Talking Yeast With Wyeast Labs

[Kranky]

I just watched this video on yeast, looks pretty informative and something that I'm going to have a look at more than once.

 

[davo4772]

I just watched this video on yeast, looks pretty informative and something that I'm going to have a look at more than once.

Very interesting, thanks for the link.
He mentioned that he brews mostly lagers himself as if he wants an IPA he just goes to a bar. If only it were like that here.

 

[nardcooker]

Thanks for the link, a lot of good information from the source.

 

[davo4772]

4:40 he talks about bringing back the 1469 West Yorkshire. Says it was easier to make the yeast than to reply to 30 emails a day.

I have always wondered how yeast makers get the strains, thinking that there would be some sort of propriatary protection in place. Apparently not. They scavenge the yeast from enough bottles to get a representative sample of the yeast, then its yours to sell.

 

[Midnight Brew]

At 26 mins he talks about aeration. 45 seconds of vigorous shaking gets you 8ppm. Helped me be lazy

 

[Bizier]

4:40 he talks about bringing back the 1469 West Yorkshire. Says it was easier to make the yeast than to reply to 30 emails a day.

How many of those emails were Dr Smurto-derived?

 

[felten]

Interesting that he said they recommend to either pitch or chill your starter just before it reaches terminal gravity.

I usually let my starters go for 24-36hr on the stir plate before chilling them, I figure they would be well finished at that point but have never really measured it to see.

 

[Wolfy]

How many of those emails were Dr Smurto-derived?

I think DrS and Bribie would have accounted for the majority of them.

 

[Nick JD]

4:40 he talks about bringing back the 1469 West Yorkshire. Says it was easier to make the yeast than to reply to 30 emails a day.

I have always wondered how yeast makers get the strains, thinking that there would be some sort of propriatary protection in place. Apparently not. They scavenge the yeast from enough bottles to get a representative sample of the yeast, then its yours to sell.

I wonder if they have people going through filtered and pasteurised bottles looking for that one lonely cell that made it through?

Or if they practice corporate espionage; where a guy on a brewery tour "gets lost" by accident. "Oops, I accidently dropped my glasses into your vat - can you please fish them out and return them to me in the mail at PO Box 146, Odell, OR 97044, USA?" h34r:

 

[Wolfy]

Or if they practice corporate espionage

Yes they do, but in a polite and gentlemanly type of way - they talk about it on one of the other podcasts.

 

[Nick JD]

Commercial brewers seem a very amiable bunch.

I enjoyed his distinction between the phenolic and non phenolic yeasts. I've never heard that before.

Wish he talked more about the intricacies of lager yeasts. And great to hear diacetyl being described as BUTTER. So many people think caramel flavours are diacetyl.

 

[bignath]

And great to hear diacetyl being described as BUTTER. So many people think caramel flavours are diacetyl.

:icon_offtopic: Kind of....

Nick, i often think of caramel and butter flavours as being the same / similar... If they are technically different compounds, what problem with a fementation would cause caramel flavours? .......may have had a problem with this in the past, and interested in your thoughts..

 

[Nick JD]

Caramel flavours? The stuff that people like Weyermann try so hard to put into the spec malts that all start with "cara"?

Not really sure what you mean.