Beer Forum

So I plan on culturing up some ommegang yeast and working through some beers with it. I'm looking for a few pointers, if anyone else has experience w/ this... but below is my plan.

250ml starter wort (1.035-1.040) in a 500ml Eurl. Flask
Popping the top on 4-5 of the milder lower alcohol Ommegangs (which I guess leaves me only w/ the Witte, as all others look to be over 6% ABV) Regardless, this is the fun part.

Each time I pop a bottle, I will fill 2-3 glasses right away, leaving the bottom 1/2 in. or so in the bottle... then swirl, then flame the bottle heavily, and then swirl quickly while pouring the dregs into the starter flask. Hopefully by the 4-5th bottle I'll still be sober enough to do this semi-competently.

giving that starter 3-5 days, and then pouring it into a 1250ml more of starter wort (again, 1.03-1,040) in a 2000ml Eurl. Flask.

Giving that 3-5 days, chilling, and decanting, and then pitching *hopefully* enough yeast into my saison.

If anyone sees any major flaws in what I'm trying to do, or if somebody has a better idea on process I'd love any recommendations. I have no idea how much yeast will be in the dregs of the bottles...


Thanks for any advice!

Sounds about right, but 3-5 days is probably more time than you really need. Try stepping it up after about 2 days to about 1500 ml in the 2000ml flask, esp if it you have active krausen. It will be even better if you have a stir plate.

HTH-

Listening to the last live show some yeast nutrient in your starter seems like a good idea to get full fermentation especially with the Saison yeasts.
I don't think you will need 5 bottles of the Witte, but if you can drink that many in one sitting have fun. You should be able to get the culture from a single bottle though more yeast is not going to hurt you.

Chris

Be careful "flaming the bottle heavily" as the sudden change in temperature could cause the bottle to shatter.

NHBrewer wrote:Listening to the last live show some yeast nutrient in your starter seems like a good idea to get full fermentation especially with the Saison yeasts.
I don't think you will need 5 bottles of the Witte, but if you can drink that many in one sitting have fun. You should be able to get the culture from a single bottle though more yeast is not going to hurt you.

Chris

Yeast nutrient is a good idea with any yeast, but WLP565 is known to require higher levels of nutrients than many other strains. BTW, I think WLP565 is a piece of shit yeast. I've yet to meet a home or pro brewer that's been able to get decent attenuation with that strain alone. I've had a few saisons that were done with WLP566 and even WLP530 that were pretty awesome, IMO, not to mention had the requisite dryness.

SacoDeToro wrote:I've had a few saisons that were done with WLP566 and even WLP530 that were pretty awesome, IMO, not to mention had the requisite dryness.

I'm your witness. Testify, brotha!


Mylo

apresskibrewer wrote:So I plan on culturing up some ommegang yeast and working through some beers with it. I'm looking for a few pointers, if anyone else has experience w/ this...

Be careful when culturing yeast form Belgian styles. A lot of time they bottle condition with a different yeast strain than they ferment with, it might be worth a little research on the Ommegang yeasts before you pitch into a whole batch.

TapItGood wrote:

apresskibrewer wrote:So I plan on culturing up some ommegang yeast and working through some beers with it. I'm looking for a few pointers, if anyone else has experience w/ this...

Be careful when culturing yeast form Belgian styles. A lot of time they bottle condition with a different yeast strain than they ferment with, it might be worth a little research on the Ommegang yeasts before you pitch into a whole batch.

I have toured there... but couldn't get a direct answer from the newbie tour guide (he told me that the yeast converted the starches to sugar in the mash... )

But, on the Sunday Session, way back when.. early 07 I think - they interviewed Randy Thiel, who was then the brewmaster at Ommegang. He said they only use a single strain, and I even think it was brewcaster J that asked if they bottle conditioned w/ the same yeast that they ferment with primarily. Randy said yes, and I am apt to believe that hasn't changed thus far (or so I hope).

Btw, SacoDeToro, I'll give the 566, or 530 a try if this culture doesn't seem to be working out for me... but were you alluding that this is the yeast Ommegang uses, or just that the 565 is shiet?

BDawg, I will prob do 2-3 bottles still, because I am just worried about viability in the bottle. Depending on how old the bottle is, I don't expect alot of the yeast to be ready to kick ass in there... so I was going for enough to get a decent starter going, and also, for a decent buzz

NHBrewer, I'll def. be using some yeast nutrient, and hopefully be able to manage shakin it enough to get the little fuckers enough o2.


thanks all, for the tips.