Ancient Yeast Reborn
- Thread starter Medsen Fey
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Darn!! I wish that I'd had some of this strain when I put my "Wolf Moon" together.... :sad11:
Ah, well. Somebody will likely propagate it and sell it commercially eventually.
Ah, well. Somebody will likely propagate it and sell it commercially eventually.
:sign13: Now I know how to save the Tokay yeast - I just need to find a 45 million year old weevil! :icon_scratch:
Get one weevil. Force feed it the Tokay yeast. Dip in pine sap -- pressure heat between a couple of rocks. 45 million years not required! :laughing4:
This article has more detail about the yeast. It sounds like a great candidate for mead:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-08/ff_primordial_yeast?currentPage=all
Hackett combined the yeast with all the other ingredients that make up his popular Rat Bastard pale ale recipe, so he could easily taste its distinguishing characteristics. During the brewing, the ancient yeast's behavior was unusual, to say the least. "It ferments violently at the start," Hackett says, "then it falls out of suspension and the beer becomes almost clear." From a brewer's perspective, its behavior was schizophrenic: It began like a yeast used in ales, floating at the top. Then it began to act like yeast used in slow-fermenting lagers, settling to the bottom of the tank but not going dormant.
Normally, Hackett ends the primary fermentation process by "crashing the tank"—lowering the temperature to shock the yeast into dormancy. But that didn't work on Cano's yeast. "It was just sitting on the bottom and nibbling on the sugar like a couch potato," Hackett says. A strain that had survived 45 million years in suspended animation was not about to go quietly.
Hackett was prepared to pour the batch down the drain if it tasted awful. But he discovered that the flavor of the resulting ale was unique, and not in a bad way. It was light and crisp with a citrusy, gingery tang. It was definitely worth exploring further.
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-08/ff_primordial_yeast?currentPage=all
Hackett combined the yeast with all the other ingredients that make up his popular Rat Bastard pale ale recipe, so he could easily taste its distinguishing characteristics. During the brewing, the ancient yeast's behavior was unusual, to say the least. "It ferments violently at the start," Hackett says, "then it falls out of suspension and the beer becomes almost clear." From a brewer's perspective, its behavior was schizophrenic: It began like a yeast used in ales, floating at the top. Then it began to act like yeast used in slow-fermenting lagers, settling to the bottom of the tank but not going dormant.
Normally, Hackett ends the primary fermentation process by "crashing the tank"—lowering the temperature to shock the yeast into dormancy. But that didn't work on Cano's yeast. "It was just sitting on the bottom and nibbling on the sugar like a couch potato," Hackett says. A strain that had survived 45 million years in suspended animation was not about to go quietly.
Hackett was prepared to pour the batch down the drain if it tasted awful. But he discovered that the flavor of the resulting ale was unique, and not in a bad way. It was light and crisp with a citrusy, gingery tang. It was definitely worth exploring further.
I just finished reading the article and unfortunately, it sounds like the guy won't want his yeast available to just anyone:
Cano is delighted with the burgeoning success of Fossil Fuels ale. It'll earn him a little bit of money, and every pint or bottle sold could kick off a conversation about his momentous discovery 14 years ago. His only worry is that the unfiltered nature of this beer means that some of his yeast will invariably settle to the bottom of the glass or bottle, and an unscrupulous brewer could collect that and use it in another beer. The microbiologist has applied for a patent on his strains and has sequenced the genomes so he can tell if someone else has stolen it. "I am the keeper of the family jewels," Cano says. He isn't about to let them fall into the wrong hands.
Cano is delighted with the burgeoning success of Fossil Fuels ale. It'll earn him a little bit of money, and every pint or bottle sold could kick off a conversation about his momentous discovery 14 years ago. His only worry is that the unfiltered nature of this beer means that some of his yeast will invariably settle to the bottom of the glass or bottle, and an unscrupulous brewer could collect that and use it in another beer. The microbiologist has applied for a patent on his strains and has sequenced the genomes so he can tell if someone else has stolen it. "I am the keeper of the family jewels," Cano says. He isn't about to let them fall into the wrong hands.
Well if he isn't pasteurizing them to death, if you take a bottle of his beer you might be able to harvest the yeast and get a starter going for personal use. I'll have to see if I can find it here.
Anyone that opposed to sharing is begging to have it stolen. I'll have to look for that Fossil Fuels stuff around here, too....
If this yeast wasn't made for mead, then dolphins should still be on land. ARRRGH! Now, where be me yeast culture kit?? :icon_pirat:
If this yeast wasn't made for mead, then dolphins should still be on land. ARRRGH! Now, where be me yeast culture kit?? :icon_pirat:
It doesn't look like it is available in Florida....yet. If anyone has Fossil Fuel ale available in your area, please PM me. I'd like to discuss a proposition.
Medsen
Medsen
Looking at the Fossil Fuels brewery website, it appears that it is only currently available on draft at a couple of northern SF Bay Area locations.
That gives me an idea....
...Hey, Aaron! Got an empty Growler handy? Want to culture a TRULY wild yeast??
That gives me an idea....
...Hey, Aaron! Got an empty Growler handy? Want to culture a TRULY wild yeast??
Wayne and I were apparently both doing the same google-fu at the same time
Somebody wake Aaron up, willya?
Oh, wait, I forgot--he's a working man now.
Somebody wake Aaron up, willya?
Oh, wait, I forgot--he's a working man now.
OK, so what now?
Are they actually there yet? The list says "target bars". I wouldn't want to show up with an empty gallon jug only to find out I have to go home with something else.
Getting a container filled for take-out might not be that easy. I think there is an extra license (or maybe a different checkbox on the form) for that, and many bars might not have that. I know Rabbits Foot also does this shrink-wrap cap cover thing too to get around open container crap. If we can confirm date(s) that this beer is in a particular place, I can try and make it out there. Not sure how much yeast I'd be able to collect, but hey if I can get yeast from air I should be able to get it from beer. And the Trappist in Oakland is within walking distance (I've confirmed this twice now).
Are they actually there yet? The list says "target bars". I wouldn't want to show up with an empty gallon jug only to find out I have to go home with something else.
Getting a container filled for take-out might not be that easy. I think there is an extra license (or maybe a different checkbox on the form) for that, and many bars might not have that. I know Rabbits Foot also does this shrink-wrap cap cover thing too to get around open container crap. If we can confirm date(s) that this beer is in a particular place, I can try and make it out there. Not sure how much yeast I'd be able to collect, but hey if I can get yeast from air I should be able to get it from beer. And the Trappist in Oakland is within walking distance (I've confirmed this twice now).
BTW, if you've never washed and cultured yeast from beer trub before, have no fear - it's actually quite easy. If they're not pasteurizing, as Medesen says, then you'll be able to get a nice batch o' yeasty goodness growing from any lees in your growler in short order. Of course it appears they're not yet in a bar near you. But we're meadmakers - we can wait patiently, at least for a while....
I've never collected yeast from a bottle, but I've seen the illustrated how-to. Doesn't look any harder than it sounds.
Manteca and Guerneville, man those are out of the way alright. Maybe my wife and I will head up to Russian River before school starts, then we'll be pretty close by. I vote Jenn gets to visit Manteca though.
Manteca and Guerneville, man those are out of the way alright. Maybe my wife and I will head up to Russian River before school starts, then we'll be pretty close by. I vote Jenn gets to visit Manteca though.
