InspectorJon
Well-Known Member
I'm researching starters and trying to be a little more analytical regarding cell counts. I've never really had trouble getting beer to ferment and it normally takes off pretty fast using the guess and by golly yeast estimation method but I'd like to try and dial it in. I have a few unique strains I have harvested and propagated successfully. I have been using the overbuild starter method but I am never really sure how much yeast is there. Brewer's Friend yeast calculator assumes 1 billion cells/ml of slurry. (Who knows where they get that number?) Brew United's calculator requires an original cell count (default is 100 billion cells). How can I know or at least have a reasonable estimate of how many cells are in my starting slurry?
Most of my brews have a starting gravity of 1.060 - 1.080. I make 3-4 gallon batches. I normally make a 1.5 liter starter beginning with about 30ml of dense slurry. Once it is finished I pour off about 8 oz into a sterile mason jar and let that settle in the refrigerator. That settles out to 30 ml of dense slurry in the bottom of the jar which goes in the next starter. Starting with clear 1.040 starter wort with little or no trub I assume the slurry is mostly yeast. Is there any way to estimate the number of cells in that slurry without a microscope?
Most of my brews have a starting gravity of 1.060 - 1.080. I make 3-4 gallon batches. I normally make a 1.5 liter starter beginning with about 30ml of dense slurry. Once it is finished I pour off about 8 oz into a sterile mason jar and let that settle in the refrigerator. That settles out to 30 ml of dense slurry in the bottom of the jar which goes in the next starter. Starting with clear 1.040 starter wort with little or no trub I assume the slurry is mostly yeast. Is there any way to estimate the number of cells in that slurry without a microscope?