though.

I've never seen a filtered bottle of chouffe but maybe they exist in other countries

 

[bionut]

Keep us posted about your experiment. This definitely is something i whant to try. I harvested yeast from Westmalle Dubbel bottle if you want to try.

 

[Shenanigans]

Do they use the same yeast for all their beers?
I want to do a Houblon clone too but the supermarket where I used to buy it doesn't stock it anymore
It was only 1.50 Euro a bottle as well.
I'm not really crazy about their other beers but they still have them all in the supermarket including big bottels of Le Chouffe at a decent price, about 3.50 euro a bottle.

Then again it probably makes more sense to buy a smack pack than buy a few big bottles of beer that I dont really like.

 

[ThreeStrandsBrewing]

Yeah, I will definitely keep you posted! I enjoy the beer, very much, and figured I might as well try to see if I can get the yeast. If it doesn't work, no worries!

 

[mjcoss]

I really like La Chouffe, and was thinking of trying to harvest the yeast as well. Do you just make a wort, and add the beer too it? Maybe add some yeast nutrient?

 

[m00ps]

Its easy to harvest from bottle. I step it up starting in the bottle itself at like 150ml or so before going into a flask. Just be sure the brewery doesnt filter their yeast and that its the original fermentation strian in there. Some breweries filter then add champagne yeast to carb. You do not want to use champagne yeast to ferment your beer

DO NOT add beer to it, you need to add fresh (sanitized by boiling then cooled) wort so that the yeast will make a tuiny batch of "starter" beer and grow their cell count

Side note: you guys realize that this yeast is widely available, right? White Labs WLP550 / Wyeast 3522?

 

[bionut]

I really like La Chouffe, and was thinking of trying to harvest the yeast as well. Do you just make a wort, and add the beer too it? Maybe add some yeast nutrient?

Not the beer, just the bottle dregs that remains after you pour the beer in a glass You should want to start with a small volume of wort, max 100-150 ml because the small number of active yeasts.

@m00ps The yeast isn't readly available for all of us. I have to order it from Belgium and pay triple the price. Just because homebrew store doesn't keep a stock of liquid yeasts. And, for some beers, why would you want to pay for something you could harvest from a bottle? I like the process of doing that, it's a part of my brewing experience

 

[serum]

If you don't like Chouffe, the yeast from Caracole beers is very similar and they do some different styles including an Ambree which is nice. Chouffe yeast is probably my favourite to use so drinking a few bottles to get some yeast is no hardship for me!

 

[ThreeStrandsBrewing]

I like the way you think, @serum! I'm excited to harvest and see what happens, and drinking the beer has been an enjoyable part of the process!

 

[CoreyG]

I'm not sure if someone already mentioned it but I think the wyeast bieres de Ardennes is the achoueffe yeast if the harvesting doesn't work too well

 

[MileHighBrewer]

Are you wanting to harvest just for fun? Because their house yeast is made by almost all the yeast labs. Omega Belgian A, WLP550, Wyeast 3522, and I forget the gigayeast version, and Inland Island Gnome.