Help tweak my *fake* American IPA

[Nagorg]

Great!! That makes it a lot clearer now...

And yes, Clear IPA is very much a desired characteristic!
#MIPACA2020

 

[PberBob]

I’ve been harvesting and/or repitching yeast for a while now. I have a Fastferment conical that has a valve and collection bulb at the bottom. I grab the yeast after the primary stage settles down and then pitch the dry hops in. I wash the yeast with boiled/cooled water and then add a quart of boiled/cooled/aerated wort in a semi-closed gallon jug. After that settles down, I leave it in a mason jar in the fridge for the near term ( 4-6 weeks) or add glycerin solution and freeze it.

 

[Nagorg]

I’ve been harvesting and/or repitching yeast for a while now. I have a Fastferment conical that has a valve and collection bulb at the bottom. I grab the yeast after the primary stage settles down and then pitch the dry hops in. I wash the yeast with boiled/cooled water and then add a quart of boiled/cooled/aerated wort in a semi-closed gallon jug. After that settles down, I leave it in a mason jar in the fridge for the near term ( 4-6 weeks) or add glycerin solution and freeze it.

Thats really cool @PberBob . Possibly a great post in the Fermentation & Yeast area..

 

[PberBob]

That’s where I learned how to wash and freeze. Freezing Yeast. Fantastic resource.

 

[Cro Magnon]

I’ve been harvesting and/or repitching yeast for a while now. I have a Fastferment conical that has a valve and collection bulb at the bottom. I grab the yeast after the primary stage settles down and then pitch the dry hops in. I wash the yeast with boiled/cooled water and then add a quart of boiled/cooled/aerated wort in a semi-closed gallon jug. After that settles down, I leave it in a mason jar in the fridge for the near term ( 4-6 weeks) or add glycerin solution and freeze it.

Nice! Why do you add wort yeast after washing?

 

[PberBob]

Between the fermentation and the washing, the yeast get pretty stressed without food or air. I add a little dilute aerated wort ~1.028-1.035 to get them to into a normal life cycle state. Then I mercilessly cold crash them in the fridge to put the to sleep.

I’ve found that the best wort to use is the last dregs from the mash tun that drain out after you’ve moved on to other steps. It’s thin, ~1.015, and has more natural ’habitat’ than refined DME. A short boil to sterilize it and concentrate it a little and its good to go. Activity in about an hour.

 

[Cro Magnon]

Between the fermentation and the washing, the yeast get pretty stressed without food or air. I add a little dilute aerated wort ~1.028-1.035 to get them to into a normal life cycle state. Then I mercilessly cold crash them in the fridge to put the to sleep.

I’ve found that the best wort to use is the last dregs from the mash tun that drain out after you’ve moved on to other steps. It’s thin, ~1.015, and has more natural ’habitat’ than refined DME. A short boil to sterilize it and concentrate it a little and its good to go. Activity in about an hour.

Ah got it... So for a BIAB brewer, this would be the runnings collected from sparging that I could use to feed the yeast?

 

[PberBob]

Yeah, so after you pull the bag from the kettle and whatever sparging, set the bag in a clean bucket or tray to catch the drippings. Then, when you‘re cleaning up, save the run-off to feed the yeast.

 

[bracconiere]

Batch size?

at what equates to one pellet, or having to split pellets in half....i knew right off....

to the OP, when i brew i wing it...i wouldn't worry to much about winning awards....brew it, i like your rye addition, maybe a bit more then my taster would like, but like rye ipa's.....(in fact, i haven't had a rye beer in ages! )

 

[jrgtr42]

Thanks, yes I have been considering this for a while....saving the yeast is no issue I know but making the started requires magnetic stir plate, conical flask etc...so a gain investment.

Honestly, no it doesn't. Making starters does not |REQUIRE those things - it may make it a bit easier and more efficient, but I've never had them in the... however many years I;ve been brewing and making starters.
My process is to boil up a quart (liter) of water with a cup of DME. (dry malt extract.) |||I let it go for about 15 minutes, adding a half-teaspoon of yeast nutrient somewhere in there. Cool to mid-70s to 60 degrees F, I then transfer into a clean, sanitized growler - |I have tons of those kicking around. IF not, any 2-qt glass container will work. I shake it up, to get as much air in there as I can. I use a regular cap and airlock, stash it in a dark kitchen cabinet and I give it a good swirl whenever I walk past. I usually try to make the starter 2 days before brew day.
So, as you see, it doesn't require any special equipment - most brewing does not. We see people with drool-worthy stainless steel pro-level equipment, but honestly, most of us use cobbled- together equipment, updating here and there, repurposed stock pots, buckets for fermenters, bottles saved from commercial beer, and so on.
In the immortal words of Charlie Papazian, RDWHAHB - Relax, Don't Worry, Have A HomeBrew.

 

[Cro Magnon]

Honestly, no it doesn't. Making starters does not |REQUIRE those things - it may make it a bit easier and more efficient, but I've never had them in the... however many years I;ve been brewing and making starters.
My process is to boil up a quart (liter) of water with a cup of DME. (dry malt extract.) |||I let it go for about 15 minutes, adding a half-teaspoon of yeast nutrient somewhere in there. Cool to mid-70s to 60 degrees F, I then transfer into a clean, sanitized growler - |I have tons of those kicking around. IF not, any 2-qt glass container will work. I shake it up, to get as much air in there as I can. I use a regular cap and airlock, stash it in a dark kitchen cabinet and I give it a good swirl whenever I walk past. I usually try to make the starter 2 days before brew day.
So, as you see, it doesn't require any special equipment - most brewing does not. We see people with drool-worthy stainless steel pro-level equipment, but honestly, most of us use cobbled- together equipment, updating here and there, repurposed stock pots, buckets for fermenters, bottles saved from commercial beer, and so on.
In the immortal words of Charlie Papazian, RDWHAHB - Relax, Don't Worry, Have A HomeBrew.

Honestly, thank you for posting this. I always assumed the only way to do it was with the stir plate etc...I wouldn't even have bothered to google if there was a cheaper method. This is fantastic. Thanks! Roughly how much of the slurry/cake/saved gunk to you pitch into one growler? Do you know roughly how much it multiplies in the two days you leave it for?

 

[jrgtr42]

Honestly, thank you for posting this. I always assumed the only way to do it was with the stir plate etc...I wouldn't even have bothered to google if there was a cheaper method. This is fantastic. Thanks! Roughly how much of the slurry/cake/saved gunk to you pitch into one growler? Do you know roughly how much it multiplies in the two days you leave it for?

I have no idea as far as pitch numbers - I keep my saved yeast in the White Labs vials, so I dump one of those in. I also have no idea on multiplication numbers - I mostly want to make sure that the yeast is active and ready to do it's thing rather than concentrate on numbers like that.

 

[Cro Magnon]

So a small update regarding a minor pitching disaster....I took out some boiling wort to rehydrate the yeast...cooled it...measured out the yeast in another cup, added it to the cooled wort...then without thinking, to scrape up the yeast stuck to the cup, I poured boiling wort into it and emptied it along with the entire colony. Panicking, I realized I might have killed it so I dunked ice cubes in and left it alone for a while. Half an hour later, none of the usual foamy activity I usually see with rehydrating so I ended up dumping it I brought out some more yeast, this time I just eyeballed it....and I'm afraid I underpitched now. 17 hours in and there's only very slight activity in the fermenter, with no bubbling at all.

Did I do the right thing by dumping the first batch?

If I've underpitched, will it multiply eventually and do the job or should I pitch more...and if I don't, will it result in an higher FG and an underfermented beer with some residual sugars or other things that shouldn't be?

 

[jrgtr42]

So a small update regarding a minor pitching disaster....I took out some boiling wort to rehydrate the yeast...cooled it...measured out the yeast in another cup, added it to the cooled wort...then without thinking, to scrape up the yeast stuck to the cup, I poured boiling wort into it and emptied it along with the entire colony. Panicking, I realized I might have killed it so I dunked ice cubes in and left it alone for a while. Half an hour later, none of the usual foamy activity I usually see with rehydrating so I ended up dumping it I brought out some more yeast, this time I just eyeballed it....and I'm afraid I underpitched now. 17 hours in and there's only very slight activity in the fermenter, with no bubbling at all.

Did I do the right thing by dumping the first batch?

If I've underpitched, will it multiply eventually and do the job or should I pitch more...and if I don't, will it result in an higher FG and an underfermented beer with some residual sugars or other things that shouldn't be?

Yeah, the boiling wort most likely killed the yeast you had.
The repitch will eventually start. you said there's minimal activity - that's a lot better than no activity, so it's likely starting up. It probably won't end up with underfermented - more likely there may be a slight off-flavor from stressing the yeast early on. A very small chance of infection if there was something there able to get a start before the yeast got moving (don't worry about that - it's a pretty small chance if your sanitation was on point.

 

[Cro Magnon]

Yeah, the boiling wort most likely killed the yeast you had.
The repitch will eventually start. you said there's minimal activity - that's a lot better than no activity, so it's likely starting up. It probably won't end up with underfermented - more likely there may be a slight off-flavor from stressing the yeast early on. A very small chance of infection if there was something there able to get a start before the yeast got moving (don't worry about that - it's a pretty small chance if your sanitation was on point.

Oh great thanks for the info....good to know I did the right thing by dumping the wort. The second batch wasn't really stressed cos I hadn't pitched the first batch into the container yet so the second batch was technically just a regular pitch. Think I was pretty thorough with sanitation so fingers crossed for no infection. Thanks!

 

[jrgtr42]

Oh great thanks for the info....good to know I did the right thing by dumping the wort. The second batch wasn't really stressed cos I hadn't pitched the first batch into the container yet so the second batch was technically just a regular pitch. Think I was pretty thorough with sanitation so fingers crossed for no infection. Thanks!

wait, so you dumped the whole batch? Totally not necessary. Dumping the starter / hydration, yes.
You should be fine - |I would bet by the morning you'll have full activity.

 

[Cro Magnon]

wait, so you dumped the whole batch? Totally not necessary. Dumping the starter / hydration, yes.
You should be fine - |I would bet by the morning you'll have full activity.

Not the whole batch of beer! The 'batch' meaning just the small amount of wort with the yeast mixed in....so yes the 'starter' I guess..

 

[Cro Magnon]

You're right anyway it's looking like it's picking up...slower than normal but healthy activity nonetheless.

 

[Cro Magnon]

So I checked in today to find an explosive fermentation...krausen oozing out of the airlock. I can't do a blowoff tube right now so I just cleaned the airlock and put it back (put a regular lid on while I washed)...but I see no bubbling at all....even though the krausen is near the mouth of the fermenter......any thoughts?

 

[Immocles]

What type of fermenter? its clearly fermenting, so there’s nothing to worry about. If using a bucket type fermenters, their lids are notorious for air leaks.

 

[Cro Magnon]

What type of fermenter? its clearly fermenting, so there’s nothing to worry about. If using a bucket type fermenters, their lids are notorious for air leaks.

It's a 10 litre PET water bottle...mouth is about 2" in diameter...I've sanitized and resanitized the airlock after I replaced it...do i need to be worried about anything or can I just leave it? (sorry I started another thread about this as well....not sure if it was ok to keep posting about it here)

 

[jrgtr42]

It's a 10 litre PET water bottle...mouth is about 2" in diameter...I've sanitized and resanitized the airlock after I replaced it...do i need to be worried about anything or can I just leave it? (sorry I started another thread about this as well....not sure if it was ok to keep posting about it here)

OK to leave it be. I figured it would happen - just took time to take off. Keep eyes on it, and see if you can rig up a blowoff.

 

[Cro Magnon]

OK to leave it be. I figured it would happen - just took time to take off. Keep eyes on it, and see if you can rig up a blowoff.

Ah ok thanks! Ill check the activity tomorrow and maybe if it's slowed down enough I'l leave it be? If it's still oozing out too much I'll rig up a blowoff. Thanks for the advice!

 

[eric19312]

So a small update regarding a minor pitching disaster....I took out some boiling wort to rehydrate the yeast...cooled it...measured out the yeast in another cup, added it to the cooled wort...then without thinking, to scrape up the yeast stuck to the cup, I poured boiling wort into it and emptied it along with the entire colony. Panicking, I realized I might have killed it so I dunked ice cubes in and left it alone for a while. Half an hour later, none of the usual foamy activity I usually see with rehydrating so I ended up dumping it I brought out some more yeast, this time I just eyeballed it....and I'm afraid I underpitched now. 17 hours in and there's only very slight activity in the fermenter, with no bubbling at all.

Did I do the right thing by dumping the first batch?

If I've underpitched, will it multiply eventually and do the job or should I pitch more...and if I don't, will it result in an higher FG and an underfermented beer with some residual sugars or other things that shouldn't be?

Exhibit 1 in favor of sprinkle in the sprinkle vs rehydrate debate