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chanson16 · 01-20-2013, 12:15 PM

I just made my first starter. It has been less than 24 hours and it is at high kraesen. There is a fair amount of trub in the bottom. Should I pitch the whole thing or just the liquid off the top of the trub?

chanson16 · 01-20-2013, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chanson16

I just made my first starter. It has been less than 24 hours and it is at high kraesen. There is a fair amount of trub in the bottom. Should I pitch the whole thing or just the liquid off the top of the trub?

I am getting close to pitching so any thoughts would be a big help. Thanks!

**ianw58** · 01-20-2013, 02:44 PM

All that tub in the bottom IS the yeast you want to pitch. If anything, decant some of the liquor off the top, swirl the flask to resuspend the yeast and THEN pitch.

chanson16 · 01-20-2013, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianw58

All that tub in the bottom IS the yeast you want to pitch. If anything, decant some of the liquor off the top, swirl the flask to resuspend the yeast and THEN pitch.

Since it is fermenting, the yeast isn't in suspension?

**ianw58** · 01-20-2013, 04:12 PM

No.

Yeast can be suspended and NOT fermenting.

Yeast flocculates, or clumps together, at certain phases of development/fermentation. Floculated yeast is what you're seeing at the bottom. This is NOT dead yeast. It just "resting".

One of the reasons that many of us use a stir plate for starters is that the stirring keeps the yeast suspended AND helps provide oxygen for aerobic growth.

If you wash and reuse yeast from your brew sessions, allowing the yeast to flocuulate and fall to the bottom helps separate the gunk from the healthy yeast.

Trust me, pour off a bit of the liquid on top so that it doesn't affect the OG of the wort. Swirl the flask and pitch the good stuff from the bottom.

Kick back. Pour yourself a glass of beer from a previous brew up and relax. This is not rocket surgery! People have been brewing good beer for thousands of years!

**wilsojos** · 01-20-2013, 04:21 PM

If you don't have a stir plate, you can give your flask a good shake every time you walk by. I usually make my starter 24 hours before I brew and shake/swirl it every chance I get to keep yeast party going.

chanson16 · 01-20-2013, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianw58

No.

Yeast can be suspended and NOT fermenting.

Yeast flocculates, or clumps together, at certain phases of development/fermentation. Floculated yeast is what you're seeing at the bottom. This is NOT dead yeast. It just "resting".

One of the reasons that many of us use a stir plate for starters is that the stirring keeps the yeast suspended AND helps provide oxygen for aerobic growth.

If you wash and reuse yeast from your brew sessions, allowing the yeast to flocuulate and fall to the bottom helps separate the gunk from the healthy yeast.

Trust me, pour off a bit of the liquid on top so that it doesn't affect the OG of the wort. Swirl the flask and pitch the good stuff from the bottom.

Kick back. Pour yourself a glass of beer from a previous brew up and relax. This is not rocket surgery! People have been brewing good beer for thousands of years!

Thanks!!! I did a 1.75L starter. How much would you poor off?

**mike_in_ak** · 02-04-2013, 02:23 PM

Lots of info in this here thread.

**BrewMasta** · 02-04-2013, 02:34 PM

Poor off most of the liquid carefully, and leave just enough of the liquid in the flask to be able to stir up the yeasties on the bottom of the flask. I do this by swirling the flask in a circular motion until I don't see anymore yeast stuck to the bottom of the flask, and I do this just before pitching the yeast. Also make sure the starter is at room temp at least before pitching it. This will insure quick response from the yeasties in your fermenter.

**BrewMasta** · 02-04-2013, 02:37 PM

I also cold crash my starters over night before my brew day, then I take it out of the fridge, let it come to room temp before I poor off the liquid (now beer) and swirl as described above, and pitch.