Question about the viability of my yeast

[MajorJC]

I bought an Imperial yeast Ale Pub A09 200 billion cells pitch right, Mfg 07/16/18 about six weeks ago for a brew. Things happened and I have been putting off my brew till now. It has been refrigerated. This morning I made a yeast starter and put it on my stir plate, for this stage one starter I used 500ml water and 1/2 cup DME. Tonight the stir bar was having trouble spinning because of the heavy flocculation of this yeast so I put in in the fridge while I prepared the second stage wort. For the second stage I used 1500ml water and 150g DME. I then decanted most of the liquid from the top of my yeast cake and then swirled it up and poured it into my second wort. It is now on the stir plate.

I only have one stir plate. I also have a pack of Imperial yeast Ale Darkness A10 200 billion cells pitch right, Mfg 08/22/18. My plan is to do a 12 gallon batch this weekend and pitch the Pub into 6 gallons and pitch the Darkness into the other 6 gallons.

Can I put the yeast from the Pub starter that is on the stir plate now into a sterile mason jar in the fridge when it is complete for a day or two while I make the same yeast starter with my Darkness? This is going to be a heavy beer, 1.099 OG. Should I do a third stage for each yeast?

Thanks for the help.

 

[BobBailey]

Yep. Just be sure to wash well and sanitize the mason jar and cover it with sanitized foil. I often let starters sit in the fridge for 3 or 4 days when life gets in the way.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I'm sure you're going to get a lot of opinions otherwise, but I'm not convinced pitching rate matters all that much.

This exbeeriment deals specifically with Darkness in a beer higher gravity than yours:
http://brulosophy.com/2017/10/16/ye...-starter-in-high-og-wort-exbeeriment-results/

IMHO, a vitality starter with some nutrient and you're good to go.

To see all 8 parts of their pitch rate exbeeriments, go here and search "pitch rate"
http://brulosophy.com/projects/exbeeriments/

Cheers

 

[MajorJC]

I'm sure you're going to get a lot of opinions otherwise, but I'm not convinced pitching rate matters all that much.

This exbeeriment deals specifically with Darkness in a beer higher gravity than yours:
http://brulosophy.com/2017/10/16/ye...-starter-in-high-og-wort-exbeeriment-results/

IMHO, a vitality starter with some nutrient and you're good to go.

To see all 8 parts of their pitch rate exbeeriments, go here and search "pitch rate"
http://brulosophy.com/projects/exbeeriments/

Cheers

Hmmm, interesting, thanks for the link.

So I may just pitch the Darkness straight from the packet without doing a starter. It is a month newer than the Pub, and Imperial says the yeast is guaranteed till 3 months after Mfg date.

 

[RPh_Guy]

So I may just pitch the Darkness straight from the packet without doing a starter. It is a month newer than the Pub, and Imperial says the yeast is guaranteed till 3 months after Mfg date.

You certainly can (that's what the exbeerimenter did, with pure O2 aeration).

I prefer the vitality starter as a safety net (which provides aeration), and plus then I know the yeast is viable. Sort of a compromise between repeated scientific results from Brulosophy and [outdated] conventional practice.

Anecdotally, I have direct pitched some sour blends (which intentionally have smaller Saccharomyces cell counts), and the beer takes off quickly and tastes great after primary fermentation.

Cheers

 

[MajorJC]

I prefer the vitality starter as a safety net (which provides aeration), and plus then I know the yeast is viable. Sort of a compromise between repeated scientific results from Brulosophy and [outdated] conventional practice.

Anecdotally, I have direct pitched some sour blends (which intentionally have smaller Saccharomyces cell counts), and the beer takes off quickly and tastes great after primary fermentation.

Cheers

Yes, I believe I will make a starter. It only takes half an hour and a few cents worth of DME and yeast nutrient. A small price to pay to ensure that my yeast will perform well.

I just read the FAQs on Imperial's website, they say that the smallest starters that should be made with their pitch right packs is 4 liters without a stir plate and 2 liters with a stir plate.

I guess that may be why my stir plate was having so much trouble with my first stage starter on the Pub. I'll bump the Darkness starter up to 2 liters.

 

[RPh_Guy]

They're probably talking about conventional starters.

"Vitality starter" refers to a 500mL 1.040 wort with only 4 hours on the stir plate. No cold crash, pitch the whole thing.

Whatever you want to do is fine though, no reason to stress about it

Cheers

 

[RM-MN]

I just read the FAQs on Imperial's website, they say that the smallest starters that should be made with their pitch right packs is 4 liters without a stir plate and 2 liters with a stir plate.

Starters made on a stir plate will have the same amount of yeast cells as a shaken starter but the shaken starter will take longer. In a hurry, use the stir plate. Got more time, just shake the starter whenever you walk by.