Yeast Testing - Revision history

Hekatef at 04:04, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T04:04:13Z

Hekatef: /* Isolating a Yeast */

2011-03-13T03:24:09Z

Isolating a Yeast

Hekatef at 02:44, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T02:44:00Z

Hekatef at 02:30, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T02:30:13Z

Hekatef at 02:27, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T02:27:07Z

Hekatef at 02:25, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T02:25:17Z

Hekatef at 02:23, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T02:23:18Z

Hekatef: /* Doing a Yeast Test */

2011-03-13T02:11:18Z

Doing a Yeast Test

Hekatef at 02:03, 13 March 2011

2011-03-13T02:03:52Z

Hekatef: /* Checking Your Results */

2011-03-11T15:53:30Z

Checking Your Results

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 If the first microbe in the list is a [[yeast]], then congratulations!  Your first task is finished.  You should now do further tests with this kettle to find out the proper seal time (see '''Isolating a Yeast''', below).
-If the first microbe is a mold, acetobacter, or lactobacillus, then this isn't a good spot for beer brewing.  Pick up the kettle and try a different spot.
+If the first microbe is a mold, acetobacter, or lactobacillus, then this isn't a good spot for beer brewing.  Pick up the kettle and try a different spot.  How far away you should try is hard to say -- some brewers test 10 coords apart, others space their kettles apart farther and then narrow down from there.  If a yeast you like shows up second on the list, then with luck you will not have to search too far to find a spot where it appears first.
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 '''NOTE:''' If you are in a spot where the second (or more) microbes are also yeasts, you may also want to try making multi-yeast beer by finding the seal time that gets you only 2 yeasts (or 3, etc, up to however many you have). While the results of multiple-yeast brews are hard to predict, some people have successfully used the beerCalc tool to do this. Moreover, many beers made without sealing the lid are effectively multi-yeast beers, and you can find many such recipes and locations on the Wiki (do a search for your yeast -- e.g., search for Y3 to find pages with recipes for that yeast).
 == Related Pages ==

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 == Isolating a Yeast ==
-Once you have a location where a yeast you like predominates, your next responsibility is to determine a time to seal the kettle to let in only that yeast.  This is sometimes called '''isolating''' the yeast.
+Once you have a location where a yeast you like predominates, your next responsibility is to determine a time to seal the kettle to let in only that yeast.  This is called '''isolating''' the yeast.  To isolate a yeast, you run a series of yeast tests, sealing the kettle at different times until you home in on the proper seal time.
-The reason for isolating yeasts is that when making beer, the brew is (or, at least, can be) affected by all of the microbes that go into it.  Having mold, acetobacter, or lactobacilli affecting your brew could ruin it completely, and at the very least will siphon off sugar that could be used to make precious, precious alcohol.  On the other hand, having two or more different yeasts coexist in a brew isn't necessarily bad -- very often, it's good and desirable -- but predicting the results of single-yeast brews is a lot simpler.  So it's typical for many brewers to just work with one yeast at a time.
+For your first test, 1200 (the midpoint of the fermentation phase) is a good seal time to try.  The first microbe usually enters between 900 and 1500 in most locations.  After the test, you can use the list of microbes to help you guess which seal time to try next.
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-# Run a yeast test (The Yeast option, which takes 25 water, 60 wood, 2400 Teppy seconds (about 44.25 minutes real time)), leaving the lid open until the end. If the first microbe in the list is not a yeast, start over in another spot. Don't forget to have a small barrel with you so you can get the results of the yeast test!
+One useful hint: '''Microbes enter the kettle on seconds divisible by 12.'''  It is possible for two or more microbes to have simultaneous entry times.  If it turns out you can't isolate your yeast because another microbe shows up at the same time, you will have to try a slightly different location.
 '''NOTE:''' If you are in a spot where the second (or more) microbes are also yeasts, you may also want to try making multi-yeast beer by finding the seal time that gets you only 2 yeasts (or 3, etc, up to however many you have). While the results of multiple-yeast brews are hard to predict, some people have successfully used the beerCalc tool to do this. Moreover, many beers made without sealing the lid are effectively multi-yeast beers, and you can find many such recipes and locations on the Wiki (do a search for your yeast -- e.g., search for Y3 to find pages with recipes for that yeast).
@@ Line 71: / Line 65: @@
 ==== Microbe Transition Lines ====
 Hellinar - Inspired by Jaby's work on large scale microbe distribution, I've been testing the changes in microbe distribution on small scales. These tests demonstrate that the microbe population shifts as your kettle crosses coordinate lines. The degree of shift is dependent on the degree to which the coordinate is divisible by two. Thus if the coordinate you cross is divisible by 128, most of the upper microbes will change. On the other hand if the coordinate can only be divided by 8, or 4 or 2, the shift in order is likely to be small. This shift occurs very sharply within a small fraction of a coordinate. So avoid placing kettles on such a high power of two coordinate. On the other hand, if you are searching for new microbes, place four kettles on odd numbered coordinates around the point where two lines divisible by 128 cross. This will give you four sets of well shuffled microbes.
 == Related Pages ==

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 Yeast testing is a hit-or-miss process and can be very time-consuming, but the good news is that you don't need a single drop of [[honey]] or grain of [[malt]] to do it.  You just need the 60 [[wood]] and 25 [[Water_in_Jugs|water]] required to start your kettle -- plus about 40 minutes to do the test itself.  Of course, the more beer kettles you own, the more testing you can do simultaneously.
 == Doing a Yeast Test ==
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 After the fermentation phase is finished, you can view the results of your test.  These will look very much like the picture to your left.  Because you added no ingredients, your brew will not have alcohol or any other characteristics.  The only relevant information -- and all that you are interested in -- is the list of "Microbes Detected" at the end.
-The 100 [[microbes]] in the game (including the 51 useful [[Yeast|yeasts]]) are distributed all across Egypt.  The distribution of microbes at a specific location, and their entry times, are fixed throughout the telling (i.e. microbes don't "drift" around over time, nor are they affected by pollution or other outside factors).  Once you find a useful yeast spot, you can always count on it being there.  But first you have to find them.
+An unsealed kettle will list all of the microbes that appear in that location (between 12 and 20 is typical).  Microbes are listed in order of entry time.
 == Isolating a Yeast ==

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 The '''Yeast Test''' option is exactly like making a beer, except the brewing phase is omitted.  Instead, the process starts right in with the 2400-second fermentation phase, which is when microbes begin entering the kettle.  (You could also do a yeast test by choosing the '''Beer''' option, and then adding no ingredients during the brewing phase.  It would be functionally the same thing.  But it would also tack on an additional 20 minutes or so, to no purpose.)
-During the fermentation phase, your only possible input (which is optional) is to seal the kettle.  This prevents any further microbes from entering your kettle.  Since your initial goal is to get as complete a list as possible of the microbes in your kettle, you shouldn't seal the first time you do a test at a location.  Just leave the kettle running and come back in 40 minutes.
+During the fermentation phase, your only input (which is optional) is to seal the kettle.  This prevents any further microbes from entering your kettle.  Since your initial goal is to get as complete a list as possible of the microbes in your kettle, you shouldn't seal the first time you do a test at a location.  Just leave the kettle running and come back in 40 minutes.
 As always when using a Beer Kettle, you need a [[Small_Barrel|small barrel]] in your inventory to check your results -- whether you're making a beer or just testing microbes.
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 === Checking Your Results ===
-After the 2400-second fermentation phase is finished, you can view the results of your test.  These will look very much like the picture to your left.  Because you added no ingredients, your brew will not have alcohol or any other characteristics.  The only relevant information -- and all that you are interested in -- is the list of "Microbes Detected" at the end.
+After the fermentation phase is finished, you can view the results of your test.  These will look very much like the picture to your left.  Because you added no ingredients, your brew will not have alcohol or any other characteristics.  The only relevant information -- and all that you are interested in -- is the list of "Microbes Detected" at the end.
 The 100 [[microbes]] in the game (including the 51 useful [[Yeast|yeasts]]) are distributed all across Egypt.  The distribution of microbes at a specific location, and their entry times, are fixed throughout the telling (i.e. microbes don't "drift" around over time, nor are they affected by pollution or other outside factors).  Once you find a useful yeast spot, you can always count on it being there.  But first you have to find them.

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 '''Yeast testing''' is a function of [[Guides/Beer|beer brewing]], using the "Yeast Test" option on the [[Beer Kettle]].  It is used to determine the distribution and entry time of [[microbes]] at the kettle location.  The usual goal of yeast testing is to find a location where the first microbe to enter the kettle is a [[yeast]], and then to discover a seal time which allows only that yeast in.
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 == Doing a Yeast Test ==
-[[Image:Yeast_Test_Interface.png|right|border]]
+[[Image:Microbe_List.png|left|360px|border]]
 First, set down a Beer Kettle at the location you want to test (either by building one, or by dropping a [[Beer Kettle Kit]] in your inventory).  Then choose the '''Yeast Test''' recipe from the interface window.  As always when using a Beer Kettle, you will need 60 wood and 25 water to get it started.
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 As always when using a Beer Kettle, you need a [[Small_Barrel|small barrel]] in your inventory to check your results -- whether you're making a beer or just testing microbes.
 === Checking Your Results ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:23, 13 March 2011
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	==== Microbe Transition Lines ====		==== Microbe Transition Lines ====
	Hellinar - Inspired by Jaby's work on large scale microbe distribution, I've been testing the changes in microbe distribution on small scales. These tests demonstrate that the microbe population shifts as your kettle crosses coordinate lines. The degree of shift is dependent on the degree to which the coordinate is divisible by two. Thus if the coordinate you cross is divisible by 128, most of the upper microbes will change. On the other hand if the coordinate can only be divided by 8, or 4 or 2, the shift in order is likely to be small. This shift occurs very sharply within a small fraction of a coordinate. So avoid placing kettles on such a high power of two coordinate. On the other hand, if you are searching for new microbes, place four kettles on odd numbered coordinates around the point where two lines divisible by 128 cross. This will give you four sets of well shuffled microbes.		Hellinar - Inspired by Jaby's work on large scale microbe distribution, I've been testing the changes in microbe distribution on small scales. These tests demonstrate that the microbe population shifts as your kettle crosses coordinate lines. The degree of shift is dependent on the degree to which the coordinate is divisible by two. Thus if the coordinate you cross is divisible by 128, most of the upper microbes will change. On the other hand if the coordinate can only be divided by 8, or 4 or 2, the shift in order is likely to be small. This shift occurs very sharply within a small fraction of a coordinate. So avoid placing kettles on such a high power of two coordinate. On the other hand, if you are searching for new microbes, place four kettles on odd numbered coordinates around the point where two lines divisible by 128 cross. This will give you four sets of well shuffled microbes.
		+
		+
		+	== Related Pages ==
		+
		+	* [[Guides/Beer\|Beer Guide]]
		+	* [[Yeast]]
		+	* [[Microbes]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Guides]]

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 As always when using a Beer Kettle, you need a [[Small_Barrel|small barrel]] in your inventory to check your results -- whether you're making a beer or just testing microbes.
-[[Image:Microbe_List.png|left|border]]
+[[Image:Microbe_List.png|left|400px|border]]
 === Checking Your Results ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:03, 13 March 2011
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	'''Yeast testing''' is a function of [[Guides/Beer\|beer brewing]], using the "Yeast Test" option on the [[Beer Kettle]]. It is used to determine the distribution of [[microbes]] at the kettle location. The ~~overall~~ goal of yeast testing is to find a location where the first microbe to enter the kettle is a [[yeast]], and then ~~(usually)~~ to discover a seal time ~~at that location where~~ only that yeast ~~(or that yeast along with other yeasts) gets~~ in.	+	'''Yeast testing''' is a function of [[Guides/Beer\|beer brewing]], using the "Yeast Test" option on the [[Beer Kettle]]. It is used to determine the distribution and entry time of [[microbes]] at the kettle location. The usual goal of yeast testing is to find a location where the first microbe to enter the kettle is a [[yeast]], and then to discover a seal time which allows only that yeast in.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:53, 11 March 2011
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	After the 2400-second fermentation phase is finished, you can view the results of your test. These will look very much like the picture to your left. Because you added no ingredients, your brew will not have alcohol or any other characteristics. The only relevant information -- and all that you are interested in -- is the list of "Microbes Detected" at the end.		After the 2400-second fermentation phase is finished, you can view the results of your test. These will look very much like the picture to your left. Because you added no ingredients, your brew will not have alcohol or any other characteristics. The only relevant information -- and all that you are interested in -- is the list of "Microbes Detected" at the end.

		+	The 100 [[microbes]] in the game (including the 51 useful [[Yeast\|yeasts]]) are distributed all across Egypt. The distribution of microbes at a specific location, and their entry times, are fixed throughout the telling (i.e. microbes don't "drift" around over time, nor are they affected by pollution or other outside factors). Once you find a useful yeast spot, you can always count on it being there. But first you have to find them.

		+	A "good yeast spot" is one where the first microbe to appear is a yeast. By placing kettles in different locations and performing yeast tests, you will eventually find such spots. (Because yeasts comprise 51 of the 100 possible microbes, it should not take too terribly long to locate one.) Of course, some yeasts are "better" than others -- they produce more alcohol or make an interesting flavor -- but when you're just starting out as a brewer, any yeast is good. Convenience matters as well: a mediocre yeast that happens to exist right inside your camp, near your supplies and all your stuff, can be more useful than a fancy high-alcohol yeast that you have to run into the middle of nowhere to access.

	== Isolating a Yeast ==		== Isolating a Yeast ==