3 ms·

I'm forced to wonder whether the same strain of yeast also survived on the surface near the original brewery location, and this revival is just a very expensive

I'm forced to wonder whether the same strain of yeast also survived on the surface near the original brewery location, and this revival is just a very expensive equivalent of making San Francisco sourdough in a different locale, from a starter culture packet received through the mail. Except in this case, the starter is from a message in a bottle, lost at sea for 200 years.

atomical 8y ago
And also believing SF sourdough is actually a thing not born out of over engineering and OCD? I think bread could become a bit like wine. People can't actually taste the difference but enjoy being a bit snobby.
- logfromblammo 8y ago
  Location matters to food and drink. You can taste the difference. You can even taste the difference in ordinary tap water. I don't care all that much about SF sourdough starter, specifically--it was the only one I ever noticed as being sold commercially. There is also a hobbyist network of people that trade their local sourdough starter to people in distant lands, as dried-up blobs on index cards, through the mail. People also trade kefir, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, and vinegar starters. They wouldn't go to the trouble if it didn't make a difference. The local ambient microbiome certainly contributes to the texture and flavor of fermented and aged foods, and it can be transplanted successfully for a few months, but then the locals usually overwhelm the foreigners. When you find a commercially significant one, you have to take great care to preserve it and keep it pure.
gregdunn 8y ago
>I'm forced to wonder whether the same strain of yeast also survived on the surface near the original brewery location Maybe something similar to it. Commercial breweries were selective in reusing batches of yeast even back then. House strains were refined over time to reuse batches that had fermented the most reliably, produced the fewest off flavors, etc. The yeast they used might also not have been local in origin. But the wild ancestor might still be around, somewhere. (It's also possible the yeast they have is a wild yeast contaminate, as noted in one of my other comments in here)

atomical 8y ago

And also believing SF sourdough is actually a thing not born out of over engineering and OCD? I think bread could become a bit like wine. People can't actually taste the difference but enjoy being a bit snobby.

logfromblammo 8y ago
Location matters to food and drink. You can taste the difference. You can even taste the difference in ordinary tap water. I don't care all that much about SF sourdough starter, specifically--it was the only one I ever noticed as being sold commercially. There is also a hobbyist network of people that trade their local sourdough starter to people in distant lands, as dried-up blobs on index cards, through the mail. People also trade kefir, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, and vinegar starters. They wouldn't go to the trouble if it didn't make a difference. The local ambient microbiome certainly contributes to the texture and flavor of fermented and aged foods, and it can be transplanted successfully for a few months, but then the locals usually overwhelm the foreigners. When you find a commercially significant one, you have to take great care to preserve it and keep it pure.

gregdunn 8y ago

>I'm forced to wonder whether the same strain of yeast also survived on the surface near the original brewery location Maybe something similar to it. Commercial breweries were selective in reusing batches of yeast even back then. House strains were refined over time to reuse batches that had fermented the most reliably, produced the fewest off flavors, etc. The yeast they used might also not have been local in origin. But the wild ancestor might still be around, somewhere. (It's also possible the yeast they have is a wild yeast contaminate, as noted in one of my other comments in here)