I've got an idea

[dukeredhair]

So I was wondering if anyone has ever tried dumping a store bought beer into a primary fermenter? So let's say I make a pale ale but to give it a twist I dump a Chimay in on the 2nd day of fermentation. I have 2 questions. Would it change anything? and has anybody ever tried it? I know that there should be no more fermentable left in the chimay but there is yeast... thoughts?

 

[daveooph131]

Probably not much, especially if you only drop 1 12oz bottle in a 5g batch. I can't imagine that would do much. Who knows though, maybe someone with more experiance will chime in.

 

[JMG680]

It would add new flavors to the beer your brewing that would not be there without the addition, but not much yeast. Most beers you buy are not going to have yeast like the beer you brew in the bottles.

I could be wrong though it happens every now and then.

 

[RogueVassar]

John Palmer writes about harvesting the yeast so that it would build up enough that you could pitch with it. If you want the Chimay's yeast to have an affect, this is probably what you would want to do. And you get to enjoy the beer:

6.7 Yeast from Commercial Beers

There are many quality microbrewed beers on the market that are bottle conditioned, i.e. naturally carbonated and unfiltered, much the same as homebrewed beers are. The yeast layer from a bottle conditioned beer can be harvested and grown just like the yeast from a liquid yeast packet. This is a common practice among homebrewers because it allows for the use of some special yeast strains in homebrew that would not otherwise be available. This method can be used for cloning some of the specialty styles, such as Belgian Wit, Trappist Ales, or everyone's favorite - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Harvesting yeast from a bottle conditioned beer is quite simple.

Step 1. After opening the bottle, thoroughly clean the bottle neck and opening with sanitizer to prevent bacterial contamination.

Step 2. Simply pour the beer into a glass as you would normally, leaving the yeast layer on the bottom of the bottle intact.

Step 3. Swirl up the sediment with the beer remaining in the bottle and pour the yeast sediment into a prepared starter solution as described in the previous section- Preparing a Liquid Yeast Starter.
For best results, add the sediment from 2-3 bottles and be sure to use the freshest beer you can find. The starter should behave the same as any other liquid yeast pack starter, though it may take longer to build due to the smaller amount of yeast that you start out with. In fact, you may not notice any activity in the starter for the first couple wort additions until the amount of yeast builds to higher levels. Add more wort as necessary to build the yeast slurry to pitching level.

 

[JMG680]

I don't think Chimay is naturally carbonated and unfiltered.

 

[RogueVassar]

I don't think Chimay is naturally carbonated and unfiltered.

It's been years since I've had one but I'm 99% sure it's bottle conditioned.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I don't think Chimay is naturally carbonated and unfiltered.

It is bottle conditioned.

It's been years since I've had one but I'm 99% sure it's bottle conditioned.

Yes. But not with the Primary strain according to Stan Hieronymous.

 

[JMG680]

It's been years since I've had one but I'm 99% sure it's bottle conditioned.

Good to know, Never noticed any yeast when I had them, but it has been some time.

 

[BioBeing]

So I was wondering if anyone has ever tried dumping a store bought beer into a primary fermenter? So let's say I make a pale ale but to give it a twist I dump a Chimay in on the 2nd day of fermentation. I have 2 questions. Would it change anything? and has anybody ever tried it? I know that there should be no more fermentable left in the chimay but there is yeast... thoughts?

The tiny amount of yeast that you add (assuming there is any in the bottle) is going to be outcompeted by the massive amounts of yeast you have from the active fermentation that should be going on 2 days in. Basically, the new guys will not stand a chance.

And 1 12 oz bottle of beer X into the 640 oz you have in the fermenter is really not going to change very much either. You are diluting whatever flavor was in that bottled beer 53 fold...

So no. Nothing obvious would happen, other than you waste a perfectly good bottle of Chimay you could have drunk.




[If you do want to add commercial beer to a brew, add a bottle of Guinness to your next dry stout. But open the Guinness and let it sour for a few days first, then add it to the boil].

 

[JMG680]

[If you do want to add commercial beer to a brew, add a bottle of Guinness to your next dry stout. But open the Guinness and let it sour for a few days first, then add it to the boil].

Will this result in a taste that is somewhat like the bite Guinness has? I know they add a small amount of old Guinness to the new batch before the ship it out.

What have you found this brings to the dry stout?

 

[BioBeing]

I just found out about it, after I brewed my first stout. Maybe I'll try it next time!

 

[dukeredhair]

The tiny amount of yeast that you add (assuming there is any in the bottle) is going to be outcompeted by the massive amounts of yeast you have from the active fermentation that should be going on 2 days in. Basically, the new guys will not stand a chance.

And 1 12 oz bottle of beer X into the 640 oz you have in the fermenter is really not going to change very much either. You are diluting whatever flavor was in that bottled beer 53 fold...

[If you do want to add commercial beer to a brew, add a bottle of Guinness to your next dry stout. But open the Guinness and let it sour for a few days first, then add it to the boil].

Why wouldn't the same be true of a soured Guinness? If you only add one 12 ounce bottle wouldn't the dilution result in little if any noticeable difference in the final product?

 

[BioBeing]

I assume the soured Guinness is REALLY strong. The idea is to open a bottle and pour it into a bowl, and leave it till it gets rank. Apparently, this is what Guinness themselves do.