Posted on 09/25/2009 12:49:00 PM PDT by Nikas777
Ancient ale Prehistoric yeast takes beer drinkers back millions of years
By Suzanne Bohan Contra Costa Times
Sep 24, 2009
GUERNEVILLE, Calif. - Inside a stainless-steel tank at a brew pub here overlooking the redwood-rimmed Russian River, a 45-million-year-old yeast proves its mettle.
And the remarkably resilient prehistoric microbe hasn't just garnered a devoted pack of Fossil Fuels Beer fans, it's also providing palpable proof of the tenacity of life on this planet.
When the Australian-born owner of Stumptown Brewery, Peter Hackett, first learned of the ancient yeast, he doubted this long-extinct strain would ferment anything drinkable. It took the urging of Chip Lambert, an East Bay microbiologist who confirmed the yeast's ancient lineage in his Berkeley lab, to give it a shot. Lambert is also one of the principals of Fossil Fuels Brewing Co., which plans to make the brew available to more pubs and restaurants in the fall.
"I had very low expectations," said Hackett, when he made his first batch of beer in 2006 using the prehistoric yeast. Extracted from a chunk of 45-million-year-old Burmese amber, its revival from deep dormancy by a scientist from California Poly San Luis Obispo riveted the scientific world.
Beer made with the ancient yeast has only been brewed commercially at Stumptown and at Kelley Brothers Brewing Co in Manteca, Calif., where a 22-ounce mug sells for $5. The beer's public debut, however, came in 1997, when a small, experimental batch made by the yeast's discoverer was served at the casting party for "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," a sequel to the 1993 dino-thriller. Those films portray the fictional resurrection of the fearsome animals using DNA from blood in a dinosaur-feeding mosquito entombed in amber.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
ping
I think I have a 45 million year old beer in my fridge.
Actually, just started a new batch myself - a Coopers Bitters kit. So far, it is bubbling like crazy! Should be ready to bottle in about four days.
Can’t wait!
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin
Ally Oops’ last words, “Hold muh beer...that T Rex don’t look all that tough.”
Suddenly I am very thirsty.
Beer ping.
Hoppy Beer-day to you
Hoppy Beer-day to you
Hoppy Beer-day, now chug one
Hoppy Beer-day to you
Jurassic beer PING
Looks like a bit of a foppish dandy to me.
Neither can I. I have a Northern Brewer Honey Brown Ale in it's third week of fermentation, a Breakfast Stout on deck, and a Kolsch after that. Bottling's a booger, but I can't afford the kegerator or kegging system yet.
Third week? Wow.
My last batch was the longest one I did, a stout that went about eight days.
Tell ya, the stuff even then was downright evil - very, VERY strong.
But after about six weeks in the bottles man, it was like honey! I still have 4 bottles left and I’m going to put off drinking them as long as I can. So I’ll drink a few Grolschs cause I can always use the bottles, I’m up to about 50 now.
Yeah. The instructions said to ferment in a primary fermenter for two weeks, then move to a secondary to get it off the trub, for two weeks, then two weeks in the bottle to condition. So, after six weeks, I get beer.
Some of the other ingredients kits (extracts) only take four weeks (2 ferment, 2 bottle), some take months.
This is only my third batch with a real homebrew setup. I'm liking it so far. I tried it several years ago with a Mr. Beer, but didn't do something right, and both batches I did tasted bad.
A co-worker got me into it again. He's been homebrewing for at least 15 years.
Just keep it clean!!
I’ve pretty much dispensed with alot of the “ritual” kind of things. I tried using a bubbler a couple times and it was just too cumbersome. So now, I just put saran wrap over the top, snap a rubber band around it, and poke a couple microscopic holes with a sewing needle. Two layers like that has worked fine for me.
And I gave up on all the siphoning BS. The heck with it, I’m a grown man, I can free pour beer into the bottles just fine. Works great.
This time, I think I’m gonna separate 2 gallons or so of it after primary, dilute it down a bit, add more sugar, and hop it up good. Just so I can have two different types to see what I like best.
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