First time using Liquid Yeast

[manitoid]

So, brewday is Sunday. Gunning for a IIPA using WLP001.

Was planning on making a starter as recommended.

How to brew says to take it out of fridge at least 2 days prior. The instructions on the yeast say to remove it from fridge 3-6 hours prior to use. Which is right?

If I warm it to room temp today and make a starter tomorrow to use on Sunday should I be OK?

 

[neild5]

This is from White Labs website
"Yeast should be stored in the refrigerator prior to use. Remove the yeast from the refrigerator approximately two to six hours before pitching and allow the yeast to come up to room temperature. The reason for this is to prevent a temperature shock when the yeast is pitched."

 

[Aonghus]

I would make the starter right now, for use on Sunday.

 

[illinoisbrassman]

I would get out of the fridge, and let it do its 3-6 hour thing, in the mean time, Boil some water and dme, and let cool to room temp., place cooled wort (dme and water) in a sanitized vessel and add yeast. Cover and let sit until Sunday, swirl around each time you walk by or think about it until then, assuming you do not have a stir plate.

When done brewing and cooling your wort pour yeast in

 

[Munchkin]

Be sure to crack the top of the vial and release the pressure inside before shaking it up. I lost a bunch of the stuff not doing this the first time i used liquid yeast.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Be sure to crack the top of the vial and release the pressure inside before shaking it up. I lost a bunch of the stuff not doing this the first time i used liquid yeast.

+1 to this. Unless you like yeast volcanoes.

 

[morticaixavier]

I would get out of the fridge, and let it do its 3-6 hour thing, in the mean time, Boil some water and dme, and let cool to room temp., place cooled wort (dme and water) in a sanitized vessel and add yeast. Cover and let sit until Sunday, swirl around each time you walk by or think about it until then, assuming you do not have a stir plate.

When done brewing and cooling your wort pour yeast in

this.

also you are going to want a pretty big starter for this. assuming ~1.080 for OG and yeast less than three weeks old you are going to want to make a 3-4 liter starter so 350 grams of DME and enough water to make 3.5 liters total get it pitched TODAY and it should be done in time to crash saturday evening and pitch sunday evening. If it's still working pretty actively saturday evening consider holding off pitching until monday morning or monday afternoon/evening.

you can safely store your wort under an airlock for 12-24 hours after chilling

 

[manitoid]

Okay, it just arrived today so it hasn't really been "cold" I put it in the fridge upon arrival but it was only in there maybe 30 mins.

Warming up now and I'll make the starter ASAP.

Thanks!

edit:according to use by date, the yeast is about 3.5 weeks old, would have been bottled on the 3rd of this month.
That's longer than the 3 weeks mentioned above, but nothing to worry about right?
also OG only 1.070 according to recipe. This is the Northern Brewer Plinian Legacy kit.

 

[illinoisbrassman]

You really should get a stir plate and flask. I have one of the ones below, I bought direct from him, but I guess that may not be a option anymore. Great product, and service.

http://www.stirstarters.com/

http://www.homebrewing.org/The-Stirstarter-Yeast-Stir-Plate-_p_1306.html

 

[BigFloyd]

+1 on the stir plate suggestion. Lots of us have built our own using a computer fan and a couple of rare earth magnets. It lets you have a higher cell count with a smaller starter.

I'd get going on that starter ASAP for a Sunday brew day.

 

[manitoid]

The DME I use for the starter. Should it be additional DME? Or should it come out of the DME I use in the recipe, and if so - the late addition or the part that is boiled for the entire time?

 

[morticaixavier]

Okay, it just arrived today so it hasn't really been "cold" I put it in the fridge upon arrival but it was only in there maybe 30 mins.

Warming up now and I'll make the starter ASAP.

Thanks!

edit:according to use by date, the yeast is about 3.5 weeks old, would have been bottled on the 3rd of this month.
That's longer than the 3 weeks mentioned above, but nothing to worry about right?
also OG only 1.070 according to recipe. This is the Northern Brewer Plinian Legacy kit.

that will be fine. at 1.070 you could get away with a 3 liter.

I don't have a stir plate and while I'm sure they are convenient I wouldn't say they are totally necessary. I shake the starter whenever I notice it and use .5 gallon mason jars or gallon jugs for a container.

 

[illinoisbrassman]

The DME I use for the starter. Should it be additional DME? Or should it come out of the DME I use in the recipe, and if so - the late addition or the part that is boiled for the entire time?

I typically use extra, then drain off the liquid and pitch just the yeast. If you don't have any extra, I suppose you could use some of your recipe and pitch the entire content in your wort

 

[manitoid]

gallon jugs for a container.

Is plastic gallon jugs okay for this? Largest mason jar only fits about .75L

 

[BigFloyd]

Is plastic gallon jugs okay for this? Largest mason jar only fits about .75L

Sure. You can use darn near any container that you can a) sanitize well and b) cover the opening with foil (also sanitized). Some folks like to use two liter soda pop bottles.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Be sure to crack the top of the vial and release the pressure inside before shaking it up. I lost a bunch of the stuff not doing this the first time i used liquid yeast.

Read this a little too late, just made my first starter and managed to take a yeast shower... In my defense it says right on the vial to shake well.

 

[manitoid]

So starter's got a nice layer of foam on the top and yeast on the bottom today, fizzed up a bunch when I shook it this morning.
I had some Wyeast Nutrients laying around so threw a bit in there when it cooled yesterday.

I have another vial of the WLP001 I was saving for the next brew day, but I can always get another.
Should I toss in that vial tomorrow along with the starter? Weather looks very nice tomorrow so would really like to get this one done tomorrow.

edit: also, I ended up using almost a lb of the Pilsen light DME that came with the Plinian kit.
Went down to the LHBS today to replace it and the closest thing they had was Golden Light, hope it doesn't make too much of a difference! (it's only 1/4 of the DME to be used in the kit.)

 

[manitoid]

I should have used a blow off tube instead of the aluminum foil!

Got home and the gallon jug had blown the foil off it's top. Krausen spilled down the sides.
Hoping it didn't get infected...

 

[Taylor_BeerBug]

I use 99% White Labs liquid yeast. I take it out of the frig when I start brewing and I pitch at room temperature. I've never used a starter. You can see in my data that fermentation starts in just a few hours and most of it happens in 1 day.
http://www.thebeerbug.com/brewdatabase/brews/index.php?brew_id=f9XPSNeHuDK1j3qyK7TPUcQFwOUqGB

 

[kombat]

I use 99% White Labs liquid yeast. I take it out of the frig when I start brewing and I pitch at room temperature. I've never used a starter.

Just 1 vial per batch? If you're talking about 5 gallon batches, you're wildly underpitching.

 

[morticaixavier]

I use 99% White Labs liquid yeast. I take it out of the frig when I start brewing and I pitch at room temperature. I've never used a starter. You can see in my data that fermentation starts in just a few hours and most of it happens in 1 day.
http://www.thebeerbug.com/brewdatabase/brews/index.php?brew_id=f9XPSNeHuDK1j3qyK7TPUcQFwOUqGB

There seems to be an idea that short lag times = good no matter what. it's often coupled with the idea that short ferments = good. I don't think either of these things are true.

you pitched at 68 and your ferm temp was up above 70 within a few hours. this is not great. many yeasts will throw a lot of fusels and a lot of esters at that temp. give it a try next brew. make that same recipe but a week ahead of time make a 1-1.5 liter starter for your yeast (100-150 grams DME to ~1000-1500 ml water). chill your wort down to ~64 before pitching the yeast and don't let it get above 68. taste those two beers side by side. I think the starter + cooler ferment one will taste noticeably better.

 

[BrewFry22]

There seems to be an idea that short lag times = good no matter what. it's often coupled with the idea that short ferments = good. I don't think either of these things are true.

you pitched at 68 and your ferm temp was up above 70 within a few hours. this is not great. many yeasts will throw a lot of fusels and a lot of esters at that temp. give it a try next brew. make that same recipe but a week ahead of time make a 1-1.5 liter starter for your yeast (100-150 grams DME to ~1000-1500 ml water). chill your wort down to ~64 before pitching the yeast and don't let it get above 68. taste those two beers side by side. I think the starter + cooler ferment one will taste noticeably better.

Agreed. I read a pretty detailed article on this exact theory and blind taste tests proved that the beer made with a starter was rated better. The average Joe probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference but you and I could. The beer using the starter also had better head retention and lacing as well as better flocculation.

 

[BigFloyd]

There seems to be an idea that short lag times = good no matter what. it's often coupled with the idea that short ferments = good. I don't think either of these things are true.

You're right on the money.

I've lost count of how many posts I've seen here in which someone brags about their fermentation taking off quickly and almost blowing the lid off the fermenter like that's the #1 goal or something. As more details emerge, it's usually because they pitched/fermented it on the warm side.

 

[morticaixavier]

You're right on the money.

I've lost count of how many posts I've seen here in which someone brags about their fermentation taking off quickly and almost blowing the lid off the fermenter like that's the #1 goal or something. As more details emerge, it's usually because they pitched/fermented it on the warm side.

I have had 1 blow off situation in the last two years. that was a barley wine I was fermenting at ambient because it was the middle of winter and ambient was ~65. I started it in the fridge and moved it inside because it was getting too cold and I didn't want a stall. When I added ~2 lb of maple syrup on day 4 I get a little ooze and that's it.

My beer has been so much better since I started keeping things cool and just trusting that enough yeast can get the job done.