Liquid yeast for a DIPA

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mastersudconsumer

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M gonna brew a DIPA this weekend, in the past I have been using SA-05. I want to venture into liquid yeast and try to get my FG down a bit and impart some new flavor or character. Any suggestions? I will be doing a starter on a stir plate
 
A DIPA shouldn't really have any substantial yeast flavor/character. It should be brewed with clean american ale yeast like wyeast 1056 or 1272.

You'll want to make a starter though and size it based on your estimated OG. There are sites like Mr Malty to help you calculate that.

If you are just looking to lower FG, try subbing out some of the malt with simple sugar. A pound does the trick. If you are doing AG, you can lower the mash temp and get a more fermentable wort.
 
White Labs California Ale - WLP001 is a reliable standard for my IPAs. WLP007 will drive your FG down a bit and provide a drier beer. Both of these will produce a flavor profile that's only a little different than SA-05. You could use a Belgain strain like WLP540. I've used it a few times and have had great results, and it will change the flavor profile of your IPA.
 
Denny's Favorite (Wyeast #1450) is also supposed to be good for DIPAs, according to Wyeast's own page on the subject. This makes sense, since DF is supposed to be fairly neutral with a slightly fruity finish, which would complement the aroma hops.
 
Schol-R-LEA said:
Denny's Favorite (Wyeast #1450) is also supposed to be good for DIPAs, according to Wyeast's own page on the subject. This makes sense, since DF is supposed to be fairly neutral with a slightly fruity finish, which would complement the aroma hops.
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I would love to try it but I'm having a hard time finding it. My LHBS has a bunch of variety except that and won't b able to get 1450 till Tuesday and I'm brewing sat. He is gonna call me with a couple of recommendations and ill post them to get some feed back:)
 
I went with 007, I did my starter last night and it has some krausen forming but also has this on the bottom. Is this the byproduct of the yeast doing there work?

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007 floccing at its finest... it clusters and drops out like that, my starters start look like cottage cheese with a couple ramps up.. until it spins a while to break the flocced clusters.
 
Neopol said:
007 floccing at its finest... it clusters and drops out like that, my starters start look like cottage cheese with a couple ramps up.. until it spins a while to break the flocced clusters.
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Nice, you think I will b able to brew by tomorrow at this time? Will it b pitchable?
 
Forgot to tell that my stir starter is over at my neighbors house, one of those borrow and I have to go fetch guys. I have been swirling the beaker till there's a vortex. How much is this gong to slow the process?
 
Here is what it looks like after 26 hours with no stir starter.

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Quite a coincidence I'm firing up some 007 tonight too. I had to shake the hell out of the vial just to break up this stuff to pour it into the flask. By the look of your pics the starter is only 5 or 6 hundred ml. That seems a little small for a DIPA. What's your batch size?
 
BackAlley said:
Quite a coincidence I'm firing up some 007 tonight too. I had to shame the hell out of the vial just to break up this stuff to pour it into the flask. By the look of your pics the starter is only 5 or 6 hundred ml. That seems a little small for a DIPA. What's your batch size?
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2.5 gal. Not enough?
 
Depending on the age if your vial, you probably didn't increase your cell count with a 500ml starter. I think that you probably have around 100B cells which for a 2.5g batch is the pitch rate I'd use for a 5g batch of 1.050-1.060 wort. In other words I think you're under pitching a big beer. I'd just be extra careful with your ferment temps and make sure you oxygenate/aerate well and you'll end up with great beer.
 
BackAlley said:
Depending on the age if your vial, you probably didn't increase your cell count with a 500ml starter. I think that you probably have around 100B cells which for a 2.5g batch is the pitch rate I'd use for a 5g batch of 1.050-1.060 wort. In other words I think you're under pitching a big beer. I'd just be extra careful with your ferment temps and make sure you oxygenate/aerate well and you'll end up with great beer.
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Can I make another "starter" and add to what I already have to increase before I pitch?
 
Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. I think there's an overemphasis on pitch rate verging on paranoia, especially for ales. I would go with it, you're going to get great beer.

If you wanted to get the "recommended" pitch rate you'd need to add 1000 to 1500 ml of starter wort which means you'd need a bigger vessel. Even if you have one you're now adding yet another possibility of infection.

I would chalk this up to an opportunity for improvement for next time! Go to Mr. Malty or another pitch calculator next time. Don't be surprised if, even when you get your stir plate back, you find that a 1000ml flask is not big enough for anything but a mid gravity brew.
 
BackAlley said:
Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. I think there's an overemphasis on pitch rate verging on paranoia, especially for ales. I would go with it, you're going to get great beer. If you wanted to get the "recommended" pitch rate you'd need to add 1000 to 1500 ml of starter wort which means you'd need a bigger vessel. Even if you have one you're now adding yet another possibility of infection. I would chalk this up to an opportunity for improvement for next time! Go to Mr. Malty or another pitch calculator next time. Don't be surprised if, even when you get your stir plate back, you find that a 1000ml flask is not big enough for anything but a mid gravity brew.
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Thanks man, that makes perfect sense. I never attempted a beer with such a high gravity and grossly underestimated. Maybe I should just cut my batch size and if it turns out the way I hope I can always increase the batch.
 
I just checked my starter and there is a layer on the bottom of the vessel, nothing in suspension. Is this what happens?
 
Yup And shake too

Even on the stir plate this morning mine is already supercalifloculistic
 
I finished up brew day yesterday, and already have some activity in my first batch. My question is I made a second starter for my second rubbings but I don't think I started it early enough because the krausen was just starting to form so I rehydrated some US 05 and pitched it. Can I just wash my yeast from second starter?
 
mastersudconsumer said:
I finished up brew day yesterday, and already have some activity in my first batch. My question is I made a second starter for my second rubbings but I don't think I started it early enough because the krausen was just starting to form so I rehydrated some US 05 and pitched it. Can I just wash my yeast from second starter?
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Second runnings not rubbings, lol
 
mastersudconsumer said:
I finished up brew day yesterday, and already have some activity in my first batch. My question is I made a second starter for my second rubbings but I don't think I started it early enough because the krausen was just starting to form so I rehydrated some US 05 and pitched it. Can I just wash my yeast from second starter?
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YOU shouldn't need to wash the yeast from a starter, no trub and little proteins, little to no autolysis assumed. If I am understanding your question. I would decant the beer off and put the small quantity of residual yeast in a fresh starter of adequate size and step it up a couple times, then crash in the fridge for your next brew and starters. You can save it in the fridge short term or read up on freezing yeast with glycerin. I always propagate an extra starter when i step mine up. 2-2L starters for pitching, 1-1L for growth/retain and splitting into 3 the next brew cycle. this way I don't ever wash yeast and always have a fresh low stressed start handy.
 
Neopol said:
YOU shouldn't need to wash the yeast from a starter, no trub and little proteins, little to no autolysis assumed. If I am understanding your question. I would decant the beer off and put the small quantity of residual yeast in a fresh starter of adequate size and step it up a couple times, then crash in the fridge for your next brew and starters. You can save it in the fridge short term or read up on freezing yeast with glycerin. I always propagate an extra starter when i step mine up. 2-2L starters for pitching, 1-1L for growth/retain and splitting into 3 the next brew cycle. this way I don't ever wash yeast and always have a fresh low stressed start handy.
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Not sure what you mean. I am new to liquid yeast.
 
Oh ok Im sorry... in that case what can I clarify.
When I make a starter I actually make 3, two intended to be pitched and one I keep to split an make more starters, I do this so that I never have to wash the yeast of settled trub/hop oils/break proteins etc. Also this keeps from using yeast from high gravity brews in a starter.

You could at this point let the starter run its course, when it really starts floccing, put it in the fridge and it will floc faster. pour off the clearest liquid on the top, and pour into a sanitized ball jar to store in the fridge (length of time is variable - i've had no problems a month or two if there is enough beer cover over the yeast.) When ready to use that yeast again, take out and allow to warm up and pitch it into a new starter a few days prior to your planned brew day.
 
Neopol said:
Oh ok Im sorry... in that case what can I clarify. When I make a starter I actually make 3, two intended to be pitched and one I keep to split an make more starters, I do this so that I never have to wash the yeast of settled trub/hop oils/break proteins etc. Also this keeps from using yeast from high gravity brews in a starter. You could at this point let the starter run its course, when it really starts floccing, put it in the fridge and it will floc faster. pour off the clearest liquid on the top, and pour into a sanitized ball jar to store in the fridge (length of time is variable - i've had no problems a month or two if there is enough beer cover over the yeast.) When ready to use that yeast again, take out and allow to warm up and pitch it into a new starter a few days prior to your planned brew day.
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Ok so if I have a single vial of yeast (I just purchased a vial of PAC man yeast) I try to split it three ways?
 
mastersudconsumer said:
Ok so if I have a single vial of yeast (I just purchased a vial of PAC man yeast) I try to split it three ways?
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Yes, you can easily do that with a little planning.

Here's my process - I create a starter with a new vial of yeast, and 1L of wort made from 1/2 cup of DME. I put that into into a 2L flask on a stir plate, and let it grow 24-48 hours. You should see a nice krausen form and then recede. I then let the yeast drop out of suspension - I just stop my stir plate for a few hours and the yeast drops out, or you can cold crash in the fridge (especially if you don't have time to continue right away). While the yeast is crashing, I make some fresh wort - now enough for 2 starters. Then I pour off nearly all of the clear liquid on top - reserving a couple ounces so that I can make a "slurry" by shaking the flask. I then pour about 1/3 of the slurry into 2 sanitized containers (in my case, one of those is another flask and one is a canning jar). Then the process starts again.

Then I take one of those starters, decant it, and put the slurry into a sanitized canning jar for later usage. For the other starter, I decant and then add fresh wort to grow it into a large starter for pitching into my next brew. At his time, I also would move the 1/3 that I originally put into a canning jar into my now emptied second flask and grow it a little larger, too.

I generally start the Monday before my brew day to make sure I have time to grow a large starter by Saturday. If I finish early, I decant my starter and put the whole flask in the fridge until brew day. I get it out when I start brewing and let it warm up, then give ir a good swirl to turn it into a nice slurry and add it to my brew (after oxygenating the wort).
 
Very damn close to exactly the same thing, above post states...I was driving to work and could not respond..

Thanks for the very concise explanation.

*I usually eyeball 5ths...2/5 - 2/5 -1/5 +residual - the latter is my 1L save for the next round of upticks.
 
Neopol said:
Very damn close to exactly the same thing, above post states...I was driving to work and could not respond.. Thanks for the very concise explanation. *I usually eyeball 5ths...2/5 - 2/5 -1/5 +residual - the latter is my 1L save for the next round of upticks.
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Do you just pour the whole starter in cooled and air rated wort or do you pour off the top and leave enough to make a slurry than pour?
 
mastersudconsumer said:
Do you just pour the whole starter in cooled and air rated wort or do you pour off the top and leave enough to make a slurry than pour?
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I pour off the clear liquid (decant), because I want to minimize any change in flavor to the beer I just brewed. The liquid you pour off is beer (the yeast converted the wort for the starter into beer) so it won't hurt anything, but adding it to your wort could affect the flavor just a little - especially since you didn't really control the fermentation temperature of your starter.
 
prandlesc said:
I pour off the clear liquid (decant), because I want to minimize any change in flavor to the beer I just brewed. The liquid you pour off is beer (the yeast converted the wort for the starter into beer) so it won't hurt anything, but adding it to your wort could affect the flavor just a little - especially since you didn't really control the fermentation temperature of your starter.
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Ok I'm gonna brew this weekend again, the yeast that I washed last week tripled in volume. Can I step up my DME ratio for starter or stay at 1.040?
 

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