FunGus Among Us
By George Perrin

As the first installment of my monthly yeast column for the Hogtown Brewers newsletter, I thought I'd give some numbers reflecting what the yeast bank has been up to since it started.

Since roughly November of 2000, the club yeast bank has had 52 withdrawals, as well as over a dozen deposits of new yeasts. The updated inventory is posted on the club website, along with my e-mail address. Check it out!

These withdrawals have been made by 14 club members along with other withdrawals for general club use (Monster mash, Big Brew, etc.).

Of the 35 strains of yeast in the bank, 20 have been utilized so far. The favorite to date is Wyeast 1056 American Ale (8 uses) with Wyeast 1272 American Ale II (6 uses) and Wyeast 1968 ESB (5 uses) placing a close second & third, respectively. Of the rest, 13 of them have been used only once or twice.

As always, e-mail me with your yeast choice and please give 2 weeks notice, if possible. You'll get roughly the same amount of yeast in a fully swollen smack pack. I still suggest making a starter, which is easy. Other club members or I can talk you through this step, if you've never done it. Since I've used many of these yeasts, I'd be happy to provide feedback and/or suggestions if you're not sure which strain you'd like.

The yeast bank is still growing and I'll be updating you on our new additions soon. If you have any suggestions on strains you'd like to try, drop me an e-mail.

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