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Boerderij_Kabouter · 03-12-2008, 04:20 PM

I am hoping to start using starters on my future brews and just had an idea. I think I like the idea of decanting the liquid of my starter yeast cake and pitching only the cake into the wort.

Has anyone used a French Press as their starter vessel. I am thinking this may be a good way to decant and retain the most yeast. Then again this could be a really bad idea. Chime in either way.

Thanks

john from dc · 03-12-2008, 04:32 PM

would this french press be yeast only or would you use it for coffee too? seems like a lot to wash and sanitize.

i've never had trouble just pouring the liquid off, and if i were going to get other equipment involved i think i'd probably just siphon the liquid.

the screen isn't going to be fine enough to catch anything but the biggest clumps of yeast, and you'd lose a lot of yeast that gets caught in the screen.

if my starter is less than a liter, i just pitch the whole thing. larger than a liter i usually don't have trouble pouring off the liquid.

edit: i put the starter in the fridge for a few hours to let the yeast fall out of suspension.

Boerderij_Kabouter · 03-12-2008, 04:35 PM

Yeah stuff getting stuck in the filter and the filter not being fine enough was my concern too. I just thought if it would work it would be a thought free and fast way to have repeatable results. Just press and pour. I think I am with you that it would not quite work that well. Always worth asking though, you never know when someone will have tried something crazy and it worked out great.

john from dc · 03-12-2008, 04:41 PM

totally worth asking and a cool idea. i love little tricks like that that can help you do more with less.

for all i know it could work great, those are just some concerns i'd have.

but like i said, i usually don't have too much trouble if i pour carefully. and i don't really worry about getting all of the liquid out (i don't use a stir plate so my starters don't taste all that bad).

jds · 03-12-2008, 08:30 PM

I found myself looking at my french press this morning and thinking 'You know, self, that carafe is about a liter in size, flat bottomed, and made of borosilicate glass. It could be very useful with a stir plate for starters."

So I checked on the price at Amazon, and a replacement carafe is about $20. That compares pretty favorably with liter-sized Erlenmeyer flasks.

I'm not sure that actually pressing the starter would do much, since yeast are WAY smaller than the screen on my press, but it would sure go well with a stir plate.

Blender · 03-12-2008, 08:36 PM

I wouldn't try it. It is really not that difficult to decant the liquid from a starter if you carefully pour. I see no benefit with using a french press.I use a 1500 ml apple cider jar that works very well.