Alamo_Beer
Well-Known Member
I've thought about this before but never really did much research into it bc, well I'm lazy. It makes sense though that if you have enough viable yeast ready to go that you wouldn't need to aerate your wort and that it would start actually fermenting a lot faster.
Anyone try this or have any thoughts? here is a quote from Eric Watson from beer tools:
http://www.beertools.com/html/articles.php?view=247
Anyone try this or have any thoughts? here is a quote from Eric Watson from beer tools:
Yes, as I stated, it is best to only aerate the starter if you are so equipped to do this. The reason is that once the yeast has all the oxygen it needs to build strong cell walls and reproduce, it does not need any more. Any additional oxygen beyond that point will cause them to stay in a reproductive state rather than begin a fermentative state. If you can do this, you will notice a refined smoothness to your beers due to a reduction in ester production and therefore your beer will condition faster.
Since shaking a starter vigorously only produces large bubbles, it is an inefficient and inconsistent practice. I assume if you would do it for a LONG time... say 30 minutes, it would probably be sufficient, but 1) who wants to shake a starter for 30 minutes? & 2) since the air is not sterile, you would definitely risk contamination.
The cost for a pump, tubing, filter and stone shouldn't be more than $35 and the stone can serve as device to force carbonate in kegs that would only take 20 minutes or so. But if this investment is not in your future, go back to the splashing method in the carboy.
Starter sizes are actually cell count/viability dependent. The best practice is to pitch 1 million cells per ml wort per 1 degree plato for ales and 1.5 million cells per ml of wort per degree plato of wort with a cell viability of 96% or more.
Since most home-brewers can't measure cell counts or don't viability tests, The best practice otherwise is to step the yeast culture up one day at a time to 100 ml, 200 ml, 400 ml, 800 ml and finally to 1,000 ml (5 total days of stepping) using a 5 deg. plato hopped wort (remember you want REPRODUCTION not fermentation, this is why the wort gravity is low.) While doing this, aerate 24 hours a day (builds strong cell walls/keeps yeast in a reproductive state) using the air pump/sterile filter method. For a 5 gallon batch, this should be adequate. If you do this, there is absolutely no need to aerate the wort.
http://www.beertools.com/html/articles.php?view=247