yeast starter ?

[barefoot_trashko]

I'm making my 1st starter tonight and using yeast slurry that I washed from my last batch. Took it out of my fridge and there's a white layer on the bottom. Is that the yeast that has settled? Do I want to shake that up before I put it in the starter?

 

[Kaz]

The layer of sediment is what you want. I would decant off most of the liquid, leave enough to re-suspend the yeast, swirl to get the yeast back in suspension and then add to the starter.

 

[barefoot_trashko]

The layer of sediment is what you want. I would decant off most of the liquid, leave enough to re-suspend the yeast, swirl to get the yeast back in suspension and then add to the starter.

How much of a layer am I looking for? It doesn't look like much. I have 4 jars so I'm wondering if I need to do a couple. I have 1 quart of unfetmented wort to add it to. Don't have any gravity readings so I'm guessing a bit with the amounts.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

How much of a layer am I looking for? It doesn't look like much. I have 4 jars so I'm wondering if I need to do a couple. I have 1 quart of unfetmented wort to add it to. Don't have any gravity readings so I'm guessing a bit with the amounts.

A quart is just under 1L (1000ml) of wort which is a small starter. What is the gravity of the beer you are planning to brew? Ale or lager? Batch size? It should be between 1.030 and 1.040 SG...take a measurement and if it is high, you could water it down to the appropriate strength with some boiled and cooled water. Also let the yeast warm up to room temp before adding to the wort. You might want to pitch 2 of the washed jars, but definitely decant most of the water, swirl it up, and pitch. Are you using a stir plate? If not, you need to ogygenate your starter wort as much as possible before you pitch (sanitized 2L soda bottle and shake the **** out of it!!!) and shake as often as possible post pitch. For future reference, your growth will be about half what it would be with a stir plate and they are really easy to make.
I hope this helps

 

[iaefebs]

How much of a layer am I looking for? It doesn't look like much. I have 4 jars so I'm wondering if I need to do a couple. I have 1 quart of unfetmented wort to add it to. Don't have any gravity readings so I'm guessing a bit with the amounts.

If you used a 1 quart mason type jar it might not look like much yeast in the bottom but it doesn't take much of a layer to equal a White Lab or Wyeast equivalent.

 

[barefoot_trashko]

A quart is just under 1L (1000ml) of wort which is a small starter. What is the gravity of the beer you are planning to brew? Ale or lager? Batch size? It should be between 1.030 and 1.040 SG...take a measurement and if it is high, you could water it down to the appropriate strength with some boiled and cooled water. Also let the yeast warm up to room temp before adding to the wort. You might want to pitch 2 of the washed jars, but definitely decant most of the water, swirl it up, and pitch. Are you using a stir plate? If not, you need to ogygenate your starter wort as much as possible before you pitch (sanitized 2L soda bottle and shake the **** out of it!!!) and shake as often as possible post pitch. For future reference, your growth will be about half what it would be with a stir plate and they are really easy to make.
I hope this helps

My hydrometer broke and I live in China so it's gonna take me a while to get another one. Shooting for a 5 gallon brown ale that should be around 1.040. Using about 11lbs of Aussie pale ale malt and 1lb of crystal malt. I don't have a stir plate but I'll make sure I oxygenate it.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

My hydrometer broke and I live in China so it's gonna take me a while to get another one. Shooting for a 5 gallon brown ale that should be around 1.040. Using about 11lbs of Aussie pale ale malt and 1lb of crystal malt. I don't have a stir plate but I'll make sure I oxygenate it.

Where is the wort from? You should be able to guesstimate, you just don't want it too high or low. Check out Mr. Malty...when I plugged in your numbers it looks like 1L of wort and the equivalent of 1 vial/ smack of commercial yeast is sufficient for the session beer you are brewing. Should be no problem. If you check the repitching from slurry tab, you will see the ml of slurry needed (what is on the bottom of your washed jars), in this case around 75ml. This is pretty easy to measure in a pyrex measuring cup or small mason jar.

Pitch 2 washed jars into your quart jar of wort. Make sure your starter container has enough headspace to allow for growth and krausen. If you have time before brewing, allow the starter to go for 36-48 hrs (it only takes about 24 hours to max growth but the yeast will build its glycogen reserves if you leave it be for a while after) then cold crash in the fridge to get the yeast to flocculate and settle out. Then decant the starter beer and pitch the yeast slurry only. If you are brewing in the next couple of days, pitch the yeast at high krausen, around 24 hours.

 

[barefoot_trashko]

Where is the wort from? You should be able to guesstimate, you just don't want it too high or low. Check out Mr. Malty...when I plugged in your numbers it looks like 1L of wort and the equivalent of 1 vial/ smack of commercial yeast is sufficient for the session beer you are brewing. Should be no problem. If you check the repitching from slurry tab, you will see the ml of slurry needed (what is on the bottom of your washed jars), in this case around 75ml. This is pretty easy to measure in a pyrex measuring cup or small mason jar.

Pitch 2 washed jars into your quart jar of wort. Make sure your starter container has enough headspace to allow for growth and krausen. If you have time before brewing, allow the starter to go for 36-48 hrs (it only takes about 24 hours to max growth but the yeast will build its glycogen reserves if you leave it be for a while after) then cold crash in the fridge to get the yeast to flocculate and settle out. Then decant the starter beer and pitch the yeast slurry only. If you are brewing in the next couple of days, pitch the yeast at high krausen, around 24 hours.

That's really helpful, thanks! I'm planning to make the starter tonight (Wed. in China) and brew Saturday. When I cold crash do I decant right out of the fridge then let the slurry get back to room temp before pitching?

Also, what's the difference (advantage/disadvantage) of the cold crashing (2-3 day) method vs. the high krausen (24hr)?

 

[TANSTAAFB]

That's really helpful, thanks! I'm planning to make the starter tonight (Wed. in China) and brew Saturday. When I cold crash do I decant right out of the fridge then let the slurry get back to room temp before pitching?

Also, what's the difference (advantage/disadvantage) of the cold crashing (2-3 day) method vs. the high krausen (24hr)?

Just pull it out on the morning of brew day and it will be fine by the time you pitch...the starter beer is a nice protective layer until you pitch.

Ask 10 brewers and you will get 20 answers!!! Common wisdom is that having enough time to crash, decant, and pitch is best as adding the starter beer can transmit funky flavors you don't want. However, if you are trying to jump start a stalled fermentation, you WANT to pitch the yeast at its most active!

Search the threads and you will find enough posts to confuse the hell out of you and cross your eyes

 

[barefoot_trashko]

Just pull it out on the morning of brew day and it will be fine by the time you pitch...the starter beer is a nice protective layer until you pitch.

Ask 10 brewers and you will get 20 answers!!! Common wisdom is that having enough time to crash, decant, and pitch is best as adding the starter beer can transmit funky flavors you don't want. However, if you are trying to jump start a stalled fermentation, you WANT to pitch the yeast at its most active!

Search the threads and you will find enough posts to confuse the hell out of you and cross your eyes

Haha! No doubt about the different opinions. I'm starting to realize there is no perfect method. I want to know what's essential and feel good about making a mistake every now and then. These forums have helped a ton.

One last question. I'm planning to make some hard cider next week. Don't have access to DME/LME here. Will pitching one of my slurries to one gallon of cider be ok?

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I would think that would be just fine. Even a 2-3 cm layer on the bottom of a qt mason jar would probably be enough for more than a gallon.

Brew on (in China no less!!!)