Coopers Commercial Yeast

[Shamus O'Sean]

1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

What's the reasoning behind the tightened cap? Most people making yeast starters don't do it in a sealed container.

My thoughts exactly, after the fact.  In the first instance I was just following what I saw on the video.

Brewing and starters are mostly done with at best some glad wrap or foil over an air hole or an airlock or the coopers fermenter lid.  All allow the CO2 to get away.  Next time I do a Coopers Commercial Yeast, I'll try it with something to relieve the pressure.

Cheers Shamus

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yes, mine are all done in flasks with foil over the top to allow oxygen in at the beginning and CO2 to vent later. I don't even completely seal up jars of harvested yeast. My fermenter is an airlock style but I just use gaffer tape over the hole in the lid and don't fully tighten it.

[Guvna]

Why isnt the Coopers kit yeast (7gm) refrigerated ?. All the other yeasts I can but from the LHBS are striaght from the fridge and recommended to keep in fridge if not using straight away. The kits however live on shelfs everywhere you look

[Beerlust]

17 hours ago, #granted+brew said:

@Beerlust have you always used the same method to activate the yeast? The method in the video?

The Coopers instructions I followed in the beginning stated to reactivate the yeast in the bottles themselves, so I've always followed that to the letter rather than combining them into one vessel. Unfounded or not, I've had a personal paranoia about possibly losing yeast numbers in the transfer to one vessel. I also found by leaving the yeast in each bottle the process also acts as a viability test on the yeast in each bottle whereas if you combine them into one vessel from the start you have no idea of whether any of the stubbies contained dead yeast thus affecting eventual pitching numbers.

I'd Like You To Meet Six Of My Buddies

That said, PB2 has never steered me wrong & as a representative of Coopers who has great inner sanctum knowledge of the processes involved, his advice & guidance should always be looked upon as the closest thing to Coopers gospel you can get on this forum. As Paul mentioned in his post, give the process those full 2-3 days where the yeast mixture is really foaming when shaken as this is the indicator the yeast is ready for use. Any earlier than this & you do risk not having enough viable yeast to ferment out your brew.

Cheers & good brewing,

Lusty.

[#granted+brew]

I did mine in a snap lock container and let the pressure out before each shake.

 

[Marvin]

12 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

My fermenter is an airlock style but I just use gaffer tape over the hole in the lid and don't fully tighten it.

I've got one of those and I don't use the bubble trumpet.

Plastic is everywhere, lets imagine a blue plastic peanut butter lid.

Cut yourself a ten cent size, no damn the expense, cut a twenty cent size shape from it.

You'll need a bolt that will fit through the problematic hole.

(I had a stainless one I bought for a job on my sea kayak I never did.)

Drill a hole in your plastic to make a very tight fit for your bolt.

Best drill it before you cut if,,, for reasons.

Force your bolt through your plastic washer, slip into the offending hole and you have yourself a valve.

You can feel free to tighten your lid as much as you like.

It'll last longer than you will, no need for gaffa.

Edited September 12, 2018 by Marvin

[Otto Von Blotto]

Bubble trumpet

I reckon mine isn't even airtight even if I do fully tighten it. The airlock never bubbled when I did use it anyway.

[karlos_1984]

Im down to my last 6 pack of session ale stubs and was planning on reharvesting the yeast from this. I don't plan on making another brew for at least a week. How long can reharvesting yeast remain viable in the plastic coke bottle?

If I make it up today, will it keep for a couple weeks in the cupboard doing the twice daily shake, or will it be no good by the time I make up a brew?

[Otto Von Blotto]

It'll keep but I would store it in the fridge once it has fermented out the wort/sugar mixture to slow the viability drop off. 

[Beerlust]

The recent conversations about the CCA yeast have been enough to get me motivated to reactivate some for another brew. I decanted 6 stubbies in readiness a couple of days ago. I've added the contents of these into a sanitised 1.25ltr PET bottle a short while ago, so hopefully it will be up & ready for use on my next planned brew day this Thursday.

I don't feel like a long brew day so am going to brew a slight tweak on a kit based beer I haven't brewed for a very long time (too long), but really enjoy.

Coopers DIY recipe: Fruit Salad Ale 

I'll ferment around 21-22°C to promote the banana ester profile that helps complete the terrific trifecta of flavours & aromas that makes this beer so delightful to drink.

I'm really looking forward to it actually.

Lusty.

[Popo the Reprobate]

That one is a cracker Beerlust. It's on my to do list for summer. I have also made it with US05 and while both were good, I preferred it with the CCA yeast.

[Beerlust]

I agree Popo. The banana ester from the CCA yeast is what takes the beer to another level as this flavour/aroma really can't be replicated with a hop (as yet).

I really should be making this beer more often particularly in the warmer months.

I'm looking forward to a very quick brew day tomorrow. 

Cheers,

Lusty.

[robwalk]

On 9/9/2018 at 10:59 PM, #granted+brew said:

Think this is the one

I've been browsing around the forum trying to find a description of how to get enough CCA yeast from 6 Pale Ale stubbies to halve so I can harvest and store a batch and pitch the other half into my next brew - the Coopers Extra Strong vintage 2018 recipe.  

I've watched teh video and read a number of posts discussing variations to Coopers suggested method.  That's fine but only gives me enough to pitch into my brew.   The Vintage recipe uses both the CCA and a can yeast so harvesting and washing from the trub will not give me CCA.

I'd love some guidance on how to do this.  I have a 1000 ml flask and a large Fowlers jar approx 2.5 l with SS lid and clip to hold the lid firmly.  Without a seal ring it will allow gas to escape.

Cheers

[Otto Von Blotto]

Do the process as normal from the stubbies then make a starter with that yeast. I couldn't tell you what size off the top of my head, it depends on the makeup of the batch and whether or not you have a stir plate. Without a stir plate you may need to do a stepped starter, first step 1 litre and the next one 3 or 4 litres, which might be a bit difficult in only a 2.5 litre container. 

[robwalk]

Thanks Kelsey. 

7 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

the next one 3 or 4 litres, which might be a bit difficult in only a 2.5 litre container. 

I'll have a look around for a larger jar or maybe buy a four litre PET bottle of water seeing as Coopers suggest using 1.25 litre PET soft drink bottle.  I don't have a stir plate and will just use regular (and hopefully frequent agitation) and set my brewing fridge to 20-22 degrees to keep it at the less estery end of fermentation.  

I assume I just pour off excess'beer' agitate and divide in half.   Half in my brew and half in a jar in the fridge.  About how many days do reckon in the larger vessel?

I'm thinking of making a stir plate in the future.  I guess the results from this and subsequent brews using the saved yeast will help me decide.

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

Don't worry about temp control on the starter, unless you're needing to keep it warm. If you're pouring off most of the beer after it's fermented out then it won't really matter if it's done warmer and it will fermenter faster too. I normally give mine a few days to ensure fermentation is done, but I only go by a visual check for yeast starters as it doesn't matter as much as with a proper batch.

[robwalk]

11 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

I normally give mine a few days to ensure fermentation is done

Cheers Kelsey,

I'll be starting it next week and brewing the week after based on what you say.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

1 hour ago, robwalk said:

 

I'm thinking of making a stir plate in the future.  I guess the results from this and subsequent brews using the saved yeast will help me decide.

 

Mine is a DIY job. Fan from an old computer. Magnet from an old hard drive and a box from scrap wood. The key is a variable voltage power source such as the link below. It allows you to control the speed of your stir bar and thats very important for different sizes of flasks and stir bars.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Multi-Function-Adjustable-Voltage-Power-Supply-Adapter-3V-12V-30W-Converter-NT5X-/132729153716

[karlos_1984]

Couple questions before I give the CCA yeast a go.

1. Does the 6 pack have to be fridged for a week? If short on time can a quick chill  in the freezer, then fridge for a couple days do the job to settle the yeast?

2. Can you decant a stubby, drink one at a time, then recap the bottle and put it back in the fridge with the remaining yeast, and it still be viable? I plan to use 8 stubbies to prevent underpitching, but don't want to commit to downing 8 beers in 1 go in order to harvest the yeast. If possible I'd like to do it over a couple days.

3. Given that Cooper's instructions say to transfer all yeast into a coke bottle, is there any harm in tipping the yeast into the coke bottle, then adding a small bit of the water/sugar back into the stubby it came from, and swirling around to get the last bit of yeast out of there and tipping back into the coke bottle? I've just found that when rinsing stubbies before recycling some of the settled yeast gets pretty stuck in the bottom n needs a bit of hot water to get it out completely.

Thanks.

[robwalk]

Don't worry about temp control on the starter, unless you're needing to keep it warm.

Hey Kelsey (for some reason quote wouldn't work here)  I've got my stater going and got the second stage on with malt wort.  It's in my fermenting fridge and yes I do need to keep it warm.  So here's hoping it all goes well.  Got a 3 litre PET water bottle to grow it in.  

 

KARLOS_1984

33 minutes ago, karlos_1984 said:

Couple questions before I give the CCA yeast a go.

1. It's good idea.  The cold helps settle the yeast to the bottom of the bottle.  1-2 days still settles quite a lot, but considering your Q 3  I'd go for a week.

2.  I did 6 bottles over three days.  People say you can store the starter in the fridge for a few days or a week.  Others also say spreading your drinking over a few days is OK provided you maintain hygiene, replace the caps quickly and tightly, store the bottles in the fridge.

3.  Provided the sugar/water is sterile, not hot (at fermentation temp) and you maintain hygiene, this shouldn't be a problem.

And finally, I read in thread that someone pitched yeast from 8 stubbies straight into their brew successfully.  FYI, but not suggesting you do this - I don't have experience to recommend it.

[karlos_1984]

So given its Saturday, I've.got 3 stubs that have been fridged all week. Plus a 6 pack I put in yesterday. If I decant and drink the 3 today and re-cap and put back in fridge, I can save them for later next week and do the same with another 3.or so and it'll all be sweet then?

[Titan]

Seems like an expensive way to get yeast and a pain to do.

[robwalk]

3 hours ago, karlos_1984 said:

If I decant and drink the 3 today and re-cap and put back in fridge, I can save them for later next week and do the same with another 3.or so and it'll all be sweet then?

I reckon so, but being a bit cautious, I wouldn't leave it till late in the week.  I reckon 4-5 days shouldn't be a problem.  Longer is probably OK, but this is my first time with CCA and I'm sure others have a lot more experience.  Good luck with. it.  Hope it turns out a cracker brew.  I'm certainly hoping the ESVA 2018 will be something to wait for.

 

3 hours ago, Titan said:

Seems like an expensive way to get yeast and a pain to do.

Hey Titan,

I agree, except there are lots of comments in threads that say the CCA gives very characteristic flavours and are integral part of the profile of some recipes.  There are also comments that say  not to bother.  Re expense: Not much more than wet or vial yeasts and sometimes cheaper.  If you buy Pale Ale or Session Ale on special then it's about $12 a go and you get to drink a pretty nice beer.  And as for it being a pain - it is, but it also build experience as a brewer and a deeper understanding of yeasts.  That's something that has value for me, but may only interest some brewers.  

Being able to put a brew on with minimal fuss and get a beer that you enjoy drinking is one of joys of homebrewing too.  A couple of my favourite brews are quick and easy to get on.

[Otto Von Blotto]

The yeast won't die in a week, in fact the viability probably won't drop much at all especially being stored in the fridge. Besides if you are pitching it all into a starter type thing it will grow more. The only possible problem might be infection but it seems unlikely.

[Nannaspeed]

Hi All,

Being a time poor/tightarse brewer with two young boys, a full time working and studying wife and heavy house-hold commitments, I had a thought while bottling a Belgian Strong Ale this arvo.......kinda similar to Coopers CCA but stronger and added cloves perhaps? Was a 8.5% Av amber coloured brew using Mangrove Jack M31 which I really like. So I grabbed a small jar of the top yeasty slurry to use with a spare pack of Coopers kit yeast (have Ale and AC + L plus US-05 in the fridge). So a smaller than usual pitch rate of bananas M31 and a kit pack to make up the numbers and hopefully reduce the full on Belgian Tripel aroma and flavour.

I'm keen to do a 2017 Coopers Vintage, have Denali and Calypso in the freezer and hope the above yeast butchery blend might get close without the buying of beers and time involved. Any opinions would be great.

Cheers, Sam