Pitching white labs yeast

[davidgrace]

I just watched a video about pitching White Labs liquid yeast into the wort. The person presenting did not mentioning a starter. I was left wondering if just pouring the white labs into the wort was an option?

 

[MyQul]

Theoretically you can pitch directly into wort as thats how they are made/marketed. But one thing you need to remember is that WL (and also WYeast) is primarily aimed at the US market. US customers can get the yeast from lab to wort in a few days or so. We in the UK have no idea how the yeast has been handled/stored prior to it getting to our wort. So it pays to make a starter 'just in case'

 

[davidgrace]

Theoretically you can pitch directly into wort as thats how they are made/marketed. But one thing you need to remember is that WL (and also WYeast) is primarily aimed at the US market. US customers can get the yeast from lab to wort in a few days or so. We in the UK have no idea how the yeast has been handled/stored prior to it getting to our wort. So it pays to make a starter 'just in case'

Thanks.

 

[foxbat]

+1 to what @MyQul says. Order your yeast. Every pack tells you the manufacturing date. Then use an online calculator to tell you how big a starter you need.

I now order my liquid yeasts from suppliers that tell you the manufacturing date and try to get the freshest I can then keep it going for a few brews by overbuilding my starter.

 

[thrums1]

How is a yeast starter made?

 

[BeerGuy2020]

How Do All ,
Here`s my 10 bob`s worth ;
1 ) ALLWAYS USE A YEAST STARTER , at least if it`s working to character , you`ll be able to smell any acetobacters etc ; and if a clean SMALL spoon handle is available , dab some of the starter onto the end and do a taste test , for a true ALE yeast , should be slightly fizzy / effervescent on the tongue , with NO OFF TASTES / AROMA COMPOUNDS being present in a healthy starter ; with of course TEMP being an issue , for me , as a Growing / Culturing Temperature , I`d go for 18 - 23 c , then pitch as required .

2 ) YEAST STARTER ITSELF : I`d STRONGLY ADVOCATE a LIGHTLY HOPPED WORT MEDIUM , to say 6 - 10 IBU for a growing medium from a fresh pack to start your own strain .
3 ) Pitching Temp & Rates : It depends on the gravity , strain characteristics and , expected attenuation profile and indeed the desired finish of a beer eg In an all Malt P.A Wort @ 1.042 , I`d pitch 2 g WEIGHT OF STARTER PER BARREL LITRE @ 15 c etc etc .
Best to all ,
Edd

 

[RichardM]

How is a yeast starter made?

Two days before you plan to brew
Take your yeast out of the fridge to let it come to room temp (about 20 centigrade)
Boil 100g of DME in 1 litre of water for 15 mins
Cool the wort to 20 centigrade
Pitch your yeast
Cover with a piece of sanitised kitchen foil
Shake to aerate
Keep at 20 centigrade and shake occasionally.
After two days you will have many more viable yeast cells than when you started that you can pitch to your wort.

Then do some searches for "stir plate", "building a starter" and "pitching rates"

 

[thrums1]

Two days before you plan to brew
Take your yeast out of the fridge to let it come to room temp (about 20 centigrade)
Boil 100g of DME in 1 litre of water for 15 mins
Cool the wort to 20 centigrade
Pitch your yeast
Cover with a piece of sanitised kitchen foil
Shake to aerate
Keep at 20 centigrade and shake occasionally.
After two days you will have many more viable yeast cells than when you started that you can pitch to your wort.

Then do some searches for "stir plate", "building a starter" and "pitching rates"

Once the brew is made, can I use the sediment somehow to make another batch?

 

[BeerGuy2020]

Hi ,
Hmm , not ideally ;
Part 1 : If you want to develop a seperate pithing strain ; Brew " Over Length " and cool the whole length as though it was ALL to the FV ; BUT , Reserve a seperate smaller FV and put the spare cooled wort ( Pref a re -sealable necked container ) and refrigerate at 4 c - 6 c until required .
Part 2 :
When your 1 St Dirty yeast head appears ; allow a good crown and then GENTLY SKIM THE DIRTY HEAD , AND don`t disturb the white foam below
( As gently as is possible ) .
THEN , On the Second Day , take allmost ALL of the Head OFF and allow to settle in a refrigerated area @ 5 c For 12 Hours in a sealed vessel , whenith as least ammount of headspace as possible .
Then at the evening BEFORE - 48 Hours before you brew , Take the cooled YEAST ( Remove carefully any DIRT , BEFORE USE & WORT and place the WORT IN A CONTAINER / small FV @ 25 c ; Then allow a small ammount of WORT into the CLEANED YEAST BED , and thoroughly mix / blend , add fractions more WORT , then once a reasonably liquid is there , add to the other WORT @ 18 - 22 c and thoroughly shake / Oxygenate the WORT .
Allow @ 18 - 22 c For say 2 days , under observation / alter to requirements .
Hope that helps ,
Edd

 

[thrums1]

Hi ,
Hmm , not ideally ;
Part 1 : If you want to develop a seperate pithing strain ; Brew " Over Length " and cool the whole length as though it was ALL to the FV ; BUT , Reserve a seperate smaller FV and put the spare cooled wort ( Pref a re -sealable necked container ) and refrigerate at 4 c - 6 c until required .
Part 2 :
When your 1 St Dirty yeast head appears ; allow a good crown and then GENTLY SKIM THE DIRTY HEAD , AND don`t disturb the white foam below
( As gently as is possible ) .
THEN , On the Second Day , take allmost ALL of the Head OFF and allow to settle in a refrigerated area @ 5 c For 12 Hours in a sealed vessel , whenith as least ammount of headspace as possible .
Then at the evening BEFORE - 48 Hours before you brew , Take the cooled YEAST ( Remove carefully any DIRT , BEFORE USE & WORT and place the WORT IN A CONTAINER / small FV @ 25 c ; Then allow a small ammount of WORT into the CLEANED YEAST BED , and thoroughly mix / blend , add fractions more WORT , then once a reasonably liquid is there , add to the other WORT @ 18 - 22 c and thoroughly shake / Oxygenate the WORT .
Allow @ 18 - 22 c For say 2 days , under observation / alter to requirements .
Hope that helps ,
Edd

Sounds a bit more advanced that me. I think I will buy a good Pils kit and separate Bavarian liquid yeast to make Oktoberfest

 

[Drunkula]

Listening to a brew strong podcast the other day and they were talking about the importance of rehydrating dried yeast (again) and they were saying even pitching liquid yeasts into strong worts can still kill a load of them. Never heard that before. Jamil was definitely on it, thiink Chris White was, too.

 

[RichardM]

Once the brew is made, can I use the sediment somehow to make another batch?

You can, if you mean salvage some yeast for your next starter. I recommend this book by Chris White of White Labs Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation (Brewing Elements):Amazon.co.uk:Books

 

[johncrobinson]

Its the osmotic shock that does the killing
bringing the starter up to wort gravity over several hrs helps avoid this.

 

[BeerGuy2020]

Hi All ,
I`ve been familiar with the problems of pitching a weaker wort grown Yeast Starter @ say < 1.030 into anything above say 1.068 - 1.070 , as mentioned , Yeast Shock`s a bugger to deal with , though this can be countered by using the same rate and maintaining the starter at a higher temp eg : 1.030 Wort @ 25 - 6 c as opposed to 18 - 21 c , with a drop to pitching temperature once an adequate bed of yeast has built up ; coupled with judicious agitation and , to some extent oxygenation .
Best to all ,
Edd

 

[thrums1]

Two days before you plan to brew
Take your yeast out of the fridge to let it come to room temp (about 20 centigrade)
Boil 100g of DME in 1 litre of water for 15 mins
Cool the wort to 20 centigrade
Pitch your yeast
Cover with a piece of sanitised kitchen foil
Shake to aerate
Keep at 20 centigrade and shake occasionally.
After two days you will have many more viable yeast cells than when you started that you can pitch to your wort.

Then do some searches for "stir plate", "building a starter" and "pitching rates"

I am going to follow your instructions. I have bought a Muntons Continental Lager kit (which only provides 6g of dried yeast, seems low?).

I bought a pack of Omega Bavarian Lager liquid yeast and will brew with that. I was surprised the yeast was dated January 2019, I hope it will be okay? it cost about £7/8. Any thoughts?

I intend to leave it for 24 hours then, take the yeast out of suspension.

 

[RichardM]

I am going to follow your instructions. I have bought a Muntons Continental Lager kit (which only provides 6g of dried yeast, seems low?).

I bought a pack of Omega Bavarian Lager liquid yeast and will brew with that. I was surprised the yeast was dated January 2019, I hope it will be okay? it cost about £7/8. Any thoughts?

I intend to leave it for 24 hours then, take the yeast out of suspension.

According to Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator - Brewer's Friend the yeast has no viable cells when you need about 390billion. According to beersmith it should have about 5% viable cells of the original 100 billion. It says you will need 26 packs of yeast this age and 5 litre starter. If you have stir plate then 13 packs and a 2.5 litre starter.
Of course, I could have put the figures in wrong somewhere, so check yourself, or wait for another response, but from what I can see you need to chuck that yeast and get another pack.

 

[strange-steve]

the yeast was dated January 2019

Just make sure you've read that right. I recently thought I'd bought an out of date White Labs vial, turned out the date was US format and it was fine.

 

[thrums1]

Just make sure you've read that right. I recently thought I'd bought an out of date White Labs vial, turned out the date was US format and it was fine.

I emailed a picture to Omega and the confirmed it was well out of date. Going by the US format is even older. Jan 2019.

 

[strange-steve]

I emailed a picture to Omega and the confirmed is was well out of date. Going by the US format is even older. Jan 2019. This was sold by Brewstore in Edinburgh. I have emailed the owner direct but they have yet to respond. Luckily I had not pitched this and ruined the wort. Very poor and disappointing though. Omega are not best please either.

My White labs vial just said 12/08 which I mistakenly read as 12th Aug, but yeah that's really poor from the brew store. It might be possible to coax some life into with a few steps but it certainly shouldn't have been sold. Disappointing.

 

[thrums1]

Indeed. I could have ruined an entire batch easily. There is no excuse. I will be even more disappointed if the font come back with a very positive solution. They must have known this to be expired but still sent it. Very irresponsible.