New Liquid Yeasts In Perth?

[drsmurto]

well if the general consensus on "aftermarket" yeast is people are willing and happy to use them and like the cheaper price, i might just have a good business plan for the Adelaide market

hmm, i wonder what would be needed for an above-the-table business like this in the area of regulations, quality control etc..

You plan on charging me for yeast now?

I assume, like all poor uni students, you work for beer? :lol:

 

[~MikE]

You plan on charging me for yeast now?

I assume, like all poor uni students, you work for beer? :lol:

haha no, just an idea. i wouldn't go into this as a business without putting in the time/effort/money to make it fully legit, which i cbf doing - if anything i'd probably find myself going into the research side of brewing yeasts - say transform your favorite ale strain with the Aequorea green fluorescent protein - glow in the dark beer FTW!!!

sound advice from Ronin, can never be too careful when dealing with microbes. having said that, i doubt very much he'd use something other than potato-dextrose broth or malt extract for culturing, would be too costly to use the analytical stuff.

 

[Ronin]

sound advice from Ronin, can never be too careful when dealing with microbes. having said that, i doubt very much he'd use something other than potato-dextrose broth or malt extract for culturing, would be too costly to use the analytical stuff.

Yeah I'm not too worried about the culture medium...just telling people to ask questions. Are the same flasks/bottles used for Brain Heart Infusion broth? I would not want that going anywhere near anything I consumed. How well are their glassware cleaned? Does the lab deal in pathogenic bacteria as well? How regularly is their autoclave tested? How is waste disposed of? Is there a chance it will carry over? What exactly is the guys qualifications?

Wyeast/White Labs are certified. Be careful, just because someone has a PhD doesn't mean they know anything. I know, I've seen it.

I have seen some quite atrocious aseptic techniques, even in post-docs. I trust myself. Everyone else's work I check.

 

[Edgewater]

I agree that the lack of temperature control and only trialing the yeast once does not provide optimal opportunity to properly assess the Proculture yeast. Saying that with past experience I have achieved results that have been quite satisfactory under similar condititons. However moving fermentation into a temperature controlled environment is optimal.

It would be useful for whoever is producing the Proculture product to step forward and be available to talk about the product. Even appproaching the West Coast Brewers Club to talk up the product, or offer to supply yeast for a club competion to familiarise his main consumer market in WA and to get broader feedback to the product (etc).

At this stage I still stand by my last comment that I would use a known brand of yeast supplier for future brews.

 

[hughman666]

quick update, i've used the wyeast 2112 equivalent and kegged the results yesterday. initial smell/taste is pretty true to style. have got the 1056 equivalent kegged also with similar results.

if people are concerned about the details and specifics of the lab's cleaning practices then it's pretty simple, dont buy em and stick with the more expensive but tested products. for those that arent so anal, they seem to be a good alternative from what ive tested so far. considering the amount of people stepping up starters in their garages with no ill effects, i'm surprised to see the level of scrutiny these yeasts are coming under...

 

[Ronin]

if people are concerned about the details and specifics of the lab's cleaning practices then it's pretty simple, dont buy em and stick with the more expensive but tested products. for those that arent so anal, they seem to be a good alternative from what ive tested so far. considering the amount of people stepping up starters in their garages with no ill effects, i'm surprised to see the level of scrutiny these yeasts are coming under...

I agree, if you don't care, use it. I just think people should just be informed about what they are doing.

My research project involves the use of Salmonella typhimurium as well as Salmonella typhi (the first will make you sick, the second will kill you). The lab uses Heclicobacter pylori (causes gastric ulcers and gastric cancer), Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal meningitis) and legionella pneumophila (Legionairres disease). What sort of pathogens are used in this lab? Where did the guy get his qualifications?

I don't play around with this stuff. I'm am extremely anal when I work with these pathogens and I sterilise everything before I work with yeast. Everything is tested for contamination every step along the way.

I just think people should be aware of what the possible consequences are. The above bacteria may not be able to multiply in wort, I'm not sure never tested it. I know Klebsiella is a transient infection at the beginning of lambic production along with some other enterobacteriaceae so there's really no reason why other enteric bacteria like E. coli and salmonella should be unable to multiply in wort. Especially in starter cultures without the presence of hop alpha acids.

Again, I'm not saying don't do it, if you want to go ahead. Just know the risks.

Me, I'll be paying the extra $6 (or $3 from Ross) and getting the quality controlled product.

James

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Have to agree here guys - ask the questions. I'm not going to repeat the answers I've heard here as they're only hearsay. If the answers are true though, there are some who might have cause for concern as it's well published as to some of the other things cultured in the lab.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great for a (proper) local yeast manufacturer to become available. Who knows - this may even turn into that. But I'd ask the questions now, and make the decision as to whether you're comfortable with the origin.

I agree, What else is produced in that lab?I am only going on hearsay as well but I know its not only yeast.They need to make this more transparent on where its being produced and by whom, I think we have all had some hearsay.Is there a reason they are not wanting to identify themselves?Come on guys come clean , you could have a good market but people are not going to trust you unless you answer the questions.Till then I spent the extra bucks on a proven certified product.
GB

 

[Ronin]

Till then I spent the extra bucks on a proven certified product.

And again, it's not like we're talking about a huge amount of money here. We're talking a few dollars savings.

 

[Edgewater]

Referring to the original thread the question was seeking feedback regarding the product's quality. I am happy to hear that another vial purchased around the same time I bought mine has produced a batch of beer that is acceptable.

I'm happy with the feedback that has been raised. It may present that a mountain is being made out of a mole hill but informed choice regarding a product is important too.

 

[kook]

if people are concerned about the details and specifics of the lab's cleaning practices then it's pretty simple, dont buy em and stick with the more expensive but tested products. for those that arent so anal, they seem to be a good alternative from what ive tested so far. considering the amount of people stepping up starters in their garages with no ill effects, i'm surprised to see the level of scrutiny these yeasts are coming under...

It's not about cleaning practices. I'm sure everything is cleaned well. It's about whether the yeast are stored in a manner and propagated in a manner that will prevent any chance of cross contamination with the other things that are played around with in the lab. Also about whether other people have access to the yeast (i.e. are the storage facilities locked) and may be able to cross contaminate a sample by mistake.

What I've heard could be wrong - and I hope it is. I'd actually rather it be someones garage!!

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

It's not about cleaning practices. I'm sure everything is cleaned well. It's about whether the yeast are stored in a manner and propagated in a manner that will prevent any chance of cross contamination with the other things that are played around with in the lab. Also about whether other people have access to the yeast (i.e. are the storage facilities locked) and may be able to cross contaminate a sample by mistake.

What I've heard could be wrong - and I hope it is. I'd actually rather it be someones garage!!

My point exactly, also do these people have public liability cover on the off chance someone gets a nasty dose of some thing?Yes ,safer done in the back shed at this point in time.I would like to see it get up and going as long as it all becomes transparent.
GB

 

[~MikE]

What I've heard could be wrong - and I hope it is. I'd actually rather it be someones garage!!

no, i'll take my laminar flow any day of the week (although the lab i'm in doesn't deal with pathogens).

 

[Ronin]

no, i'll take my laminar flow any day of the week (although the lab i'm in doesn't deal with pathogens).

And that would be fine, but some labs like mine do...so it needs to be clear where these yeast are coming from, how they are propagated and the qualifications of the person need to be known.

And my lab would lynch me if I was to work with yeast in a flow hood. They can be quite difficult to remove from tissue culture. So they go nowhere near it.

 

[Asher]

Lager fermenting well... On its way up for a diacetyl rest ATM...
No sign of gastric cancer yet

There is a bigger dilemma I see here... As I'm an avid comp enterer. Will I need to disclose that I used this yeast so judges can choose whether to consume this beer or not? Will I be liable for any cancerous growths that appear in Judges if don't disclose?

Now as I do enjoy sharing beer with friends at club meetings etc. I wouldn't want people to not taste my beer for any of the reasons mentioned above. So I think I'll go back to using northern hemisphere yeasts until more is known about this stuffs origin.



Asher

 

[Ronin]

Lager fermenting well... On its way up for a diacetyl rest ATM...
No sign of gastric cancer yet

There is a bigger dilemma I see here... As I'm an avid comp enterer. Will I need to disclose that I used this yeast so judges can choose whether to consume this beer or not? Will I be liable for any cancerous growths that appear in Judges if don't disclose?



Asher

Yep completely liable

I was actually reading an article a while back about the anti-helicobacter properties of hop alpha acids, so I guess that means they could grow in unhopped starters.

That being said most people are colonised with this pathogen anyway. So drinking beer may actually kill of the bacteria in your stomach? I think I feel a grant application coming on...and a whole lot of 'research'. :lol:

 

[Sammus]

so theyre saying now that h.pylori can cause cancer and ulcers?
I remember my old man pushing this theory 10+ years ago and people laughed at him. Funny too, in the 50s, his old man got shouted down for claiming that smoking can cause cancer... ah well. The nature of the beast I guess. /ot

 

[Ross]

Has anyone had the decency to approach this new Company & ask the relevant questions?
I'm also guessing that whoever is stocking this product, has all the necessary information?

Cheers Ross

 

[Ronin]

so theyre saying now that h.pylori can cause cancer and ulcers?
I remember my old man pushing this theory 10+ years ago and people laughed at him. Funny too, in the 50s, his old man got shouted down for claiming that smoking can cause cancer... ah well. The nature of the beast I guess. /ot

Pretty sure that's where the research is taking us...but yeah this is off topic.

 

[sinkas]

Form what I see they are not a company,
I hope our tax payers NHMRC dollars are not being spent for someone to culture up some 1056 in between surfing the net and drinking another gallon of coffee

 

[Ronin]

Has anyone had the decency to approach this new Company & ask the relevant questions?
I'm also guessing that whoever is stocking this product, has all the necessary information?

Cheers Ross

I was under the impression from the OP that it was just a research fellow at murdoch uni making a bit of money on the side. You aren't a research fellow in "brewing yeast distribution". If it is a valid company, then I'm sure that they have the proper procedures to ensure quality. If it isn't then the lab head probably doesn't even know he's doing it.

I'd love it if an aussie company would set up to grow and distribute yeast. But until it's an company with the proper procedures/approvals in place I'll stick with Wyeast.