My first time trying to bottle harvest. Help!

[ARock_DK]

I tried my first bottled yeast harvest last week. Got some bottles of Bell's Two Hearted Ale (Insanely hard to get here in Europe), pitched the dregs of my only two bottles into a starter. Took a really long time for anything to build up, but I finally got a nice little layer. Cold crashed it in the fridge overnight to get a better idea of what I have.

Since I have never done this before, I am not sure what I have on my hands. Pulled a sample out of the starter jug. Smell is fruity, like a heffe almost? Probably not a good sign...Taste is fruity and yeasty, ton of esters, and of course horrible oxidized beer. I am including some pics of the yeast, since it looks a bit funny to me.

So my question to those far more experienced then I, do I have a big jug full of wild yeast and mold, or can i build this up and make that perfect Two Hearted clone I have been dreaming of?

Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.

 

[CastleHollow]

It looks like you have a good concentration of yeast in that top picture. I would suggest decanting off most of that starter beer, and then begin stepping up a new starter to ensure you have a healthy colony.

I harvested THA two years ago, now working on my 4th or 5th generation and it is still going strong. Very much like Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II.)

Good luck!