jmarshall
Well-Known Member
So, I am brewing a belgian tripel and pitched two wyeast 1214 smackpacks. I plan on a semi-long secondary and crash-cooling so I want to have some yeast to re-pitch when bottling. I am considering two ways to keep some yeast for this and for future batches and want to know which way is better in terms of lower infection risk and better yeast condition.
Option A: With the second pack I pitched the vast majority, then saved the last few drops. I added a little pre-boiled and cooled water to the pack and poured this into a starter. I plan to grown through a few starters. Advantage is that I start with healthy, non-selected yeast but a very low cell count, thus my worry is letting a small inoculum of other organisms have a chance to grow as well.
Option B: Wash yeast from the primary fermenter and grow a starter a generation or two. Advantage is large amount of yeast to start with. Disadvantage is that this batch has a lot of trub and yeast aren't as healthy to start.
Whichever I choose, I will pitch part of it for bottling and put the rest in old White labs tubes to save for a dubbel in a few months.
Thoughts?
Option A: With the second pack I pitched the vast majority, then saved the last few drops. I added a little pre-boiled and cooled water to the pack and poured this into a starter. I plan to grown through a few starters. Advantage is that I start with healthy, non-selected yeast but a very low cell count, thus my worry is letting a small inoculum of other organisms have a chance to grow as well.
Option B: Wash yeast from the primary fermenter and grow a starter a generation or two. Advantage is large amount of yeast to start with. Disadvantage is that this batch has a lot of trub and yeast aren't as healthy to start.
Whichever I choose, I will pitch part of it for bottling and put the rest in old White labs tubes to save for a dubbel in a few months.
Thoughts?