beer from yeast, from a 40 million year old whale fossil...

[fletcher]

http://www.popsci.com.au/science/paleo-ale-brewed-from-yeast-found-on-a-40-million-year-old-whale-fossil
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2014/03/25/bone-dusters-paleo-ale-beer-from-fossils/

interesting...

 

[Bridges]

"Wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae also exist, however. This 2005 study found that wild S. cerevisiae live in fruit and mushrooms and in liquid exuded from oak trees."
My Dad has a few oak trees... Interesting. I wonder how I can harvest some?

 

[NewtownClown]

Cetacean Fermentation

 

[TimT]

I've heard about the oak trees, not about the mushrooms! Also read somewhere that brewing yeast has a natural home in the tummy of a particular flea. (Can't remember which one).

As to the original story - well, that's cool I suppose but also kind of gimmicky. And apparently (from the story) the yeast might have just drifted there quite recently from another lab.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Pliny the Eldest.

 

[NewtownClown]

"Wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae also exist, however. This 2005 study found that wild S. cerevisiae live in fruit and mushrooms and in liquid exuded from oak trees."
My Dad has a few oak trees... Interesting. I wonder how I can harvest some?

 

[TimT]

Interesting. I wonder how I can harvest some?

Or how about.... just chuck a few leaves in with some sugary liquid? And a bit of nutrient for the yeast at the right temp to make it extra happy?

 

[GalBrew]

Buy Jamil's yeast book. I'm pretty sure there is a bit on harvesting wild yeast in there. It isn't very hard.

 

[NewtownClown]

Credit where credit is due, Chris White of White Labs fame is the major contributor to the book. Jamil helped him polish it up
The actual title is
Yeast: the practical guide to beer fermentation / by Chris White with Jamil Zainasheff.

 

[GalBrew]

I believe it was actually Homeboy and Dogmeat.

 

[Camo6]

Beer yeast from whale bones? And we're trying to stop Japanese research? My God. We've made a huge mistake...

 

[Bridges]

Yep watched this and part two, now it's like waiting for George R. R. Martin to get off his massive arse and publish the next Game of Thrones novel. I don't know if he grew anything but mould.

 

[Bridges]

Found this too. These guys must know how to get yeast from trees!