First starter/harvest

[metanoia]

I'm working on a starter right now for my brew day on Saturday and had a couple questions.

First of all, I'm using the dregs of three bottles of Bell's Pale Ale (making a 2 Hearted clone) and it's my first time trying to harvest commercial beer yeast. I basically followed Palmer's advice on making a starter from commercial beer; I added the dregs to a starter wort (2 cups water and 1/2 cup DME, boiled 10 minutes with 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient) on Saturday night (original brew day was Tuesday but had to move to Saturday). Sunday and Tuesday night I added the same kind of wort to the starter jar, which is a 2qt juice bottle.

I never noticed any activity from the bottle, but I've just had tin foil over the top, no airlock. The yeast seems to have built up pretty well, about a 1/2 on the bottom of the starter jar. My plan is to add one more amount of wort tonight, cold crash in the fridge Friday night, then bring it out Saturday and decant before pitching.

Does this sound right or is there a better way to go about this? Thanks.

 

[907_fellow]

With no stir plate I assume? You will want to shake the starter up every time you walk by it while its doing jts thing. This will help continue to introduce oxygen to the mixture, and you will get a better starter.

Some of the starters I have done have showed very lil activity, others have produced an inch of foam in the flask. Some were done completely in 12-16 hrs, some have taken 36 hrs on a stir plate to get done. Just depend on their viability. I would assume the commercial yeast will need at least two steps in that starter to get to a pitchable cell count. Sounds like your on the right track.

You will want to give it more in the fridge then over night. I would say 24 hrs would be appropriate. Otherwise, just pitch the whole starter and it will be fine.

 

[metanoia]

Thanks for the advice. Like I said, I followed Palmer's advice in How to Brew before researching more into starters. Since yesterday I've been shaking it every so often, so I'm hoping that my schedule will work out well. I plan on uploading a pic of it when I get home.

 

[metanoia]

Here's a pic of what it looks like right now, though it was disturbed a bit recently. Does this look like it's on the right track to those with experience?

 

[907_fellow]

Ya looks good. Cold crash it for a day if you want and will help drop all that stuff out even more

 

[metanoia]

Okay, update. I added some more more wort and nutrient last night to give it one last kick before the big day on Saturday. I also moved it from our 66* office into the bathroom, which is in the center of the house and is about 3-4 degrees warmer this time of year. All though today it's been active like crazy.

I'm excited that I'm actually seeing some activity now, but I'm also wondering what my best plan of action is. Right now I want to put it in the refrigerator to cold crash during the next 12 hours, drop the yeast, decant in the morning, then get some fresh wort and nutrient in there for the yeast to work on during brewing, so that it's at it's most potent when it comes time to pitch later in the day. However, I also don't want to disturb the starter now that it's chugging along so nicely. I figure another course of action would be to let it keep working through the night, chill in the morning, decant all but a little liquid to gather up the slurry, and give it a few hours to get to pitching temp near the end of the brew.

I know the best answer is RDWHAHB, but it's been a while since I've brewed (no homebrew) and this is a decision I need to make. Thanks.

 

[907_fellow]

Sounds like your crunched for time. I would cold crash it. Just pitch it as is, it will be fine.

 

[metanoia]

Thanks, that's what I'll do. Cold crash over night, decant a copule hours before pitching, let the yeast warm up, and hopefully they'll be getting right back to their active self by that time.

Otherwise, I've got some S-04 waiting in the wings just in case.