I have a yeast cake which has been sitting in the primary for a few days - the beer has racked off it. Its been sealed and kept sanitary - how long can I wait before washing the yeast ?
So... I was originally planning on brewing Sunday and was going to make my starter after work. However, something came up and if I don't brew tonight I have to wait until next weekend (not the end of the world, but I am trying to get this ready for Christmas and I like to bottle condition for a month so I really need to get this going).
My question is, if I make a "starter" as soon as I get home from work and I pitch it 6 hours later, is that enough time? This is the first time I have used my washed yeast so I am not quite sure how it will take off. Maybe I'll stop at LHBS on the way back and pick up a reserve pack of dry yeast just in case.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Cheers
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K2 Brews
President & CEO... also Lead Taster!
I have a yeast cake which has been sitting in the primary for a few days - the beer has racked off it. Its been sealed and kept sanitary - how long can I wait before washing the yeast ?
Bru,
I don't have an answer to your question but I can tell you that I just did exactly what you said. I bottled a beer on Saturday (10/17) the sealed the carboy with aluminum foil and placed in my dark garage. It was no warmer than 70 this week and my garage stays cooler then the outside ambient temperature. I just washed the yeast from that batch last night (10/22) so I waited 5 days. I took a whiff of the carboy when I took the foil off and everything smelled fine. I realize that my nose is not a scientific instrument but my litmus test would have been: If it smells bad or anything NOT like yeast, I won't wash. If it smells like yeast similar to a starter/trub, then I will wash".
If I notice any discolorations in the weeks to come or find it produced a bad/infected starter, I will be sure to post to this thread and let you know.
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On Deck: Peanut Butter Stout (experimental), Honey or Mead Porter, English Mild, Belgian Noel, IPA, Hefeweizen, Dunkelweizen
Is there an optimum time period for a starter ? I have read 2-3 days are the best ..is a lesser time a violation ?
I was wondering this this weekend...I had planned to try to make a starter on Thursday night so I cld brew Sat or Sunday. Of course, I forgot to make the starter.
I guess it doesn't matter this weekend, since I took a direct hit at a birthday party last night, so no brewing anyway today for me...still in recovery mode..(but they all loved my beer )
Anyway, is there any plm with making a starter one day and brewing 24 hours later ? I should know by then if the yeast are viable, at least.
Is there an optimum time period for a starter ? I have read 2-3 days are the best ..is a lesser time a violation ?
I was wondering this this weekend...I had planned to try to make a starter on Thursday night so I cld brew Sat or Sunday. Of course, I forgot to make the starter.
I guess it doesn't matter this weekend, since I took a direct hit at a birthday party last night, so no brewing anyway today for me...still in recovery mode..(but they all loved my beer )
Anyway, is there any plm with making a starter one day and brewing 24 hours later ? I should know by then if the yeast are viable, at least.
I've done it a few times and it seems to work just fine. Shoot, I did it my last brew. I made my starter the night before the brewday and pitched it at around 4 pm the next day. My 5.5 gallons of porter was fermenting in 45 minutes!
I typically make my starters for medium gravity beers with 4 cups of water to 1 cup of light dme.
I boil that that for 15 minutes and cool.
I add 3 turkey baster pulls of washed yeast and let it rip.
Works every time for me.
If I don't forget to make a starter, I typically make one 2 days b4 my brew day.
Is there an optimum time period for a starter ? I have read 2-3 days are the best ..is a lesser time a violation ?
I was wondering this this weekend...I had planned to try to make a starter on Thursday night so I cld brew Sat or Sunday. Of course, I forgot to make the starter.
I guess it doesn't matter this weekend, since I took a direct hit at a birthday party last night, so no brewing anyway today for me...still in recovery mode..(but they all loved my beer )
Anyway, is there any plm with making a starter one day and brewing 24 hours later ? I should know by then if the yeast are viable, at least.
last night about 7 pm I pulled some yeast that I had washed a few weeks back and made a starter with it...I started my brew and pitch my starter at 1 am that had taken off in only 6 hours...by 6 am the wort had a good start on the krausen and was churning along very nice...
I pitched my starter I made with washed yeast today at around 5:30 and I just checked it about a half hour ago and I had activity in the airlock! Now I'm wondering if I'll need a blowoff tube.
)
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