Can or Growler?

[jzamora3]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to clone a local breweries hefeweizen but I'm having a hard time tracking down the yeast they recommend. I was thinking to try and harvest from their packaged cans or from their growler. I've had this particular beer before from cans and growler and have seen a heavy sediment at the bottom of both.

Do you think I'd have a better chance harvesting from their cans or from their growler?

Thanks!!

 

[Jim311]

This is only effective if they don't centrifuge or bottle condition their beer. If they do, there will be very little residual yeast to harvest. You might just go to the brewery and ask what yeast they use. Many just use off the shelf yeasts.

 

[jzamora3]

The use "Andechs Weizen or similar Bavarian hefeeweizen yeast."

I can't seem to find the andechs and can't find a reliable source that describes which widely available yeast is equivalent .

 

[jzamora3]

Don't know if this makes a difference or not but on their cans it reads "unfiltered Bavarian style wheat ale." Might this indicate there is viable yeast in there ?

 

[Jim311]

Yeah, I would think. I'm not 100% certain though.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I would say yes. If it's unfiltered there should be viable yeast in the beer to grow up from a starter

 

[microbusbrewery]

Yes, you definitely should be able to harvest yeast from a hefe. The fresher the better. Try leaving it in your fridge for a few days (cold crashing) to try to get it to drop out of suspension. Then build up an appropriate size starter. They may even be willing to give you some off their fermenter. I've had a couple local breweries offer to give me yeast.

 

[Horseflesh]

What does the hefe taste/smell like? We can probably figure out an appropriate yeast. No reason not to try growing some though.

 

[jwelch1103]

Hey guys,

I've had this particular beer before from cans and growler and have seen a heavy sediment at the bottom of both.

Do you think I'd have a better chance harvesting from their cans or from their growler?

Thanks!!

I'd bet dollars to donuts there is viable yeast in that sediment. Yeast in suspension is a key characteristic to a Hefeweizen. My advice is to grow it from that sediment.
As far as which one to grow it from, I'd grow it from whichever is the freshest from the tap. Generally growlers are filled as they are ordered. With a can it depends on whether they are the new (to me) so called crowlers which is a can that is freshly filled from the tap and then the cans lid is put on and rolled to seal. If it is one of those kinds of cans it'd be the same as a growler.
If it is a traditional can off of a canning line then the growler is probably fresher.

 

[TungstenBeer]

Yes, you definitely should be able to harvest yeast from a hefe. The fresher the better. Try leaving it in your fridge for a few days (cold crashing) to try to get it to drop out of suspension. Then build up an appropriate size starter. They may even be willing to give you some off their fermenter. I've had a couple local breweries offer to give me yeast.

This, this, a million times this. Before try to harvest & grow the yeast (as fun as that may be), I would absolutely ask them first if they could spare you a small amount of yeast for a homebrew. Many of them don't have a problem.

 

[jzamora3]

I've stepped it up three times and looks good so far. I used the dregs from 3 bottles and used a 200ml 1.020 starter, then a 500ml 1.020 and then a 500ml 1.40 starter.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm glad it's working and looking forward to pitching on Sunday!