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Author Topic: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?  (Read 2701 times)

Offline ynotbrusum

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Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« on: December 01, 2013, 06:48:50 am »
I have a fresh smack pack of Wyeast 2206 and was thinking of doing a 3 gallon batch of the Smoked Helles that won at the NHC this past summer.  I usually make a smallish batch and then reuse the yeast to step up to a 5 gallon batch and then to a 10 gallon batch.  Will the rauchmalz carry the smoke forward to the next batch, of, say, a bock?
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline greatplainsbrewer

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2013, 07:33:57 am »
Why not just oversize your starter by a pint and save the extra from the starter?  No carryover of anything to the next batch.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2013, 07:42:38 am »
Schlenkerla Helles is similar to what you want to brew. They say there is no Rauchmalt in the beer. It is said to pick up its smoky aroma and flavor from the stuff in the brewery. If they repitch the house yeast they will get some smoke. Some say the filter gives a little more.  I just know I like this one a lot.
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Offline speed

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2013, 08:19:51 am »
I have reused a smoked yeast again and not noticed any off flavors. Just make sure you pour off any excessive beer off top before transfer.

Offline jeffy

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2013, 09:04:49 am »
I always use my lager yeast for its final time on a smoked beer, doing the other styles first.  Some good tasters will pick up smoke in beers fermented with yeast reused from a smoked beer.
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Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2013, 10:48:57 am »
If you're washing the yeast before repitching then the volume of material in the subsequent beer that has been around the smoke is going to be so little that you shouldn't get any smoke flavor carrying over.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2013, 11:36:00 am »
I was thinking of making a small batch of smoked Helles - since the NHC champ recipe was for 3.35 gallons, but a really big starter is how I will roll - thanks for the input.  I can still make a really big starter and do both a smoked line and a regular line of bock by splitting the starter.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2013, 01:05:29 am »
Schlenkerla Helles is similar to what you want to brew. They say there is no Rauchmalt in the beer. It is said to pick up its smoky aroma and flavor from the stuff in the brewery. If they repitch the house yeast they will get some smoke. Some say the filter gives a little more.  I just know I like this one a lot.
That beer is excellent.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline ajk

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2013, 06:56:16 am »
I've repitched from a smoked beer into a non-smoked beer and detected smoke character in the latter.  I've also sampled beer from another homebrewer who has done the same and picked up smoke character in the non-smoked beer.  Humans (especially beer judges :-) have a very low threshold for smoke.  I definitely wouldn't repitch if you don't want any smoke character in the resulting beer.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Reusing yeast from a smoked lager in a non-smoked beer?
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2013, 07:31:58 am »
Schlenkerla Helles is similar to what you want to brew. They say there is no Rauchmalt in the beer. It is said to pick up its smoky aroma and flavor from the stuff in the brewery. If they repitch the house yeast they will get some smoke. Some say the filter gives a little more.  I just know I like this one a lot.
That beer is excellent.
Yes it is!
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!