Stupid question about yeast

[Joeyriles]

Hi guys, I have learned from last week and spent this week building up my yeast from the Hog's Back brewery.

The starter is at high Krausen but I just wanted to check: do I pour away all the liquid and just drop in what's at the bottom?

 

[johnnyboy1965]

How long has it been growing?
Also be very careful using a plastic bottle. Its very hard to sterilize plastic bottles. Go and buy 2 pints of milk in glass bottles, they are ideal for yeast cultivation.
HTH

 

[BeerCat]

I think your not meant to use a starter that's more than 5% of total volume. Also been growing yeast recently and I throw the stuff on top away. You can refrigerate it first to get it to separate but remember to warm to room temp before using it.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

I think your not meant to use a starter that's more than 5% of total volume. Also been growing yeast recently and I throw the stuff on top away. You can refrigerate it first to get it to separate but remember to warm to room temp before using it.

I think Joey is building up a yeast stock big enough to make a starter.

 

[Joeyriles]

Actually I was planning on using this today in my ale.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Without knowing the yeast cell count its impossible to tell how much viable yeast is present. I would pitch it, but expect a long lag time.

 

[Joeyriles]

Cheers, Johnny. If this yeast wasn't so good I would substitute for gervin but I think it'll be the difference between making the beer good and great

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Cheers, Johnny. If this yeast wasn't so good I would substitute for gervin but I think it'll be the difference between making the beer good and great

If you have another yeast Id pitch that. Grow your bottled yeast until you have a good supply.

 

[Joeyriles]

Am I risking infection, would you say?

 

[MyQul]

Am I risking infection, would you say?

Possibly but I always use plastic bottles to culture yeast/make starters etc and haven't had a problem. I do chuck the bottles frequently though

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Am I risking infection, would you say?

If youve sterilized everything, no. Its just the risk of under pitching. Because we have no way of counting the yeast cells the only realistic way is to go by volume. Whitelabs used to supply their yeast in plastic vials (I believe this has now changed). The vial they send is about 33% yeast and 66% liquid. You can judge how much yeast you need by looking at this. Is one vial enough debate still goes on.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Possibly but I always use plastic bottles to culture yeast/make starters etc and haven't had a problem. I do chuck the bottles frequently though

How do you sterilize your plastic bottles?

 

[Joeyriles]

Hot water to rinse then Starsan

 

[MyQul]

How do you sterilize your plastic bottles?

I just use star san.

Although having said that I do agree with you glass is better than plastic. I've recently got hold of a 1L jar after Mrs MQ chobbled her way through all the olives in it. After a bit of a volcano disaster with a Wyeast 1469 yeast cake I'm going to culture up some of the same strain from one of my own bottles of beer. So I'm going to boil the 1L jar for 15 mins and then chuck it in star san when it's cool enough to do so

 

[BeerCat]

Apologies Joey i should read the posts properly before replying. :)
Someone on here put me onto Duran bottles. I got a few of ebay, £8.95 for a litre bottle but they are great, very heavy duty and easy to clean. Gonna get a 2l one next.

 

[Joeyriles]

Cheers fellas. We have lift off this morning (pitched at about 6pm last night) and it appears to have given a nice, fluffy top on the wort.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Cheers fellas. We have lift off this morning (pitched at about 6pm last night) and it appears to have given a nice, fluffy top on the wort.

Did you use your reclaimed yeast ? If so how long was the lag time?

 

[Joeyriles]

I checked it this morning and it looked fairly lively so it's hard to say exactly.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Any airlock activity ?

 

[Joeyriles]

Yep