How do I culture yeast from a bottle?
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I have a bottle of St. Bernardus Christmas Ale and I would like to culture the yest they use and then re-use in a Belgian quad.
  • BenSBenS
    Posts: 6,248 Accepted Answer
    Prepare some starter wort and dump it in the bottle. Cover the bottle opening with foil just like a starter and transfer to a larger starter the next day. Done.

    Just be extra careful with sanitation. There are so few living yeast, that the risk of infection is greater. I would recommend doing this immediately after you pour the beer out of the bottle.
    There's no starting point. It's just a massive sea of shit to wade through until you find the occasional corn kernel. -DrCurly
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454 Accepted Answer
    How much starter wort?
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,786 Accepted Answer
    i usually start with about 3/4 of a pint. then you can step it up.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • GryllEGryllE
    Posts: 10
    Just a though to keep in mind... I know some breweries use a different yeast for bottle conditioning. If the beer doesn't turn out how you expected, you may have done everything right, but have gotten a bottling yeast over their special brewing yeast.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    GryllE said:

    Just a though to keep in mind... I know some breweries use a different yeast for bottle conditioning. If the beer doesn't turn out how you expected, you may have done everything right, but have gotten a bottling yeast over their special brewing yeast.



    Yes, this is totally true. I think someone posted a list of beers that are known to be bottled with the primary ferment yeast.

    Just as an extension to the thought, many of the bottleing yeasts are "dry champagne" strains. So they are still useful in some situations.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    Lakewood said:

    GryllE said:

    Just a though to keep in mind... I know some breweries use a different yeast for bottle conditioning. If the beer doesn't turn out how you expected, you may have done everything right, but have gotten a bottling yeast over their special brewing yeast.



    Yes, this is totally true. I think someone posted a list of beers that are known to be bottled with the primary ferment yeast.

    Just as an extension to the thought, many of the bottleing yeasts are "dry champagne" strains. So they are still useful in some situations.


    Found HERE.
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