Nectarine Blossom Yeast Isolation

Thanks. I actually pulled some super small colonies from quadrant one and streaked a new plate. I've got some bacteria in there and also some Brett (I believe, has the umbient nipple). Going to grow them up and see what I get. I plan to gram stain the bacteria and see what I have. I want to grow both up, if I can get the wild Sacc that is already fermenting away, and a viable LAB and Brett it will be super fun to play with a blend.

 

Update: I had stepped up the single isolate starters to 1200ml fermentations for evaluating attenuation, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel. I started with a 1.049 OG, Pils DME, and 12 IBUs from Magnum. I kept it at 65*F for 5 days. Had nice krausen, thick yeast slurry at the bottom of the growlers, and began to drop clear on day 4. Day 6 I cold crashed. Day 7 (last night) I pulled tasting and gravity samples from each of the 3. They all had varying degrees of a cidery note, and pear, and banana. One had a tartness but was very cidery and finished at 73.5% app att. One had a semi-full rounded mouthfeel at 77.6% app att. The stand out was the #2 isolate: Pear, Banana, low cider, low phenols, dry finish, light to medium body, 81.6% app att. I plan to brew up a 12 gallon batch with the #2 isolate on vacation in a couple weeks and use 3 fermenters at different temps to see how it responds to higher and lower temps. I'd say I got a good culture going thus far. (My torch shattered the top of the growler, oops!)

 

I posted this on the MTF FB page and one response was from someone that isolated from hop cones. I'm going to try it in a couple months when hops are in full swing.

 

Brewed up a 1.052 wort yesterday, Pils, Vienna, Dark Wheat Malt, Noble Hops to 30 IBUs, 5 SRM. Pitched a 2L starter of the #2 isolate into it, then split it among 3 Better Bottles. One is in the ferm fridge at 64*F. One is in an interior closet at 72*F, and the other is in my brew lounge (no isolation, built in the garage) at 80+*F. All took off by this morning and looking good. Smallish krausen, decent churning of yeast throughout, and none seem more or less active than the others.

 

I may take you up on that.

 

After 5 days the 64 & 73*F beers are down to 1.025, and the 80*F+ is down to 1.012. All smell of pears and citrus and light banana. Very Belgianesque. No off flavors, no high alcohols, no distinct phenolics. Very clean fermentation. I was expecting something crazy from the 80+, but it was clean. Looks like I have a keeper on my hands. Moved the 73* one to the same spot as the 80+ which will get to 90+ in a few days (104 heat wave). Raised the temp on the 64*F to 72*F. Hopefully the ramp up will encourage the yeast to finish strong. Mash was 150*F so not expecting them to be super dry.

 

Beers are kegged up and drinking nicely. Aimed for a Saison with a lower hopping rate than I usually use. Ended up closer to a Belgian Blonde.

At 83*+F the yeast throws Pears, Banana, Lemon, Vanilla, and light White Pepper. Huge glycerol contribution too. Finished at 1.001 but still has a lucious and full mouthfeel. Esters, glycerol, and alcohols give a medium sweetness to the beer.

The 73*F ramped to 83*+F after a week finished at 1.001 with a little more Banana, and tasted sweeter. I took it on the Church Campout last weekend and we killed it. Damn tasty beer.

The 64*F ramped up to 83*+F after a week and left alone for an extra week longer than the other 2 finished at 1.005. Tastes much sweeter than the other 2 and has a mild funkiness on the nose, light barnyard note. The lemon doesn't follow into this batch either. It's drinkable, but the combo of esters, glycerol, alchohol, lower bitterness, and higher FG puts this one out of balance.

All the yeasts flocced out nicely in the fermenters at room temp, nice and clear. Some yeast and trub was picked up during transfer. Once chilled and carbed it remains quite hazy... not NEIPA milkshake, but like a good Wit. Kept the yeast from the 83 & 73 and plan to do a Belgian Golden Strong soon. Will also do a more traditional Saison with a lower ABV, more hops, and some raw (Flaked) grains. Really happy with how this yeast culture turned out.

 

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