Using the Probe Kit
So you’ve ordered your test probe kit and you’re ready to get out and collect some yeast samples, what next? Your kit arrives but you’ve not got an idea of how to use it. Here is a brief guide on using the Wild Yeast Zoo Probe kit to collect your own wild yeast samples.
First of all, lets take a look at what’s inside your sample collection kit. In your kit, you should find:
Two sterile vials for sample collection
One pair of rubber gloves
One package to store your samples in once collected
Before using the kit, we need to make sure we’ve got a strong enough sample of wild yeast, some great places to look are:
Underneath wild fruit and berry bushes, look extra carefully for berries that have fallen off and are rotting into the soil; these are a goldmine for wild yeast.
Soil under trees; keep an eye out for sap that’s leaking into the soil, or even tree bark itself, as these can both be great sources of wild yeast.
In general, try to avoid the beaten path; look away from areas that have a great deal of traffic, and really get into exploring to find your perfect sample.
Once we’ve found our spot, collecting the sample is simple, ensure you’ve washed your hands and placed on the gloves included in the kit. This is due to the pores and cells on our skin containing yeast cells in themselves, cross-contamination could effect the end result and alter the makeup of the yeast sample collected.
Open the sterilised tube without touching the inside of the lid or tube, and scoop some soil into your tube, filling to about the 5ml mark or just below halfway, if you find berries, sap or leaves in the soil; include those too.
Seal the tube and store it at room temperature before returning the sample kit via post to the Wild Yeast Zoo lab.
When you collect a sample of wild yeast, use the included information sheet to collect as much information as possible about where you found it, anything that’s interesting about the sample like rotting berries or fruits. This helps us categorise the sample and determine what could be yielded from its properties.
Now you know how to use the test probe kit, and you can get out there and get sampling.
