Yeast starters, oxygen and light

[jceg316]

I have 2x2litre yeast starters sitting in my kitchen, they are both in 5L demijohns just sitting on the side, as that's the only receptacle I own big enough for the starter. I was wondering whether there are issues of leaving them out in the light or having so much O2 in the demijohns? I would think not as there are no hops in it, but would just like to double check.

Thanks.

 

[Halfacrem]

Probably best to get out of direct light. I usually put some tin foil round my starters.

Also, your starters need oxygen! Give the bottle a regular shake to get those yeasties going! Some people use stir plates which continuously stir the starter to keep it oxygenated, but it's not entirely necessary.

 

[houseofcole]

When activity has finished, place them in a fridge and let the yeast settle to the bottom.
If you have allowed air into the starter, syphon off the liquid on top of the yeast and discard as it will taste rank... also alcohol is a waste product to yeast so you will keep the viability of the yeast longer if you replace the alcohol with boiled (then chilled) water.
Yeast will keep in the fridge this way for weeks.

 

[strange-steve]

Don't worry about light, but as halfacrem says you should be shaking it up as often as you can. Also I wouldn't worry about removing the liquid from on top of the yeast unless the starter is more than 10% of your batch volume, it won't adversely affect the flavour. Pitch the entire starter into your wort after around 12-18 hours.

 

[jceg316]

thanks for the help. I don't have a stir plate so I usually leave it and every so often swirl the starter for a couple of minutes. Would it make a difference if I splash the starter?

I've put a towel around the demijohns to block out the light.

Ireland doesn't seem to have online electronics shops like the UK does, and buying all the parts for a stir plate is pretty expensive as I need to get them imported from the UK or the few shops which sell them are expensive. I'm back in the UK in August so I'll build one then.

 

[houseofcole]

I got one off e-bay. (free P&P), and they fitted mine with the right plug.

It is homemade, but well built, and a lot cheaper than any of the commercial versions.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222069494561?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[strange-steve]

thanks for the help. I don't have a stir plate so I usually leave it and every so often swirl the starter for a couple of minutes. Would it make a difference if I splash the starter?

Don't just swirl it, give it a damn good shake. Put the bung in tight, shake the **** out of it, then loosen the bung to let the CO2 out. Leave it so that the CO2 can vent, some tin foil over the opening is ideal, you don't want it air tight.

 

[jceg316]

If you are not bothered about looks a second hand PC power supply will do the trick.


Power Supply - �£4.99 + �£3.29 postage http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CP4-520WS...624140?hash=item281b2cf98c:g:jIUAAOSwc1FXcB9x

Stir Bar - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stir-bar-...hash=item3cf6068687:m:m93G6Yt3H8WnloLjNvDJ4YQ

Magnet - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20pcs-Str...861274?hash=item2c9b1bf35a:g:tlsAAOSwBLlVVhiQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olYEvx_y9Bo

That's a pretty clever idea! I would have never thought of that. Is the fan on the PSU magnetic though or do magnets need to be attached?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Edited as the power supply was not working in my earlier post. (this one does)

That's a pretty clever idea! I would have never thought of that. Is the fan on the PSU magnetic though or do magnets need to be attached?

I imagine he has stuck a magnet to the fan.

Power Supply - £9:75 delivered - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Enlight-P...550278?hash=item3ac6a11b86:g:-c4AAOSwbYZXcSwm

Stir Bar - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stir-bar-...hash=item3cf6068687:m:m93G6Yt3H8WnloLjNvDJ4YQ

Magnet - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20pcs-Str...861274?hash=item2c9b1bf35a:g:tlsAAOSwBLlVVhiQ

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olYEvx_y9Bo[/ame]

 

[JapanBrew]

Sorry but is MyQul in the house? I want to chime in but I'll say some daft thing that will be construed wrong. MyQul is really good at this. If he doesn't poke his wise hands in this topic you'll get my 2 quid.... Wait... You dudes left the EU, is 2 quid worth what it was 3 hours ago?????
Sorry, bad stab!!!
MyQul!!!! Help!!

 

[JapanBrew]

Dang, chippy is here. He knows his stuff!!

 

[jceg316]

Don't just swirl it, give it a damn good shake. Put the bung in tight, shake the **** out of it, then loosen the bung to let the CO2 out. Leave it so that the CO2 can vent, some tin foil over the opening is ideal, you don't want it air tight.

thanks for the advice, I'll do that when I next go into the kitchen!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Dang, chippy is here. He knows his stuff!!

I am just a cheap skate so always looking for the cheap way of doing things.

 

[JapanBrew]

I am just a cheap skate so always looking for the cheap way of doing things.

Damn dawg, that's the meaning of life!!

 

[MyQul]

Don't worry about light, but as halfacrem says you should be shaking it up as often as you can. Also I wouldn't worry about removing the liquid from on top of the yeast unless the starter is more than 10% of your batch volume, it won't adversely affect the flavour. Pitch the entire starter into your wort after around 12-18 hours.

I've always thought it was 5%.

 

[strange-steve]

I've never had issues pitching a full 2 litre starter into a 20 litre batch. I won a gold and a silver in this year's NHC competition with two beers which had been pitched like that.

 

[MyQul]

I've never had issues pitching a full 2 litre starter into a 20 litre batch. I won a gold and a silver in this year's NHC competition with two beers which had been pitched like that.

fair enuff. :thumb:

 

[strange-steve]

The biggest advantage of pitching the lot is that you can do so at high krausen when the yeast is at its most active, it really reduces lag time.

 

[Hoddy]

Just don't talk to me about starters at the moment #baneofmylife


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jceg316]

My US-O5 starter has really taken off but I'm trying to harvest the yeast from a bottle conditioned Fuller's, there seems to be a lot less activity. Was hoping to brew with it on the weekend so there's still time for a contingency if needed. I have some S-04 in the fridge I can pitch, but that needs a starter too and I should probably get it on latest tomorrow if needed.

Anyway the Fuller's yeast - it seems that the amount of dead yeast on the bottom has increased since it was in the bottle but there is no krausen. Maybe I'm just being impatient.