Lacto starter questions.

[wilfonzo]

I used Wyeast Lacto with a 2L 1.030 OG DME starter.

It has been going pretty well as far as I can tell. I have it on a hot plate that keeps it at 100*F.

Questions:
- Should I be stirring it?
- Do I pitch in the pellicle also?
- I plan on saving some, do I save the stuff at the bottom, the pellicle, or both?
- How long do I let this starter go for?

Anything else I should know?

 

[AmandaK]

Here's a good article: Maintaining Brett & Lacto Starters

An exerpt:

Lactobacillus – Lacto likes simple sugars, so I use preservative free apple juice plus 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient per quart. Apple juice comes pasteurized so it can be opened and added directly to the starter (although you could also dilute it up to 50%). Unlike yeast Lacto does not need oxygen to reproduce, but a small amount will not hurt it. I have read that some people decant their starters to avoid getting the malic acid from the juice into their beer, but the small amount has never caused a problem for me. Refrigerator temperatures are a good idea to slow their life cycle and keep them from dying between feedings. Adding some chalk can help to buffer against the lactic acid produced by the culture (Lacto doesn’t do well below pH ~3.8 per Vinnie).

So based on that, I'd say don't stir it, pitch the cake and save the cake.

Cheers!

 

[wilfonzo]

Thanks, Great article.

The recipe had called for ale yeast to be added, but i think I might forgo that now.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

You still need to pitch yeast before/after/with the lactobacillus.

 

[wilfonzo]

You still need to pitch yeast before/after/with the lactobacillus.

Oh...

Then you wouldn't be able to save the lacto from the fermenter, correct?

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

No not by itself. If you want to save some of the lactobacillus by itself then leave some of the cake from the lacto starter in a sanitary, air tight container and top it up with sterile water. Or keep the lacto starter going and occasionally keep feeding it.

 

[wilfonzo]

Thanks, I have a good supply of yeasts on hand, so I'll just treat it like the rest of them.