Janx
Well-Known Member
Hey y'all. We brewed two batches yesterday, an 11 hour brew day all told, and we had a blast doing it. The first was our Humboldt Hop Rod and the second was Barn Floor Best Bitter. The Hop Rod was finished probably 5 hours before the Bitter. I had a starter of White Labs California V yeast that had been started 48 hours earlier and was going great. That got pitched into the Hop Rod before the mash had even begun on the Best Bitter.
The Best Bitter was chilled right onto a slurry of White Labs British Ale. This is the fourth batch through that primary using that yeast. We had it finished around 6 PM.
Well, by 8 PM, the Best Bitter's airlock was clicking 3 times per second. The Hop Rod clicked maybe every couple minutes, but was really just getting going.
So, it couldn't be clearer how much better it is to pitch directly onto slurry if you've been clean in your techniques. This morning, both are going 3-4 times per second, but the Best Bitter definitely got a huge head start despite being made hours after the rye.
My conclusion: what I knew all along. There is simply no better, more vigorous, numerous and healthy yeast than the slurry at the bottom of your primary after about 5 days to a week. No starter can compete with the vigor and cell count you get by pitching fresh beer right onto primary slurry. Seeing the two side-by-side yesterday really solidified this concept even more for me.
Cheers!
The Best Bitter was chilled right onto a slurry of White Labs British Ale. This is the fourth batch through that primary using that yeast. We had it finished around 6 PM.
Well, by 8 PM, the Best Bitter's airlock was clicking 3 times per second. The Hop Rod clicked maybe every couple minutes, but was really just getting going.
So, it couldn't be clearer how much better it is to pitch directly onto slurry if you've been clean in your techniques. This morning, both are going 3-4 times per second, but the Best Bitter definitely got a huge head start despite being made hours after the rye.
My conclusion: what I knew all along. There is simply no better, more vigorous, numerous and healthy yeast than the slurry at the bottom of your primary after about 5 days to a week. No starter can compete with the vigor and cell count you get by pitching fresh beer right onto primary slurry. Seeing the two side-by-side yesterday really solidified this concept even more for me.
Cheers!