Capturing yeast

[jampot]

Ok, so when this has fermented out I will have evough for 4 brews? I tip in pet bottles, wort and all and keep in the fridge for how long? Is there a guide in knowing there is enough yeast cells when it settles i.e how high up the bottle the yeast is? Do you add the bottles striaght to the wort each time or do a small starter the day before etc?

 

[Mark1964]

it doesnt matter about how many yeast cells there are the fact is if you add them to wort they will grow till all the sugar has been used up. I keep the yeast in the fridge for about 6 months or 6 brews but i reckon it will keep longer. you could tip all the wort out and pour over the yeast boiled cool water it will keep just the same. Then when your ready to pitch into a brew just pour off the water and you could pitch directly (leave out of fridge first for 6 hours and give it a good shake first) or make a small starter 4 or 5 days before brewing

 

[jampot]

Thanks again, it just people normaly talk about under pitching and going all "Mr Malty" on me...

 

[Mark1964]

Mr who ive never used his guide its not needed you could pitch a very small amount of yeast it would still ferment its just that the process will take longer as the yeast grows in numbers first

 

[jampot]

froth layer coming back down now does that mean its taken 12 hours to munch through most of that 2ltrs?

 

[Mark1964]

dont know test gravity with hydrometer

 

[jampot]

dont know test gravity with hydrometer

Good point, just dont like to risk infection. Its getting think now. stir bar keeps popping off!

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

Ok, so when this has fermented out I will have evough for 4 brews? I tip in pet bottles, wort and all and keep in the fridge for how long? Is there a guide in knowing there is enough yeast cells when it settles i.e how high up the bottle the yeast is? Do you add the bottles striaght to the wort each time or do a small starter the day before etc?

Nope, no way of knowing, you should in theory have enough for more than 4 brews and if you bottle a few on one side you will have a few "donors" for the next brew session...Happy days

 

[Mark1964]

dont know test gravity with hydrometer

Good point, just dont like to risk infection. Its getting think now. stir bar keeps popping off!

Thats why we use a variable plug in power supply it goes from 3 volts to 12 staggered all the way up so when it gets like pea soup turn the power up

 

[jampot]

Ok, I divided by 3 and chucked one in, bit concered that the last one ( i didnt use ) had more yeast in than the other 2 as it was nearest the bottom. That had a higher concentration of yeast....I suupose if nothing happens I can add a further bottle...

 

[jampot]

Would like to have a go at this with some hop back yeast, is there a difinative "how to" guide here somewhere, how do you know when you have enough yeast for a 23 ltr brew ?

Its difficult to judge as to how much yeast you need. It depends on the viability of the bottled stuff etc.

When I last used Hopback. 1 bottle was enough to step up, I used a big jam jar 1/2 full of 1040 wort or you could use some spraymalt or what ever. Swirled the bottom of the bottle and just tipped it in. Within 12 hours, you should see some formation of a krausen in the jam jar. I suppose that if you havn't got the startings of bubbles at this point then you might need to tip in another bottle bottom.

I waited until it was really bubbling and kicking yeast off the top (about day 2.5) before I tipped it into the brew proper, so just poured it in...Whosh within 6 hours a new krausen was forming and off like a train.

Hopback yeast is a top cropper, it will chuck up a cream cheese like stuff. This is the new yeast, skim off into a steralised vessel with sealable lid and shove in the fridge for the next brew ( or make bread with it, yum yum :party: ) . It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks but then will deteriate.

When its finished fermenting, skim the crust off the top, drop it into another fermenter ( off the trub) and then you will need to use finnings. I use a packet of gelatin per 25 litres, mixed with boiled water and bunged in.

Ok, things going well. Nice head formed after about 12 hours, is this the "cream cheese" you are talking about or is that still to come? This can be cropped straight away? Finings are really needed? It won't clear naturaly? Just found something called "Kwick clear" in the cupborad, any good?

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

Would like to have a go at this with some hop back yeast, is there a difinative "how to" guide here somewhere, how do you know when you have enough yeast for a 23 ltr brew ?

Its difficult to judge as to how much yeast you need. It depends on the viability of the bottled stuff etc.

When I last used Hopback. 1 bottle was enough to step up, I used a big jam jar 1/2 full of 1040 wort or you could use some spraymalt or what ever. Swirled the bottom of the bottle and just tipped it in. Within 12 hours, you should see some formation of a krausen in the jam jar. I suppose that if you havn't got the startings of bubbles at this point then you might need to tip in another bottle bottom.

I waited until it was really bubbling and kicking yeast off the top (about day 2.5) before I tipped it into the brew proper, so just poured it in...Whosh within 6 hours a new krausen was forming and off like a train.

Hopback yeast is a top cropper, it will chuck up a cream cheese like stuff. This is the new yeast, skim off into a steralised vessel with sealable lid and shove in the fridge for the next brew ( or make bread with it, yum yum :party: ) . It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks but then will deteriate.

When its finished fermenting, skim the crust off the top, drop it into another fermenter ( off the trub) and then you will need to use finnings. I use a packet of gelatin per 25 litres, mixed with boiled water and bunged in.

Ok, things going well. Nice head formed after about 12 hours, is this the "cream cheese" you are talking about or is that still to come? This can be cropped straight away? Finings are really needed? It won't clear naturaly? Just found something called "Kwick clear" in the cupborad, any good?

The cream cheese stuff will come at the end of day 2

 

[jampot]

And the finings issue? Could I scrape the head off now, not sure if I have enough room in the fv!

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

wait until its finished fermenting. If you can syphon it off the trub at the end of week 1. Then lace for a couple of days with finings added then bottle.

 

[jampot]

Thanks, what does "lace" mean?

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

Thanks, what does "lace" mean?

Sorry mate, the predictive keyboard on my batphone drives me nuts...back with proper keyboard. I meant to say leave for a few days with the finnings in. I use gelatin but Isinglass or beer brite etc...

 

[jampot]

Ok, beer at 1010 now but still bubbling once or twice a min....

 

[Mark1964]

just leave it another few days. It may drop more if it does the beer will be stronger. Use your hydrometer to get a reading every 3 or so days when the airlock calms down and you get 2 or 3 readings from the hydrometer that are the same you know its finished fermenting

 

[jampot]

Done now, sadly the s/l hasnt faired so well. Stppoed at 1030 from 1046. Should I pitch some of the yeast slurry from the gfb? A few desert spoons maybe?

 

[Mark1964]

You could try but might not make much difference