Yeast strain cocktail

[6midgets]

I keep a sanitized mason jar in my refrigerator. Every time I drink a commercial IPA or IIPA, I put the last sip of sediment into this jar. Once I see a fair amount of yeast/sediment on the bottom of the jar, I then start to propagate the yeast to make a starter. Then I took the starter that I made from the commercial yeast and pitched it into an IPA that I brewed. The fermentation was slow but there was some activity in the airlock. I got nervous because I was going out of town for a few days so I pitched a pack of US-05. That IPA finished at 1.015. After I racked to the keg I put the yeast cake into mason jars for later use. Now as this was going on I also had another IPA in another fermenter, it was pitched with Imperial Barbarian yeast. When it was done fermenting I checked the gravity, it was 1.025. I made a starter from the yeast cake from the previous batch and pitched it in. A couple of days later after no activity in the airlock I checked the gravity it was down to 1.015 so I kegged it and saved the yeast cake. Is this how a house strain is made? What will happen if I keep using this in all of my IPA’s?

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Is this how a house strain is made?

I'd say the odds of that ever being done on purpose in a commercial setting are less than zero.

What will happen if I keep using this in all of my IPA’s?

Ever see "The Blob"?

Cheers!

 

[6midgets]

I'd say the odds of that ever being done on purpose in a commercial setting are less than zero.

so what I did isn't good? The beer taste great.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

If it tastes good then who cares? There's no harm in it.

 

[SanPancho]

If you like it, use it. But whats likely gonna happen is one of those yeasts will eventually outcompete the others and become the dominant strain. If you started with a 33-33-33 blend it could wind up at 10-20-70 eventually. But if you like it, go for it.

But no, not how a house strain is made. House strain is just one you use over and over until you start pushing it in a certain direction by the way you treat it. Higher or lower attenuation, flocculation, esters, etc.

For blends, you grow them separately and combine at set proportions.

 

[6midgets]

For blends, you grow them separately and combine at set proportions.

thanks for the info. Me pitching at the beginning and then at the end is the correct way to use a blend of yeast?

 

[TANSTAAFB]

And you don't usually harvest from IPAs or high gravity beers. They are coming from a pretty stressed environment and usually aren't ideal candidates for repitching/ propagation. That said, if the results are good and you like what you are getting, keep on keepin on!

 

[SanPancho]

thanks for the info. Me pitching at the beginning and then at the end is the correct way to use a blend of yeast?

depends on what you are referring to by blend. most prepackaged blends are pitched at once. i think thats what most people refer to by "blend"

but you can add separate yeasts, and at different times. technically that would be a blend too.