jescholler
Well-Known Member
This last weekend, I used my rinsed yeast for the first time (Wyeast 1272). I noticed a difference in the amount of time before I see the typical activity, and I'm wondering if there's anything in my process that I should adjust. Here are the details.
Normally I use Wyeast Activator packs of 1272 and make a starter based on the Mr. Malty pitching rate calculator about 20 hours prior to pitching into the batch. I use the intermittent shaking method and shake every 15 minutes or so for the first couple of hours, and then very little after about 4 hours. With that method, I usually see bubbles in my blowoff tube at about 2 hours after pitching. I know, blowoff activity isn't a great indicator, but it's all I usually observe. It's usually pretty consistent.
This last batch (an American IPA, 1.060 OG, 65 IBUs), I used my rinsed yeast with the following calculation, based on the Mr. Malty pitching rate calculator. The volume of the rinsed yeast was 210mL, and I estimated 2.4 billion cells/mL and 20% non yeast material (a total of 400 billion cells). After adjusting for viability for being 2 weeks old (73%), I had 294 billion cells. The calculator said I needed 178 billion cells, so I used 60% of my yeast (178/294). I pitched the yeast into a 1L starter at the beginning of my brew day to "wake" it up, which is about 6 hours prior to pitching into the final batch. Before pitching into the starter, I let it come to room temperature from my fridge at about 40F. For fermentation, I pitched at about 65 and started fermentation at 64 (which is about 2 degrees cooler than I usually go). It took about 12 hours for a small krausen to form, and about 20 hours for the blowoff tube to start bubbling. Once I noticed that the temperature was on the low end, I increased the temperature by about a degree. That was about 12 hours after pitching.
Now 2 days after pitching, the blowoff tube is at its normal activity level (maybe slightly behind when I use smack packs). It appears that the fermentation is strong, based on my past experience.
My questions are:
1. I know 2 hours to blow off activity is pretty short, but is 20 too long? I also know 20 hours isn't bad, but I'm just trying to make my process as solid as possible.
2. Do I need to make adjustments or different assumptions of the amount of yeast I that I had in my jar? As far as I know, I used good practice in handling the yeast.
3. Should I have made my starter (not really a starter, but meant to wake up the yeast) sooner in relation to pitching into the batch?
4. Could it have been the IPA amount of hops in the beer that caused the change in lag time for me (5 oz in a 4.5 gallon batch)? I've never done a beer this hoppy.
Just looking to improve my process. Any help is appreciated.
Normally I use Wyeast Activator packs of 1272 and make a starter based on the Mr. Malty pitching rate calculator about 20 hours prior to pitching into the batch. I use the intermittent shaking method and shake every 15 minutes or so for the first couple of hours, and then very little after about 4 hours. With that method, I usually see bubbles in my blowoff tube at about 2 hours after pitching. I know, blowoff activity isn't a great indicator, but it's all I usually observe. It's usually pretty consistent.
This last batch (an American IPA, 1.060 OG, 65 IBUs), I used my rinsed yeast with the following calculation, based on the Mr. Malty pitching rate calculator. The volume of the rinsed yeast was 210mL, and I estimated 2.4 billion cells/mL and 20% non yeast material (a total of 400 billion cells). After adjusting for viability for being 2 weeks old (73%), I had 294 billion cells. The calculator said I needed 178 billion cells, so I used 60% of my yeast (178/294). I pitched the yeast into a 1L starter at the beginning of my brew day to "wake" it up, which is about 6 hours prior to pitching into the final batch. Before pitching into the starter, I let it come to room temperature from my fridge at about 40F. For fermentation, I pitched at about 65 and started fermentation at 64 (which is about 2 degrees cooler than I usually go). It took about 12 hours for a small krausen to form, and about 20 hours for the blowoff tube to start bubbling. Once I noticed that the temperature was on the low end, I increased the temperature by about a degree. That was about 12 hours after pitching.
Now 2 days after pitching, the blowoff tube is at its normal activity level (maybe slightly behind when I use smack packs). It appears that the fermentation is strong, based on my past experience.
My questions are:
1. I know 2 hours to blow off activity is pretty short, but is 20 too long? I also know 20 hours isn't bad, but I'm just trying to make my process as solid as possible.
2. Do I need to make adjustments or different assumptions of the amount of yeast I that I had in my jar? As far as I know, I used good practice in handling the yeast.
3. Should I have made my starter (not really a starter, but meant to wake up the yeast) sooner in relation to pitching into the batch?
4. Could it have been the IPA amount of hops in the beer that caused the change in lag time for me (5 oz in a 4.5 gallon batch)? I've never done a beer this hoppy.
Just looking to improve my process. Any help is appreciated.
