"Chris" <rrufiange@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:eM9Db.18565$Dt6.569194@twister.tampabay.rr.com...[color=blue]
> Looking for some effective methods of capturing/cultivating wild[/color]
yeast.[color=blue]
>
> Tried to avoid it, but I've never actually WANTED to use it, so I'm[/color]
clueless[color=blue]
> as to how one would go about gathering it.
>
> The only methods I've seen suggest leaving your wort out in the open,[/color]
hoping[color=blue]
> it catches hold of some floating yeast.
>
> Is trial and error all there is?[/color]

Try looking up some old recipes for beer and wine -- ones that didn't
have added yeast.

Generally, the natural yeast on the skin of the fruit was used. I
expect that it was a crap shoot -- if the bacteria that turns ethanol
into acetic acid (alcohol into vinegar) was also there, the results
would be different (though useful).

I don't know any of the details, but there is a tree that bears a fruit
that almost universally ferments while still on the tree. Birds get
drunk and fly into things from consuming the berries. A few of those
would make for a good starter.

If I wanted to culture wild yeast, I would start by making a bunch of
small batches of wine and beer. I would then get a culture sample from
the batches that worked well and use the techniques described in various
beer and wine making literature to propagate it.


Ray Drouillard