Starter step up question

If I plan on doing a starter, and stepping it up to increase cell counts, am I right in assuming that by doing the initial starter, then cold crashing and decanting, that I would be tossing out some of the more flocculant yeast that might still be in suspension? Is this simply being over paranoid?

FWIW, I am planning on building a starter, letting it go for about 2 days, cold crashing, decanting, then pitching another starter wort on the yeast cake, and letting that go another 2 days and seeing how much yeast I can build up (I am starting from a relatively low cell count). I might repeat if need be. Should I be increasing the gravity of my starter wort as I progress? Or just keep the same relatively low gravity for the starter?

Also, I have seen several people recommend using tin foil instead of an airlock, does this not increase the chance of an infection in the yeast? I would assume that this might allow some nasties in that I wouldn't want to pitch to my 5 gallon batches... Can someone shed some light on this?

The more flocculant yeast are the ones that drop the earliest. The ones left in suspension haven't flocullated enough to drop out.

Your plan looks ok to me. I didn't see any mention of a stir plate so give it lot's of shaking. I use wort at 1.040 through out the process, some recommend 1.030 the first go round.

Using tin foil is the way most people go. The idea is to keep the dust out but to allow air in. I use a stir plate with loose tin foil.

Ahhh, thanks for that insight about flocculation .

I don't currently have a stir plate, but am planning to build one very soon.

About the tin foil though, does that not pose any risk for infections or unwanted stuff coming in? And shouldn't the yeast byproduct be pushing air out instead of letting any in anyways? I guess I am just confused by this since it goes against all my logic and what I have learned so far. But I'm definitely eager to be corrected about it

HollisBT said:

About the tin foil though, does that not pose any risk for infections or unwanted stuff coming in? And shouldn't the yeast byproduct be pushing air out instead of letting any in anyways? I guess I am just confused by this since it goes against all my logic and what I have learned so far. But I'm definitely eager to be corrected about it

Click to expand...

See this: Figure 6 and never worry again.

HollisBT said:

(I am starting from a relatively low cell count)

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Depending on how low you're starting from, you might not even need to crash and decant. Do a 250ml or 500ml starter, then pitch that into a bigger starter.

Shameless plug: Culturing yeast, a non-slant method

M_C

Thank you for all of that information gents! You have succesfully squashed all of my paranoia about it haha. Gonna put a starter together this evening and hopefully will have it ready to pitch on Wed evening!!

With a long enough and cold enough cold crash, almost all the yeast will be on the bottom. If I let it go a week I'll have crystal clear starter wort to decant away.

Unless you're using a high floc strain, like WLP007, which I was surprised at how quickly it flocced out (even while still being stirred on the stir-plate).

Misplaced_Canuck said:

Shameless plug: Culturing yeast, a non-slant method

M_C

Click to expand...

So while we are
Talking about yeast culturing... What exactly are the advantages of slanting?

HollisBT said:

So while we are
Talking about yeast culturing... What exactly are the advantages of slanting?

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long term, high quality storage.

How long can you keep a slant?