I just finished my seventh five gallon batch since resuming my brewing hobby.
All my brews so far are all grain kits. None have OG of over 1.065, so this method I am proposing may not work for higher gravity worts.
Rather than use a yeast starter, I hydrate and make a quick starter as follows. Right after the hot break, and adding first hop dose, I dip a sanitized pyrex two quart pitcher into the wort and take about a quart and a half of wort. I cover immediately with plastic wrap, then cool to 70 degrees. I cool it in the freezer or lately just set it on the first step of my swimming pool to cool it. When cooled, I use a little whisk to aerate, then add my yeast. Dry yeast, or lately a mason jar with washed yeast from a previous brew. Recover, and let sit while you go tend to the boil.
After the boil, I cool the wort, siphon to primary pale or carboy, then use an agitator with my drill to aerate the wort inside the primary fermenter. I move the fermenter to my location(bathtub or cool area of utility room) and pour in my yeast starter. In just the hour that passes, the dry yeast is hydrated and starting to ferment, same with the wyeast washed sample.
In every case, fermentation is steadily on it's way within six hours.
I like this method because often I will have a brew day come up and don't have the time to start a starter day(s) in advance. I do take out the washed yeast sample, in the mason jar, a day or two in advance and let it warm to room temp.
I like buying gadgets, and the stir plate looks cool, but I think it's all unneccessary as my results have been stellar.
All my brews are ales so far, but I see no reason why this wouldn't work for any brews. Maybe on high gravity worts I may let the starter go for an extra hour before adding to fermenter, just to increase the cell count even higher before intoducing.
All my brews so far are all grain kits. None have OG of over 1.065, so this method I am proposing may not work for higher gravity worts.
Rather than use a yeast starter, I hydrate and make a quick starter as follows. Right after the hot break, and adding first hop dose, I dip a sanitized pyrex two quart pitcher into the wort and take about a quart and a half of wort. I cover immediately with plastic wrap, then cool to 70 degrees. I cool it in the freezer or lately just set it on the first step of my swimming pool to cool it. When cooled, I use a little whisk to aerate, then add my yeast. Dry yeast, or lately a mason jar with washed yeast from a previous brew. Recover, and let sit while you go tend to the boil.
After the boil, I cool the wort, siphon to primary pale or carboy, then use an agitator with my drill to aerate the wort inside the primary fermenter. I move the fermenter to my location(bathtub or cool area of utility room) and pour in my yeast starter. In just the hour that passes, the dry yeast is hydrated and starting to ferment, same with the wyeast washed sample.
In every case, fermentation is steadily on it's way within six hours.
I like this method because often I will have a brew day come up and don't have the time to start a starter day(s) in advance. I do take out the washed yeast sample, in the mason jar, a day or two in advance and let it warm to room temp.
I like buying gadgets, and the stir plate looks cool, but I think it's all unneccessary as my results have been stellar.
All my brews are ales so far, but I see no reason why this wouldn't work for any brews. Maybe on high gravity worts I may let the starter go for an extra hour before adding to fermenter, just to increase the cell count even higher before intoducing.