Wild Yeast Isolation

Wild yeast isolation, sometimes known as yeast wrangling, refers to the process of catching wild yeast, and isolating it with agar plates as a pure culture. This article will also contain information for growing up a captured mixed culture in wort rather than isolating pure cultures.

Special thanks goes out to Bryan Heit from Sui Generis blog and Jeff Mello from Bootleg Biology for providing the information in this article.

Isolating Pure Cultures

Preparation

• Bryan Heit's video guide to setting up a clean workspace, building and using an alcohol lamp, and aseptic techniques.
• Bootleg Biology's guide on creating agar plates using wort, agar powder, and yeast nutrient.
• Bryan Heit's guide to more types of agar plates, and video tutorial.

Catching

• Bootleg Biology defines three methods of catching a wild yeast.
• Bryan Heit's video tutorial for catching wild yeast from fruit or from the air.

Isolating

• Bootleg Biology's guide to streaking agar plates to isolate the captured yeast cultures.
• Bryan Heit's video guide on how to streak agar plates.
• Bryan Heit's video guide on streaking plates and further isolating yeast.

Identifying

• Bryan Heit's video guide on how to visually identify usable yeasts versus potential pathogens and molds.

Growing Without Isolation

(To do)

See Also

• Spontaneous Fermentation

External Resources

• Biology provides a full toolkit and materials for yeast isolation.
• Sui Generis blog by Bryan Heit.
• BKYeast, How to Build a Yeast Ranch.