Yeast Culturing

[floydmeddler]

Hello all,

Very new to brewing and have successfully brewed a Cooper's Lager kit using brewing sugar. Now, like everyone else after their first taste of victory, I want to take it to a slightly higher level... without running before I can walk of course!

My plan: Munton's Premium Lager, Munton's Beer Kit Enhancer (as apposed to boring brewing sugar) and instead of using a yeast sachet, I would like to culture some instead.

I read that it was possible to culture yeast from a bought bottle of beer. If this is true, then i'm assuming it can only work with 'bottle conditioned' beer meaning that it would only apply to the brewing of ale and therefore would be no good for my lager. Alternatively, could I use the yeast sediment at the bottom of my current bottles of home brewed lager?

Does anyone have any ideas on this or am I being utterly bonkers?

Cheers all,
Gav

P.S, if any of you have hops recommendations to make my Munton's brew more tastier, let me know ASAP so I can order them in. Cheers!

 

[brettprevans]

welcome to the forum

check out the wiki article on 'Using bottled Yeast', here.

Theres also another wiki article on yeast here

if you do a search for yeast culturing (or vice versa) you'll also get plenty of readings.

Also recomend you read How to Brew by John Palmer. While the online version doesnt cover yeast its a good reference for general brewing.

Happy brewing.

 

[Simon W]

Yeast is covered in HTBonline, tho probably not to the same depth as the newer editions.
Ch.6 Yeast
Ch.6.7 Yeast from Commercial Beers

 

[floydmeddler]

Cheers Citymorgue2. Have learnt loads within the last hour or so from those links you suggested. Still after hops suggestions!!

Floydmeddler.

 

[brettprevans]

heres a list of receipes. have a look through the lagers and see if anything takes your fancy. Any lager kit will do.

 

[brettprevans]

heres a list of receipes. have a look through the lagers and see if anything takes your fancy. Any lager kit will do.

View attachment K_K_Recipes.doc

 

[floydmeddler]

Cheers Simon, cheers Citymorgue2.

 

[floydmeddler]

heres a list of receipes. have a look through the lagers and see if anything takes your fancy. Any lager kit will do.

Citymorgue2...

I have found a recipe in the attachment that i'm very excited by:

Muntons Dark Lager

muntons export lager
1kg of DDME
100-200g of the chocolate grain,
0.5kg dext or DDME
0-15g of saaz hops
Saflager

I'd love to make a dark lager! Do you think I could use Muntons premium lager as apposed to their Export Lager?

Also, what should I do with the chocolate grain and how long for the hops?

Sorry for the silly questions. Like I say, i'm a newbie!

Cheers,

Floydmeddler.

 

[brettprevans]

read Palmers how to brew for a thourogh explaination. but basically.....

choc grain is a type of grain that can be steeped (as oppoosed to mashing - which is what happens in All Grain). various methods of steeping. my method is to put grain (make sure its been milled/cracked - you can buy it that way from your local homebrew shop or the online sponsors), then put into saucepan of cold water ten slowly bring up to about 65-70C. then strain the grain out and boil the liquor for at least 15min (boiling kills of the nasties).

Rule of thumb 1L water for each 250g grain.

I recon the hops are used for flavor/aroma in this recipe so boil the hops for 10min - you can through the hops in the grain liqour wilst your boiling it. you dont need any hops for bittering as the tin of goo is already bittered. once done strain out the hops and put straight into fermentor like a normal kit.

yes you can sub the tins. no worries there.

 

[floydmeddler]

read Palmers how to brew for a thourogh explaination. but basically.....

choc grain is a type of grain that can be steeped (as oppoosed to mashing - which is what happens in All Grain). various methods of steeping. my method is to put grain (make sure its been milled/cracked - you can buy it that way from your local homebrew shop or the online sponsors), then put into saucepan of cold water ten slowly bring up to about 65-70C. then strain the grain out and boil the liquor for at least 15min (boiling kills of the nasties).

Rule of thumb 1L water for each 250g grain.

I recon the hops are used for flavor/aroma in this recipe so boil the hops for 10min - you can through the hops in the grain liqour wilst your boiling it. you dont need any hops for bittering as the tin of goo is already bittered. once done strain out the hops and put straight into fermentor like a normal kit.

yes you can sub the tins. no worries there.

Excellent advice. Hopefully I can get started tomorrow! Thanks again!!

 

[floydmeddler]

Yeast is covered in HTBonline, tho probably not to the same depth as the newer editions.
Ch.6 Yeast
Ch.6.7 Yeast from Commercial Beers

Thanks you. This has been really helpful.
F