I have had 100% luck with making wort yeast starters from slants. Generally works like this:
slant --> 50ml starter on a stirplate --> 500ml stir --> whatever final size --> pitch the whole thing
Great results, no problems.
I wanted to harvest a slant of 3068 weizen yeast to make another batch of apfelwein (first batch was from the liquid culture, from which I stole enough to innoculate my slants).
So I tried the process above with the same apple juice (plus a bit of yeast nutrient) I ferment. Either minimal or no action. Could have just been temp changes causing a few airlock bubbles. I tried pitching it anyhow to see what would happen. Nothing after 24 hrs in the carboy.
Scrounged in the fridge for a dry yeast backup and found I had ordered a packet of the Danstar Munich wheat beer yeast so I hydrated and pitched. Action within 30 mins and now 36hrs after that it's really making the airlock earn its money. Unless I'm hallucinating it smells like carmel apples. Could be interesting. I'll report back in Nov on how this batch comes out.
So here (finally) is my question: Is there anything special about making cider/juice starters? Or should I just make a wort starter, let it settle, pour off the spent and just pitch the cake? This is the direction I'll head next unless someone intervenes. I would hope in that situation that the small amount of wort would not affect the AW flavor.
slant --> 50ml starter on a stirplate --> 500ml stir --> whatever final size --> pitch the whole thing
Great results, no problems.
I wanted to harvest a slant of 3068 weizen yeast to make another batch of apfelwein (first batch was from the liquid culture, from which I stole enough to innoculate my slants).
So I tried the process above with the same apple juice (plus a bit of yeast nutrient) I ferment. Either minimal or no action. Could have just been temp changes causing a few airlock bubbles. I tried pitching it anyhow to see what would happen. Nothing after 24 hrs in the carboy.
Scrounged in the fridge for a dry yeast backup and found I had ordered a packet of the Danstar Munich wheat beer yeast so I hydrated and pitched. Action within 30 mins and now 36hrs after that it's really making the airlock earn its money. Unless I'm hallucinating it smells like carmel apples. Could be interesting. I'll report back in Nov on how this batch comes out.
So here (finally) is my question: Is there anything special about making cider/juice starters? Or should I just make a wort starter, let it settle, pour off the spent and just pitch the cake? This is the direction I'll head next unless someone intervenes. I would hope in that situation that the small amount of wort would not affect the AW flavor.