Harvesting yeast from spotted cow

[captainoverspray]

Alright this is my first post on here. Been looking at many topics for awhile now. I plan on doing a spotted cow clone as my first AG beer. I want to use the yeast from one of their bottles. I know what the steps are to harvest the yeast and culture it into a yeast starter. What I do need to know is will it be ok to start with wheat DME instead of a pale DME? All I have is the wheat and want to get the culture going soon as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[hopsalot]

sure no problem, use the wheat DME

 

[captainoverspray]

started it at about 6:00PM and I am already getting bubbles in the airlock with about 1.5 tbs of the DME and 6oz of water. So far looking good.

 

[tangofoxtrot308]

never saw any yeast in the bottles I drunk...interesting. Maybe I'll save some next time I'm up there. Hope you used plenty of corn in your recipe you can really taste it!

 

[captainoverspray]

There seems to be lots of yeast in this sixer i picked up yesterday. I was pouring into a pilsner glass and there was a ton of sediment in the bottom of it each pour.

here is the recipe I am going to use.
6lb pale 2 row
1.5lb flaked maize
1lb marris otter
10oz flaked barley
8oz caramel 20

1oz crystal hop 60min
.75oz crystal hop 15min

 

[BrewNinja1]

Here is my recipe. In a side by side, the only difference is the aroma. SC has a more floral aroma, but that could be either fermentation temp of the specific yeast. New Glarus only uses WI grains in most of its brews, SC is all WI grains, so the marris otter would be out of place. Just an FYI.

Recipe: Spotted Cow Clone
Style: Cream Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.59 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 5.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 48.78 %
2.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 19.51 %
1.75 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 17.07 %
0.50 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
0.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
0.35 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 10.1 IBU
0.50 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (30 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
1.10 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10.25 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 12.81 qt of water at 164.6 F 152.0 F

 

[tangofoxtrot308]

I used a Gordon Strong recipe from BYO magazine for my cream ale weeks before I ever tasted a SC. He used rice instead of corn. I used a cream ale yeast instead of american. I tasted it the other day and I think it's spot on with SC except a little less sweetness due to the rice. Good stuff all around though!

 

[captainoverspray]

So I harvested my yeast from my bottle and stepped it up a few times over week and a half. Thought it was looking good so I brewed the beer last thursday night and pitched the yeast starter. After about 12 hours I seen a krausen starting to form before I left to go to the basball game on friday afternoon. i checked it on saturday morning and there is only about a half inch of krausen in the carboy. The carboy temp is about 68, this is the lowest fermentation I have seen so far. Should I be alarmed by this and maybe pitch some Kolsch yeast? Or should I just ride this out?

 

[BrewNinja1]

Personally I would ride it out. You could check the gravity and see if its going down. Most of my fermentations would be done by now if I brewed on Thursday. Give the sample a taste and see what she tastes like!

Im definately going to have to try and harvest my own yeast after seeing this. Let us know how it tastes.

 

[captainoverspray]

Going slow on the fermentation. OG was 1.050 and it is now 1.040 only. smells kind of like the real deal but taste is off yet. I will wait it out another day and ckeck the gravity before I decide to pitch more yeast or not.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

IMO, let it sit for a few weeks....then start worrying about re-pitching if you haven't reached terminal gravity, which most likely you will have and this will all be a non-issue.

Obviously fermentation is taking place, judging by your gravity readings. For all we know NGs spotted cow yeast could just be a very slow fermenting yeast. It took 4 days to drop 10 gravity points, chances are if you check it tomorrow it will have barely changed and you will re-pitch for no reason, even though the yeast is doing it's job. To be honest I don't even touch my fermenting beer until at least two weeks. 4 days is way too early to start worrying.

 

[captainoverspray]

Well I am going to let it go for at least another week to check the gravity. There are some bubbles in the airlock but not much. Now to just figure out what will go in the six gallon carboy that is empty?

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

Cool, keep us updated! I'm very curious about this project as well, being a fellow Wisconsinite I am quite familiar with the ole Spotted Cow.

 

[BrewNinja1]

Just out of curiousity, what temp are you fermenting at? Its a proprietary yeast they use, so it could need warmer temps for all anyone knows.

 

[captainoverspray]

the fermometer is showing 67-68 down in the basement. I could move it upstairs and see what the warmer temps will do. Maybe that is what needs to kick off the yeast little more.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

So...what's the word?

 

[pvtschultz]

I thought that it was gospel that New Glarus used Wyeast 2565 Kolsch yeast for Spotted Cow?

 

[captainoverspray]

Its been hanging out at 69-70F and will do a hydro reading tomorrow. I will give updates as to where this one is at with some tasting also.

 

[pvtschultz]

Here's the clone development link. I'm going to be brewing this one again very soon now that I've bettered my brewing techniques and my basement temperature is back down to the upper 60's. From my experience (about a half-dozen batches), the Wyeast Kolsch yeast requires at least three weeks to bottle condition for best flavor; this one is definately a six week beer if bottled.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/sp...will-donate-25-homebrewtalk-80344/index3.html

 

[captainoverspray]

not looking good for the harvested yeast. still not dropping in gravity since my last reading. got a strnge layer of something on the top of it, doesn't look like mold or other infection. just look like the krausen never developed and all yhe protien is left on the surface. i am going to pick up some yeast and see if i can salvage this one.

 

[captainoverspray]

Here are some pictures of what it looks like. Should I repitch or dump?