Hi all, I am reporting back what has happened with my captured yeast, see http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/unknown-microbes-fermentation-2.262258/#post-3344615 On may 1th I have brewed 20 lts of 1051 OG pale beer , very simple and have pitched the whole slurry of the 3 lts starter. Mashed 150 F 60 min - IBUs just 6. The fermentation took 12 hours to start and was pretty normal like using commercial ale yeast , the exception was some weird big bubbles on top of wort that after 4-5 days have diminished their size to a quarter inch diameter and persisted until yesterday. Sadly I had to transfer it to a secondary (05/13)because my primary fermenter started to fail to seal, so I left the yeast bulk in primary. At that time FG was 1021 so I was concerned regarding reaching a decent FG. Yesterday I took 3 liters (FG1015)siphoning to a pot and have pasteurized at 166 F during a min, then put the pot under ice-cooled water to cool it as quickly as possible.Once it was at room temp I transferred siphoning to a purged with Co2 keg to be cooled in a fridge and force carbonated to 2,4 vol to finally be bottled. Beer tastes fantastic, it has a fruity malty sweet flavor, I guess it would have been better to use more bitterness, no funky flavor , a very subtle tartness and sourness , I feel some ripe fruit flavor present but it could be due the fruits added to get the wild yeast. Foam is clear and persistent with a good lace, even though I have never cold crashed it is a clear beer(slightly hazy though). Last night after drinking , I set a bag with hops to dry-hop it. Today I found a white pelicle on top , I guess it has formed due the introduction of oxygen, some microbes may started to work again or for the first time ,I don´t know. I hope this beer doesn´t ruin because it is very yummy. I had to pasteurize it because I am a risky person in regards immunodepression, as many of you know I have recovered from a leuchemia , I have been treated with chemotherapy. I don´t know how this beer could have tasted before pasteurizing but I still find it GREAT . I am very happy, I could do it !!!
That is pretty cool. I did something similar a few years ago. I took some starter wort, boiled it and set it out in the backyard to cool. I worked in a lab at the time and isolated 10 strains while inhibiting bacteria. Most of my yeast strains were small, like 1-2uM but I had one that came in at about 5uM. Brewed a couple 1 gal batches which were mostly band aid flavored but one strain did give a decent yeasty dough flavored product. I tried to resurrect it from the deep freeze but it was not the same. Anyway, good work and I am glad you like the fruits of your fruity labor.
I think to obtain more sourness and tartness I will need to let this beer age for several months, maybe 10 - 12 ?. Is there any risk of autolisys? . Also, I would like to give it more bitterness, what could be my best options? TIA
Dry hopping would probably give you some perceived bitterness. If the beer tastes good now Id drink it up. I've ruined several sours in similar fashion. Very cool experiment and good luck w finished product
I think you would be fine with the beer sitting on the yeast cake - think lambic. The last two springs I have made a big starter and set it outside for 24 hours under my crabapple tree when the temps were right, and then I brewed a full 5gal batch using my base lambic recipe. Both brews are on their original yeast cake, with last year's batch being 15 months old right now. That batch has a slight sourness and a very nice green apple and peppery farmhouse flavor profile. When I have 3 years worth I'll make a gueuze with them.
I haven´t got much experienes drinking lambics, the taste of this beer right now is amazing ,no weird flavors, looks like a soft ale, very estery (I pitched high( 74 F) something like a beer fermented with commercial yeast but lacks of bittering (only 6 IBUs). Maybe the increasing of sourness and tartness will balance the malty sweet flavor it has now. I was so anxious to know what was happening inside my carboy that I decided to take 3 lts to pasteurize and bottle just to have a notion if this work would come to a happy end, and now I think it will.
