h4rdluck
Well-Known Member
So I'm on my 6 batch in i guess just over a month (I went a little crazy I know). The first two have been a real hit (Classic Stout, Coffee Oatmeal Stout)... I started saving the yeast cakes on the bottom in sterilized mason jars, and pitched my next brews with the original yeast cakes (Probably about 24 oz of yeast cake per batch). Anyway my next 2 brews fermented away so not to much to worry about although after 2 weeks my 'lite" beer went from 1060-1020 (and didn't really get down below to 1010 which seems to be what everyone wants to get it down too, but I bottled it anyway. (I haven't actually been able to taste the results of drinking repitched yeast cake beer yet....still conditioning)
Anyway, I just made 2 imperials OG 1080 and 1086 respectively. And rather then repitched old yeast cakes I just pitched a fresh bottle of white labs into each.
Everything went off without a hitch. But I have a few questions after the fact.
1) As i have been reading more it seems that I really need to start making yeast starters...But shouldn't the yeast do its thing in the carboy anyway? And just take say an extra day or two to reach optimal population size? Am I going to get stuck fermentations because I didn't use a yeast started... I don't see why I would I only see that it would take longer.
2) Also what is everyone's take on just saving the yeast cake in sterile mason jars and pitching 24 oz of it in subsequent batches? IT seemed to work ok. Do you think my lite beer stalled at 1020 because it wasn't an adequate technique? Or maybe my hydrometer reading was off or I unsettled trub on the bottom when I moved the carboy to where I was going to siphon it off for bottling?
Anyway, I just made 2 imperials OG 1080 and 1086 respectively. And rather then repitched old yeast cakes I just pitched a fresh bottle of white labs into each.
Everything went off without a hitch. But I have a few questions after the fact.
1) As i have been reading more it seems that I really need to start making yeast starters...But shouldn't the yeast do its thing in the carboy anyway? And just take say an extra day or two to reach optimal population size? Am I going to get stuck fermentations because I didn't use a yeast started... I don't see why I would I only see that it would take longer.
2) Also what is everyone's take on just saving the yeast cake in sterile mason jars and pitching 24 oz of it in subsequent batches? IT seemed to work ok. Do you think my lite beer stalled at 1020 because it wasn't an adequate technique? Or maybe my hydrometer reading was off or I unsettled trub on the bottom when I moved the carboy to where I was going to siphon it off for bottling?