yeast cultivation and style of beer

[mirsultankhan]

Great ones! A thousand greetings to you and yours. I have a question that needs some wisdom.

I think that the best way to cultivate yeast is not from washing it off the trub or cultivating samples from the krausen but when making a starter. You make your starter and pour off a little before pitching and store it in the fridge ready for the next time, when you repeat the process.

Here is the problem. Mostly people use DME when making up their yeast starter whereas i prefer to take a little wort just at the beginning of the boil prior to the hop additions and put it in a demijohn and use that for my yeast starter.

Does it really matter what the gravity one uses for a starter, will it effect the yeast and does it really matter if one brew session i use yeast that has been taken from a starter using dark beer and stored and use it to make a starter from wort that has been gathered from a light beer?

Many thanks in advance Robbie.

 

[nbpicklesno2]

Starter should be no more than 1040.
Colour is pretty irrelevant.
Wort is better than a dme starter.

 

[mirsultankhan]

Starter should be no more than 1040.
Colour is pretty irrelevant.
Wort is better than a dme starter.

ok thanks so if i have higher gravity i can dilute it down with boiled and cooled water to get it to 1030-1040 -many thanks

 

[nbpicklesno2]

I can't imagine that there is any problem with that.

Where are u getting your yeast from? Is it new yeast? If you are cropping your own yeast from previous brews, its always better top crop from the krausen. Doing it this way, some brewery's have been using the same yeast for years at a time. You are getting the healthiest yeast this way.

 

[Kyle_T]

Starter should be no more than 1040.
Colour is pretty irrelevant.
Wort is better than a dme starter.

I'm sorry but whoever told you that is a fool. I have made starters with a higher gravity many times and all has worked out well. Someone else I know made a +.40 wheat beer for a starter to go in a Belgian Tripple.

 

[mirsultankhan]

I can't imagine that there is any problem with that.

Where are u getting your yeast from? Is it new yeast? If you are cropping your own yeast from previous brews, its always better top crop from the krausen. Doing it this way, some brewery's have been using the same yeast for years at a time. You are getting the healthiest yeast this way.

yes i use a new packet of yeast for every batch and wanted to try to cultivate yeast, draw some off before pitching and use it for my next batch.

 

[clibit]

You need to use wort from a previous batch I think as a starter should be made a couple of days before pitching.

 

[mirsultankhan]

You need to use wort from a previous batch I think as a starter should be made a couple of days before pitching.

Hi Clibit I draw off about 1.5 litres of wort just at the begining of the boil in a 1 gallon demijohn and quickly cool that down to 20 Celsius depending on the yeast. As I use no chill method I need to wait 24 hours anyway so another 24 hours would not be a problem. I pour wort directly into the FV and its roasting hot, put the lid on and swish it around so the almost boiling wort touches everything inside the FV and sanitises it. I do have DEM but prefer wort.

I was just wondering if different types of beer had an effect on the character of the yeast.

 

[clibit]

It would be better to take some wort and freeze it and use it for the next batch. I'm not really sure what "I was just wondering if different types of beer had an effect on the character of the yeast" means, or if there is a clear answer, perhaps. The yeast will be affected by the conditions of the fermentation, yes. For example, if you under pitch, the yeast will be stressed, and that will affect any future use of that yeast. A good way to collect yeast is to crop it from the krausen, you get the strong, healthy yeast cells. Making a starter is another good way, cos you use the yeast when it at it's most potent, after about 2 days is normal.