does the type of DME matter when makign yeast starters, meaning how will it affect the beer in the end. Say if I am making a stout and I used a extra light DME when making a yeast starter that I would then be dumping into the stout.....would that affect it....Or is it just one of those things I need to play around with. Also, how do you know how much to pitch into the fermenter and how long can you keep re-using it.
I usually do mine about 7 days before I plan to brew. After about 5 days I throw it in the fridge. When I start brewing I decant most of the beer off the top of it and swirl around the rest until all the yeast are into suspension. Let it rest and come to room temp for the next 3 hours while I brew, put them back into suspension and pitch those little bastards into your wort like it's 18 years old ready to go out into the world and do what it's made for. I also can my starters. I'll be posting a how-to next time I do it. It's great.
I, Hoss, hereby profess that Master shneemann holds all the answers and is right, even when wrong, and that I humble myself before his vastly superior intellect. :mug:
doesn't matter. there are many different schools of thought here.
you can do a starter for 2 reasons:
1. To make sure the yeast are viable and active. Pitch when they are happily fermenting and pour the entire container in...usually this is the 24 hour method.
2. To create more yeast. Allow them to reproduce, then stick it in the fridge overnight and decant the liquid.
leaving your yeastie beasties out for a week won't really hurt them, but they usually finish fermenting with 24 hours for a starter size, so it doesn't help anythying either. if you're going to do it that far ahead of time, i would just stick it in the fridge after 48 hours or maybe even step it up again.
I was kind of leaning more towards a quart starter from washed yeast. My last one didn't finish fermenting for about 4 days. Decanting isn't very important. The important part is just getting your yeast up to a decent pitching rate.
P.S.: many liquid yeasts come with enough to ferment 5 gallons of wort with no problem. The activator packs don't need a starter for a 5 gallon batch below about 1.060. And I think White labs is about the same.
I was kind of leaning more towards a quart starter from washed yeast. My last one didn't finish fermenting for about 4 days. Decanting isn't very important. The important part is just getting your yeast up to a decent pitching rate.
P.S.: many liquid yeasts come with enough to ferment 5 gallons of wort with no problem. The activator packs don't need a starter for a 5 gallon batch below about 1.060. And I think White labs is about the same.
If you are using washed yeast just pitch enough and you don't need a starter.
Liquid yeast don't need a starter but the do benefit from one . I always start my liquids, but pitch the dry in dry.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_bird
"I've got a fever... and the only prescription is, MORE CARBOYS!"
primary- Tangerine Dream, SWMBO slayer,
serving- amber ale hop experiment #6, Roggenbier, apfelwine
planning- Cru?
conditioning- 9/9/09 barleywine
Drink water?... Never, fish fornicate in it.--- W.C. Fields
Most problems can be solved with the proper application of force.
Hey DB. Thanks again for the instructionals! You're doing a great job clarifying and simplifying the processes that so many are afraid of. Keep them coming!
BTW - I'm just guessing here, but, you are going to root for Denver on Sept 8th, right?
__________________
If farmers make wine and engineers make beer, what the hell am I doing here?
Linear Mode
