Decanting Yeast Question

[Cold_Steel]

This is just removing the liquid off the top of the yeast correct?
If it is, how do you get the yeast cake off the bottom? Do you take a spoon and scrap it off? Sorry I clearly dont understand.

 

[Revvy]

1) Pour off most of the top liquid slowly until you see some of the yeast coming up towards the mouth of the vessel.

2) Swirl the dregs, and pour into your fermenter.

That's it.

 

[Cold_Steel]

Ok gotcha. Perfect. I know it seems silly I just dont want to make any mistakes.

 

[WenValley]

Cold_Steel: Are you asking about using washed yeast? I have numerous pint and half pint jars of washed yeast. I pour off all but about a half inch of the "beer" top liquid, put the lid back on tight, and shake it up. Then it's into the fermenter.

If you're asking about getting the yeast cake from a finished batch of beer into suspension so that you can reuse it, then I'd suggest this sticky thread that discusses washing and reusing yeast.

Good Luck...

 

[Cold_Steel]

Cold_Steel: Are you asking about using washed yeast? I have numerous pint and half pint jars of washed yeast. I pour off all but about a half inch of the "beer" top liquid, put the lid back on tight, and shake it up. Then it's into the fermenter.

If you're asking about getting the yeast cake from a finished batch of beer into suspension so that you can reuse it, then I'd suggest this sticky thread that discusses washing and reusing yeast.

Good Luck...

No from a starter. I was watching some youtube videos about starters and I didnt know what "decant" meant. I know some of my threads are down right stupid but I just want to KISS it. I cant afford any mistakes and I am doing some new things for the first time. Thanks for all the help!
Side note, do you know in every youtube starter video I watched, no one put any yeast nutrients into the starter. I found that to be odd.

 

[Revvy]

No from a starter. I was watching some youtube videos about starters and I didnt know what "decant" meant. I know some of my threads are down right stupid but I just want to KISS it. I cant afford any mistakes and I am doing some new things for the first time. Thanks for all the help!
Side note, do you know in every youtube starter video I watched, no one put any yeast nutrients into the starter. I found that to be odd.

I've never felt the need to put nutrients into a starter...it's such a small ferment, and the purpose of one is to grow a large amount of yeast.

I've only ever added nutrient to the boil.

 

[Cold_Steel]

I've never felt the need to put nutrients into a starter...it's such a small ferment, and the purpose of one is to grow a large amount of yeast.

I've only ever added nutrient to the boil.

Really this http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.htm says too. It talks about healthy yeast vs amount.
Q: How do I make a starter?

A starter is easy to make. It is like a mini-batch of beer, with the focus being yeast growth and health, not drinkability.

You’ll need a clean, sanitized container able to hold the starter plus some head space, aluminum foil, dried malt extract ( DME), yeast nutrients, and some water.

When making starter wort, keep the starting gravity between 1.030 and 1.040 (7 - 10°P). You do not want to make a high gravity starter to grow yeast. As a ballpark measurement, use about 6 ounces (by weight) of DME to 2 quarts of water. If you're working in metric, it couldn't be easier. Use a 10 to 1 ratio. Add 1 gram of DME for every 10 ml of final volume. (If you're making a 2 liter starter, add water to 200 grams of DME until you have 2 liters total.) Add ¼ teaspoon of yeast nutrient, boil 15 minutes, cool, and add yeast.

and then he goes on to say,
The starter’s purpose is to create enough clean, healthy yeast to ferment your batch under optimum conditions. The primary focus of a starter should always be yeast health first and increased cell growth second. Many brewers mistakenly focus on cell growth at the expense of yeast health. It is much better to have a smaller number of very healthy, young cells than it is to have a large number of weak, cells. As Logsdon puts it, “Would you rather have an excess of 80 year-old people building your house or a smaller amount of really healthy 20 year-olds?”

 

[Revvy]

You will find out in brewing, just like life, that there is more than one way to skin a cat, nor is there a "better" way...the only way is the one that works for YOU as the brewer.

We say that if you ask 10 homebrewers a question, you will get 12 different answers...and all of them will be right.

As an author I have found that it is the same...when we write books, or articles, or teach classes, we do it based on how WE prefer to do whatever it is that we are writing about. And we come up with hopefully great explanations to back up why.

I'm sure he believes it is necessary and rationizes it well...and he may simply be doing it that way because that was how he was taught, or he did it ONCE and was successful, and has never tried it differently.

I've made starters and never added any, and guess what? It works for me, just like his way works for him. *shrug*

So just because "so and so" does it that way, doesn't mean that another brewer or another author doesn't have a different take....

and I have come to realize that ultimately, they all achieve the same goal...making beer. Or in your case a starter.

The best advice I can give you, Is to try it different ways as you brew, and decide for yourself ultimately what works for you.

 

[Revvy]

But as you also noticed in the videos;

Side note, do you know in every youtube starter video I watched, no one put any yeast nutrients into the starter. I found that to be odd.

Other people feel they aren't important to thier methodolgy either.....

 

[Cold_Steel]

You will find out in brewing, just like life, that there is more than one way to skin a cat, nor is there a "better" way...the only way is the one that works for YOU as the brewer.

We say that if you ask 10 homebrewers a question, you will get 12 different answers...and all of them will be right.

As an author I have found that it is the same...when we write books, or articles, or teach classes, we do it based on how WE prefer to do whatever it is that we are writing about. And we come up with hopefully great explanations to back up why.

I'm sure he believes it is necessary and rationizes it well...and he may simply be doing it that way because that was how he was taught, or he did it ONCE and was successful, and has never tried it differently.

I've mmade starters and never added any, and guess what? It works for me, just like his way works for him. *shrug*

So just because "so and so" does it that way, doesn't mean that another brewer or another author doesn't have a different take....

and I have come to realize that ultimately, they all achieve the same goal...making beer. Or in your case a starter.

The best advice I can give you, Is to try it different ways as you brew, and decide for yourself ultimately what works for you.

You know that is very interesting and I have never looked at brewing like that before. I have always seen it as THOU SHALL.... if you know what I mean. Interestingly enough, I do not know enough about brewing to truely grasp the full point. However, after gardening with my father in law, I fully understand your point. I would do all this stuff to the earth and make this just so. Hey I knew what I was doing I had read all these books and they say.....He would walk out throw some seeds into the ground and every single time get better plants and veggies.
Hey by the way, I am glad you took the time to explain your point.
Cheers

 

[Revvy]

You know that is very interesting and I have never looked at brewing like that before. I have always seen it as THOU SHALL.... if you know what I mean. Interestingly enough, I do not know enough about brewing to truely grasp the full point. However, after gardening with my father in law, I fully understand your point. I would do all this stuff to the earth and make this just so. Hey I knew what I was doing I had read all these books and they say.....He would walk out throw some seeds into the ground and every single time get better plants and veggies.
Hey by the way, I am glad you took the time to explain your point.
Cheers

Thou shalts work..but one must realize that there is always a different take on it...heck, just look at all the different Christian Denominations....

THis is a good example of how there's many ways to even look at whther or not to secondary...rather that argue about it, another member and I have just come up with a way to present both sides and let the brewer ultimate decide..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/multiple-questions-about-secondary-fermentation-140978/#post1601829