EVOO in a yeast starter?

[rp5brew]

I have read in several locations and podcasts that the folic acid in olive oil can be used to reduce lag times in fermentation and actually replace the need to oxygenate wort- but a study at New Belgium Brewery showed the the shelf life of finished beer is reduced signifigantly from this method-

Since we decant and pour off the finished beer from our yeast starters has anyone tried olive oil for a starter?

 

[weirdboy]

It doesn't have to be extra virgin, you know.

There have been a few threads here about this discussing the paper and performing experiments with their homebrew for pitching the actual batches, not starters. I did a side-by-side test batch and didn't notice any differences between an olive-oil batch and a regularly aerated batch.

However the quantity that would be used for a starter is so small that I seriously doubt you could accurately (or even inaccurately) measure it without laboratory equipment. Even for a 5 gallon batch the amount is extremely small. You can give it a shot, but if you use a stir plate for your starter I don't see the point of also using olive oil. It just adds an extra step and an additional potential vector for contamination.

 

[rp5brew]

I like virgin

I don't want to take the time to oxygenate, but I also want to decrease lag to log time with the yeast. I figured 1 drop in a 5L starter would decrease that time and be easier then O2.

 

[weirdboy]

So are you saying you don't have a stir plate?

I don't aerate/oxygenate my starters, because a stir plate provide continuous aeration anyway.

 

[rp5brew]

I have a stirplate. I just haven't read that stirplates replace the need for aeration.

 

[weirdboy]

Stir plates provide continuous aeration. Aside from keeping the yeast in suspension, that's sort of the whole reason for using one. I never aerate my starters since I know it is going on the stir plate anyway.

 

[twigboy2000]

You don't even need one drop. Barely dip a needle in the oil and then in the wort and you will still have too much.

-chuck

 

[poley]

I've added a drop or two to my yeast slurry the day before pitching, with no bad effects. Hard to say if I had a good effect because I don't repeat the same process with the same recipe and an accurately reproducible pitch over and over. But I had no issues with the finished beer.

I did it once out of curiosity, and probably won't again just because it's unnecessary IMO.

 

[theredben]

You don't even need one drop. Barely dip a needle in the oil and then in the wort and you will still have too much.

-chuck

I think that rough amount is even for a 5 gallon batch. For a starter you would be waay overdosing.

 

[malt_shovel]

I've added a drop or two to my yeast slurry the day before pitching, with no bad effects. Hard to say if I had a good effect because I don't repeat the same process with the same recipe and an accurately reproducible pitch over and over. But I had no issues with the finished beer.

I did it once out of curiosity, and probably won't again just because it's unnecessary IMO.

I have done similar one off. It was driven by a lack of stir-plate and laziness when it comes time to aerating my wort. I added a drop to my starter while boiling and then pitched my yeast when cool. There was a significant lag when compared to other starters I have made. I threw the lot in my batch at high krausen without aerating my wort (beyond the normal splashing during transfer). The end result was an underattenuated beer which I wasnt happy with.

Easier to just use a stir-plate if you have one (that's the point of them, keep introducing oxygen from the air into the starter) and give the wort a good stir prior to pitching.

Cheers