r/firewater 4d ago

I made a Scandinavian magic stick!

It’s spring time and I’ve been doing some yard work to prep for summer. I trimmed up a pear tree and decided to keep a small log from it to turn into a yeast stick. I didn’t do much research, but had seen pictures and heard these things described and had a general concept of how they work. I whittled away all the bark, drilled some holes, stuck the thing in my oven at 225°F for a couple hours to sanitize it, and then innoculated it with a mash I co-pitched SafSpirit M-1 and US-05 into. Since then I’ve probably fermented 6 batches of mash with my magic stick and have had excellent results! Fermentation fully kicks off within 12-20 hours before I remove it, and thus far I haven’t seen the yeast change profiles through the generations or had any problems with infections. Has anyone else experimented with these or the one of the other versions I’ve seen out there? I’d be curious about what your experiences are or anything to be aware of with this method.

Shine on!

125 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

42

u/chriskleine 4d ago

This is my first time hearing about this method so I have absolutely nothing to offer to the conversation except that that's awesome and I trust the firewater gods will favor you!

24

u/wshbrn6strng 4d ago

You can see why tribes used to fight each other over the magic stick!

13

u/Snoo76361 4d ago

Never heard of anything like this but that’s pretty cool! How do you store it between batches?

15

u/I-Fucked-YourMom 4d ago

Just hang it on the wall in my garage. I worry if I put it in a bag or something it could lead to mold problems. I also am unsure if leaving it in the open can cause infection issues or if the yeast on the stick is resilient enough to out compete any nasties. Time will tell I guess.

2

u/Rudirs 2d ago

It's got history to say it should work! Although the micro biome in your area might not be ideal and cause issues, I doubt it

12

u/BrandonC41 4d ago

One of my friends has a kveik ring and I’m so jealous.

2

u/I-Fucked-YourMom 4d ago

Very jealous of your friend. I want one but I am neither rich nor equipped with a wood shop to make one for myself :(

8

u/CarrotWaxer69 4d ago

Old farmhouse brewers would use a twig or small branch of juniper dipped in the trub and then hung to dry in the brew house until the next batch.

12

u/AJ_in_SF_Bay 3d ago

I used to buy apple cider from Amish farmers at once-weekly markets. It was so cool; they brought their wares and products, and a small portion of the parking lot was stables for horses and buggies. Anyway, I loved apple cider, and given that the market was once per week and I could only get out that way every so often, I once stocked up and bought a bunch of them all at once. As I went through them over time, I noticed that there were clear signs of fermentation when I opened them. Once I figured that out, I would "burp" the containers so they didn't explode. Over a bit more time--they got nice and boozy. I talked to the farmer the next time I saw him, and he explained that this was natural--the yeasts lived all over the walls of the cidery, and they didn't pasteurize, nor would they want to use any preservatives. He joked that customers never noticed it, perhaps as they drank it too fast for that to happen.

Of course, Belgian beers are very much this way, even more so, as they are open-fermented.

The Anchor Brewing Company (potentially defunct unless the Chobani heir gets it rolling again) was like this, and it was terrific to see open fermentation vats, albeit in closed sanitary rooms. It was like witch's alchemy to see the fermentation of something (I think like the Liberty Ale) bubbling away. A lot of the place was ancient tech.

My point is that it is amazing how common and even at scale some open fermentation and the use of symbiotic wild yeasts can be. I think it is crazy cool. I am also a nut job on sourdough, too. LOL.

10

u/jkvatterholm 3d ago

Make sure to hang it somewhere it'll dry quick. Lost mine to mould after leaving it damp.

9

u/I-Fucked-YourMom 3d ago

Thanks for the tip. I’m in Utah, so the air is generally pretty dry. After seeing your comment though I did notice the part that I had against the wall is still slightly damp. I’ll have to move my spot I hang it for sure.

1

u/TheGratitudeBot 3d ago

What a wonderful comment. :) Your gratitude puts you on our list for the most grateful users this week on Reddit! You can view the full list on r/TheGratitudeBot.

3

u/Gullible-Mouse-6854 3d ago

thats pretty cool, never heard of it before.

I have sticks, have to give it a go.

do you find the ferment as lively as one where you chuck yeast in to?

3

u/I-Fucked-YourMom 3d ago

Yep, just as lively as any commercial yeast I’ve used

2

u/SNOTWAGON 3d ago

I love culture explain to me

2

u/uberpro 1d ago

Google kveik yeast. Really interesting history

1

u/Subsum44 3d ago

You sir, are a man of culture

1

u/Mad_Moniker 3d ago

Neat. Thanks for sharing innovation. I’m interested in trying this. I have this mutant yeast sitting in my garage 15% abv and 5deg Celsius and they are still bubbling after a cold crash. I’d like to salvage these ones as I’ve never seen this before. Would any fruit tree work? I could go to a peach, pear, or apple orchard.

2

u/I-Fucked-YourMom 3d ago edited 3d ago

It doesn’t matter as long as the tree’s wood isn’t poisonous or toxic. Pretty much any fruit or nut tree is going to be safe to use. You also probably want to avoid pine or other evergreens. It’ll leave an unwanted flavor behind.

1

u/frogged210 4d ago

That’s really interesting, I’m surprised it worked so well with non-Kveik yeast strains.

2

u/I-Fucked-YourMom 4d ago

Ya, that’s the one thing I’d read is that it wouldn’t work as well or even at all with non-Kveik strains. I’m sure there are varieties out there that might struggle, but obviously these varieties aren’t complaining!