Recent content by mttaylor1066

I believe those are just "rafts" of flocculated yeast and sticky proteins. I get those a lot with certain yeasts. As was mentioned before, they settle out after active fermentation is over.

Just to be accurate, I collected about a gallon of milky white slurry from my fermenter and "washed" it down to fill these two pint jars completely. After 2-3 months at 40 degrees, these jars settled to a clear liquid on top of the two cakes you see in the photo. I just drained off moist of...

Gosh, bad typo! 40 (forty) degree refrigerator. Excellent suggestions, I will do just that. THANKS!

In my first attempt, I washed and harvested some GY054 (Vermont IPA) yeast back in early March. It's been in my 10 degree Fahrenheit refrigerator since that time. Like any first-timer, I'm concerned about committing a grave mistake. I'm attempting to reconstitute it today. I decanted...

I searched and could not find the answer on this forum... I just received my pin lock keg, taps, regulator and CO2 tank. I cranked up the level to 20 PSI, put the keg/tank in the mini fridge... after cooling the PSI reads about 12. My question is: do I need to leave the valve open to...

I thought this would be so simple.... buy the latest release of Beersmith, add in my 5 gallon recipes, hit the Scale button and,,, Presto! I have a 2.5 gallon recipe. Boy, was I wrong. I am about ready to tear my hair out. I set up a profile of my EXTRACT brewpot (8 gallons used for a 5...

If you search this forum you will find that "stuck fermentations" at 1.020 are pretty common. The three items above are a good start to "unstick" your fermentation. I haven't taken a survey, but the general consensus is that 1. Make a good, healthy starter for your yeast to avoid sticking...

If the temp of the wort was low enough (about room temp) then you probably CAN'T put too much oxygen in the liquid. The wort can only take so much oxygen. However, hot side aeration (oxygnating at 100+ degrees) could lead to stability problems after you've bottled or kegged. I forget the...

I've used only Wyeast strains for about ten years now. The swelling just tells me that the yeast is viable. If you're assured that your yeast is good, pitching it right after smacking it shouldn't make any difference. Oddly enough, my batch that's fermenting now is the first White Labs yeast...

IMO, won't make a bit of difference.

I recently went through something similar with a starter. Things I learned: 1. Lack of bubbling/krausen doesn't mean your culture is dead. 2. Change in color of the starter liquid (brownish to gold/blonde) is an indicator that your culture is growing and viable Have you noticed a color change?

Green Flash IPA clone with Simcoe bittering, Simcoe flavoring and Simcoe/Cascade dry hopping. Used my new toys: a banjo burner, 8 gal Polarware brew pot, a stir plate and a wort oxygenator wand. Had a great deal of fun... as soon as I learned to regulate the O2 properly on the banjo burner!

Gold-- I don't use the control glass for any thing other than a "blunder check" for the first few days of fermentation. If I see sedimentation, krausening and CO2 production in the glass I can reasonably assume I didn't pitch the yeast at a catastrophic temp. After three days, the glass...

Just to close the loop on this whole story, I did pitch that 2nd starter and 22 hours later my fermenter is bubbling away. I keep a "control glass" of wort+yeast on the counter, just to observe what might be happening in the fermenter. After 22 hours, there's a great krausen in the glass with...

Thanks for all the advice and hand-holding, guys. I bought another vial of WLP001, same expiry date but different lot #. (Yes, September 24th does seem a bit short to me.) I brought it (almost) right home, keeping it cool next to a chilly bomber of Green Flash IPA that I purchased at the...