jlaureanti
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2010
- Messages
- 121
- Reaction score
- 1
Ok. Question. Ready. Here we go...
The idea of a starter is to pitch yeast that is actively fermenting, i.e. during the stationary/fermentation part of the life cycle, right? Doing so allows the yeast to multiply and metabolize all the available oxygen during the log phase. Which leads into the stationary/fermentation phase (pitching stage). That way when you pitch, you have already amplified your yeast and they are ready to metabolize the newly available oxygen and cycle back to the log phase, in turn amplifying the yeast population once again.
If this is so, why are there so many people who see a need to crash cool their starters, therefore shocking the yeast and killing some of the population they worked so hard to amplify. Everyone who has vouched for this has had valid points for why they do this and I am not trying to cramp anyones style. I am merely trying to take some work out of brewing your tasty brews.
Some have said that they do not want the starter wort to get oxidized, but the wort can not be oxidized if the yeast are in the fermentation part of their life cycle. CO2 is blown out and O2 will not enter when CO2 is being expelled.
Others feel they do not want to throw off their numbers by adding an increased volume of wort and this is why the excess must be poured off. But honestly, a quart of starter wort, at most, is all that is necessary for a 5 gallon batch. That little volume of wort, which is now partly ethanol, mmmm ethanol.
Am I wrong in all of this.
The idea of a starter is to pitch yeast that is actively fermenting, i.e. during the stationary/fermentation part of the life cycle, right? Doing so allows the yeast to multiply and metabolize all the available oxygen during the log phase. Which leads into the stationary/fermentation phase (pitching stage). That way when you pitch, you have already amplified your yeast and they are ready to metabolize the newly available oxygen and cycle back to the log phase, in turn amplifying the yeast population once again.
If this is so, why are there so many people who see a need to crash cool their starters, therefore shocking the yeast and killing some of the population they worked so hard to amplify. Everyone who has vouched for this has had valid points for why they do this and I am not trying to cramp anyones style. I am merely trying to take some work out of brewing your tasty brews.
Some have said that they do not want the starter wort to get oxidized, but the wort can not be oxidized if the yeast are in the fermentation part of their life cycle. CO2 is blown out and O2 will not enter when CO2 is being expelled.
Others feel they do not want to throw off their numbers by adding an increased volume of wort and this is why the excess must be poured off. But honestly, a quart of starter wort, at most, is all that is necessary for a 5 gallon batch. That little volume of wort, which is now partly ethanol, mmmm ethanol.
Am I wrong in all of this.