Starter culture

[GuitarJImB]

Followed GW's book on how to make a starter. Used liquid malt extract from Holland & Barrett with rehydrated Nottingham yeast.

Never done it before so would welcome some wisdom here!

After 18 hours (and a good shake about an hour ago) it looks like this...

Doesn't seem to be doing anything. Temp is 21C.

Does this look OK or has it failed?

 

[31bb3]

You should be seeing bubbles rising in the starter I usually use a demijon with airlock then can see the bubbles in the airlock or you could use a 2 LTR pop bottle if you screw the lid on you will feel the pressure building up after a while

 

[pittsy]

should of worked maybe just slow did you let liquid cool before adding yeast ?

 

[Hawks]

I thought making a starter for dried yeast was not good practice ( or needed ) ? :wha:

 

[Mark1964]

no need really to make starters from dried yeast just sprinkle on your brew and it will work. If you want to do starters get the fullers bottle conditioned beers and do exactly the same as you have done already. A magnetic stir bar would help too your better off using DME too

 

[johnnyboy1965]

I thought making a starter for dried yeast was not good practice ( or needed ) ? :wha:

^^^ Cant understand why ?

Meant to say ...Cant understand why you would want to make a cultuer out of dried yeast?.....unless you are from Yorkshire.

 

[GuitarJImB]

Thanks all!

I thought I was following the book :geek: but on reading again it says "dried yeast of small quantity or doubtful viability"! D'oh! I guess it's unnecessary then.

It was bubbling away happily for the first 12 hours but it's definitely stopped now.

Ah well - chalk it up to experience! I will simply rehydrate dried yeast as per the book in future!

 

[Mark1964]

that would be ok to do just to get it active etc. :thumb:

 

[artiums_enteri]

Your starter probably already probably took off and finished. Usually your starter wort should be at 1.034-1.040 which ferments out very quickly.

As far as doing a starter from dry yeast, it's not absolutely needed, but so long as its re-hydrated it will help build the culture. Never should you simply sprinkle the yeast into wort without re-hydrating it first. This practice really stresses the yeast out, and will normally not allow the yeast to perform well.

 

[Mark1964]

I always sprinkle stright from the packet never had one that didnt ferment either

 

[artiums_enteri]

It's not a matter of fermenting or not fermenting; the issue lies in yeast health. A brewer really runs the risk of inoculating with dead cells, therefore achieving low attenuation and poor flocculation. You'll make "beer" either way, but don't we want to make great beer?

Listen to jamil Zainachef's yeast talks on the brewing network's "brew strong," and you will be provided with the details of what I'm talking about. Also John Palmer goes into in "How to Brew."

 

[Good Ed]

Dried yeasts are made to start fermenting straight from the off; rehydration helps this process, but not necessarily with wort, Danstar recommend using water, just follow the recommendations available on the manufacturers website.

With liquid yeasts it would be best practice to make a starter, and how big depends on what you are brewing, ie the OG and whether it is an ale or a lager. What you are doing here is growing the yeast cells to such a number that when you pitch it into your wort it gets going as soon as possible (short lag time).

As artiums enteri said Jamil (Mr Malty; here's his yeast calculator http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html) is a great source of knowledge, also his book Yeast, although I have yet to get a copy myself.