[dirtybiz]

Why are they using these yeast below instead of a Saison Yeast?


Brewery Ommegang's Hennepin Ale clone
 
 5 gallons, extract only; OG = 1.070; FG = 1.008 IBUs = 24 ABV = 8.0%
 
Ingredients:
 •6.6 lbs. Muntons light malt extract syrup
 •0.5 lbs. Muntons light malt extract powder
 •2 lbs. light candi sugar
 •6.5 AAU Styrian Golding hops (bittering hop) (1.25 oz. of 5.25% alpha acid)
 •1.75 AAU Saaz hops (bittering hop) (0.5 oz. of 3.5% alpha acid)
 •1 tsp. Irish moss
•1 oz. dried ginger root
•1 oz. bitter orange peel
•White Labs WLP550 (Belgian Ale) or Wyeast 1214 (Belgian Abbey) yeast
 •0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)
 

[dimik]

Actually Ommegang is under Duvel, so I'm pretty sure they use their yeast, which would be 1388. Though it is possible that they use some saison strain for that one.

[erockrph]

I'm pretty sure that Ommegang uses their own yeast strain, not the Duvel strain. From what I understand, it's not available to homebrewers, but they use the same house strain for all their brews so you could culture it from any of their beers.

And that would also explain why the recipe you have doesn't call for a Saison strain. From what I understand, Ommegang is just using their house strain for Hennepin.

[dirtybiz]

Thanks guys!  Totally makes sense

[dimik]

In that case you can easily reculture it from a bottle.

[Jimmy K]

Yes, Ommegang uses one yeast for every beer. They use spices to mimic the differences you'd normally get from different yeasts.

[reverseapachemaster]

The Ommegang and Duvel strains are definitely different. Mortgaat is putting out Duvel Rustica, which is Duvel fermented with the Ommegang strain.

[dimik]

Oh, groovy. Maybe I'll reculture some then to have in my collection

[kylekohlmorgen]

If you want the Ommegang strain, the best source is from Rare Vos  or BPA. They use the same yeast but are lower in ABV, so they will yield more viable cells.

I have heard this somewhere. I believe it was on an episode of CYBI, but I'm not sure...

[dimik]

Yes, good point!

[Joe Sr.]

I've grown up a pitchable amount from Ommegang bottle dregs before.  It's actually pretty easy as the dregs seem to be more viable than some of the Belgian beers that have traveled further and been stored longer.

It's interesting to hear that they use spices to mimic different yeasts, as I did not get much character from their yeast.  I pitched it into a straight pils wort, so it was a pretty simple beer but not remarkable in any fashion.  It attenuated like mad.

[Jimmy K]

The Ommegang and Duvel strains are definitely different. Mortgaat is putting out Duvel Rustica, which is Duvel fermented with the Ommegang strain.

It is also produced at Ommegang.

[dirtybiz]

Can you guys point me in the right direction to work on the gathering the Yeast from the bottle idea? 

Not quite sure where to start with that one. 

[Joe Sr.]

Pour a small amount of cooled wort into the bottle.  Swirl it.  Cover it loosely with tin foil.

Add more the next day.  Do this maybe one or two more times and then pitch from the bottle into a starter on a stir plate if you have one.

You should be able to grow it to a pitchable amount if you start with weak wort when you add it to the bottle.