Downside to stepping up too fast

[troglodytes]

So I see the consensus around hee is to follow the following schedule for stepping up frozen yeast:

Step 1: 100ml @ 1.020
Step 2: 500 ml @ 1.030
Step 3: 1L @ 1.035

This however, goes against what I've been doing, which is admittedly an expedited process because I'm usually in a little bit of a hurry. I do the following:

30 ml frozen yeast into 300ml @ 1.025-1.028
Step 2L 1L @ 1.035

By just doing the two step and starting with a larger initial starter, what are the adverse effects?

 

[WoodlandBrew]

If what you are doing is working, then keep doing it. However, generally my concern would be that nothing is ever entirely sterile. The lower the yeast concentration the more likely some other organism will grow to a point that it changes the nature of your beer.

 

[catdaddy66]

I did a two step process as described after bring three 12 oz bottles of washed us-04 (7/14/13) early on Saturday. I have minimal activity that may be due to the length the yeast was refrigerated or due to the step up plan as I did. Any ideas?


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[WoodlandBrew]

I did a two step process as described after bring three 12 oz bottles of washed us-04 (7/14/13) early on Saturday. I have minimal activity that may be due to the length the yeast was refrigerated or due to the step up plan as I did. Any ideas?


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How much yeast do you think you had? Was it dregs from 3 bottles?

See here for details:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/search?q=yeast+from+a+bottle?

and here:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/12/isolating-single-yeast-strain-by-plating.html

 

[catdaddy66]

How much yeast do you think you had? Was it dregs from 3 bottles?



See here for details:

http://www.woodlandbrew.com/search?q=yeast+from+a+bottle?



and here:

http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/12/isolating-single-yeast-strain-by-plating.html

Poor choice of words! Not from bottles but jars of washed yeast (8-10 oz) with a layer of white yeast cells about 1-2 mm thick settled on the trub.

I have zero idea about estimating the amount of cells in the jars or the starter. I even looked at yeastcalc and mrmalty but had no luck. On the bright side, when I got home today the starter was creamy and frothy on top! I pitched it an hour ago.


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[WoodlandBrew]

That's great! In case you need to estimate the cell count of a slurry again, cell counts I have done show it at about 1 billion cells per ml of settled slurry.

 

[catdaddy66]

That's great! In case you need to estimate the cell count of a slurry again, cell counts I have done show it at about 1 billion cells per ml of settled slurry.

Cool! Now I have some rough basis for estimation. It's a start. I found a "lost" jar of us-05 in the back of my fridge that I'll be stepping up on a batch in the near future and will use this estimation in measuring the content in my starter.


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[flars]

Cool! Now I have some rough basis for estimation. It's a start. I found a "lost" jar of us-05 in the back of my fridge that I'll be stepping up on a batch in the near future and will use this estimation in measuring the content in my starter.


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Use the production date of your found yeast in a calculator. The calculator will give you an estimate of how many of the 1 billion cells per ml are still viable.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Use the production date of your found yeast in a calculator. The calculator will give you an estimate of how many of the 1 billion cells per ml are still viable.

I've found the viability calculations to be way off from what I have counted using staining, and also judging by the way the beer fermented.

See here for details:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/12/refrigeration-effects-on-yeast-viability.html