Starter layers question

What are the different layers in my starter? This is my first time doing a starter, so I am not sure the difference in the darker and lighter colored stuff.



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I assume the yeast is that white layer...1968 yeast starter

hope this helps.

Yes and no. Mine seems to be opposite. Again, I assume that the white layer is the yeast, but I thought that the trub would settle to the bottom, not the yeast.

Matt Up North said:

Yes and no. Mine seems to be opposite. Again, I assume that the white layer is the yeast, but I thought that the trub would settle to the bottom, not the yeast.

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Ah, I see what you're saying. I usually decant the liquid off the top, give whatever's at the bottom a swirl and pitch it. I know some people are a little more anal than that and don't want to pitch a ml of trub.

"This beer is really good, but I taste somthing in the finish. Did you pitch a little bit of trub from your starter? Yes? That must be what I'm tasting then."

Crischef, that looks like a picture of a rinsed yeast cake that has been allowed to settle out?

Mattupnorth, I mainly will do starers on a stir plate so the yeast are kept in suspension. What it looks like you are seeing is that now that most of the starter wort has been used up, you have yeast that have become less active and a settled to the bottom, the bright white layer. the layer above it is yeast that is still a little more active and are still farting out CO2, so a a bit more buoyant.

you can pour off the top supernatant of spent wort, then mix up the remaining yeast layers. as soon as you put them in fresh wort, they will wake up and get to work.

I hear you there

In my 1 gallon starter I have about a pint of pure white yeast then and about two pint of trub that is on top of the yeast. I think that means that I will decant through the trub and then shake up the yeast and get a nice hearty slurry.

This yeast is like cheese. Thick and chunky. Very thick.