JonBrew
Landlord.
Anyone tried using a vitality starter for their fermentations? I did this on a batch yesterday, a Belgian Dark Strong starting at 1080, and the yeast has taken off like a rocket; I had signs of active fermentation within 3 hours of pitching.
I read about it recently on the Brulosophy site.
http://brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/ye...e-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/
Essentially, instead of the conventional yeast starter which you start days ahead of your brew day, with the vitality starter, on the day you brew you make up 500ml of DME starter wort, pitch your yeast of choice and sit it on your stir plate for about 4 hours and then pitch the whole lot into the wort when you're ready.
The idea is that whilst the starter wort is being continuously oxygenated on the stir plate, this allows the yeast to build up it's cell strength/vitality with all the stuff it needs to carry out the fermentation. Then, as the yeast has already utilised all the oxygen in the starter, you don't aerate your wort prior to pitching the yeast.
Apparently the technique was developed by Coors. I suppose it's perhaps a bit like pitching a regular starter at high krausen. I think this is quite a cool technique as, if you have an impromptu brew day, it lets you pitch 'active' fresh liquid yeast that day, rather than pitching fresh yeast straight out the vial/smack-pack or using dried yeast. It also purportedly lets you pitch with lower than the recommended healthy cell count that might ordinarily be require (at least that was the focus of the Brulosophy experiment).
Anyway, just thought I'd share. Will update with the results of the finished beer once it's done.
I read about it recently on the Brulosophy site.
http://brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/ye...e-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/
Essentially, instead of the conventional yeast starter which you start days ahead of your brew day, with the vitality starter, on the day you brew you make up 500ml of DME starter wort, pitch your yeast of choice and sit it on your stir plate for about 4 hours and then pitch the whole lot into the wort when you're ready.
The idea is that whilst the starter wort is being continuously oxygenated on the stir plate, this allows the yeast to build up it's cell strength/vitality with all the stuff it needs to carry out the fermentation. Then, as the yeast has already utilised all the oxygen in the starter, you don't aerate your wort prior to pitching the yeast.
Apparently the technique was developed by Coors. I suppose it's perhaps a bit like pitching a regular starter at high krausen. I think this is quite a cool technique as, if you have an impromptu brew day, it lets you pitch 'active' fresh liquid yeast that day, rather than pitching fresh yeast straight out the vial/smack-pack or using dried yeast. It also purportedly lets you pitch with lower than the recommended healthy cell count that might ordinarily be require (at least that was the focus of the Brulosophy experiment).
Anyway, just thought I'd share. Will update with the results of the finished beer once it's done.
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