Biab#6 - Ordinary Bitters

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Diesel80

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Hi all,

knocked up another brew last night and chilling the cube down to pitching temp whilst at work.

It is a Ordinary Bitters, targeting around 4% Alch.

Receipe:
5kg Golden Promise
0.25kg heritage crystal

Hops:
60min target 10.1% @ 21 IBU
10min fuggles 6.5% @ 9-10

no chilled.

Receipe was for a total of 26L @ 1.042 @ 70%.
Achieved full 20L cube and about 3L mixed in with trub, saved 1.25L bottle this, so got 21.25L (epic boil off rate).

S/G Achieved 1.042.

Now, I want to pitch the yeast tonight, i have 3 choices:
1)Wyeast smack pack London ESB 1968. Nov-16 MFD. Not smacked yet.
2)Danstar Nottingham dry yeast (aka the Krausenator)
3)Danstar Windsor dry yeast.

Fementing in a 25L cube so will have limited headspace, no room for airlock and will be using glad wrap.

1) I have read Wyeast 1968 is highly flocculant and often low attenuating, 'can get stuck easily'.
2) good experiences with this yeast RE attenuation and getting fast started fermentation, scared of it billowing out the top of the cube.
3) Not tried Windsor but i have been told it is to style and also a low attenuator, does this stall high?.

Which would you pitch and why?

Cheers,
D80
 
Go with either the 1968 or the Windsor.

The Nottingham will attenuate almost anything, but is very neutral, which is not what you want in an OB.

If you want to pitch today, and you haven't yet made a starter from the 1968, I think you're pretty much railroaded into using the Windsor. Don't worry, you'll still make good beer. Most common wisdom is that you need at least a 1lt starter from a smack-pack for a full sized batch.

A good hint for both the 1968 and the Windsor is to aerate the bejeezus out of it just before pitching your yeast. I'll also do a second aeration, using a sanitised s/s slotted spoon, around 12 hours after pitching, but not every brewer I've talked to is comfortable with this step.
 
Go with either the 1968 or the Windsor.

The Nottingham will attenuate almost anything, but is very neutral, which is not what you want in an OB.

If you want to pitch today, and you haven't yet made a starter from the 1968, I think you're pretty much railroaded into using the Windsor. Don't worry, you'll still make good beer. Most common wisdom is that you need at least a 1lt starter from a smack-pack for a full sized batch.

A good hint for both the 1968 and the Windsor is to aerate the bejeezus out of it just before pitching your yeast. I'll also do a second aeration, using a sanitised s/s slotted spoon, around 12 hours after pitching, but not every brewer I've talked to is comfortable with this step.

Thanks for the input.

Happy to try the Windsor, not pitched it before.

The 1968 Smackpack reckons it is enough for a 23L batch, but reading the net most say it will work if brewed at 20 degrees C, else it can stall early.

Oh well I will pitch the 1968 in the next batch with an active starter.

Cheers,
D80
 
If you split your 1968 into 4 you get much better mileage for your dollar. Just takes a bit more time to ramp up your starters from a cell count of 50 billion up to a pitchable 200-250 billion. 1318 is a strain I've had a lot of success with making bitters also, worth a try sometime. :rolleyes:
 
...
The 1968 Smackpack reckons it is enough for a 23L batch, but reading the net most say it will work if brewed at 20 degrees C, else it can stall early.
...
That is true, but I also recall that the Coopers instructions "recommend" fermenting at a temperature range of 26+ C :D

Pitching the smackpack will result in beer, good beer, but it does put the yeast under a little undue stress. Growing your count up first, at a better yeast:sugar ratio, should give you a cleaner beer.
 
That is true, but I also recall that the Coopers instructions "recommend" fermenting at a temperature range of 26+ C :D

Pitching the smackpack will result in beer, good beer, but it does put the yeast under a little undue stress. Growing your count up first, at a better yeast:sugar ratio, should give you a cleaner beer.


right i see. I need to get my head around these pitching rates.

Probably farked my 2 lagers that are fermenting atm, pitch 2x dry packets after rehydrating into 14 deg wort, but forgot the yeast had been hydrated at about 30, and was about 26 when it hit the cool wort.

One batch has started off, krausen visible after 12 hours, the other seems like it is dead atm. probably stressed to the max. Was going to rinse yeast from one of these batches to keep but have since read that i probably caused an increase in the population of mutant cells with this balls up. So will fork out for some more yeast for next batch.

Live and learn, there is always something to learn, tweak, refine in this game.

I won't make the same mistake tonight when rehydrating the Windsor. Will step temp down with wort to within 4-5 degrees before lumping it into the fermenter.

Could be a good batch if all goes well. Windsor is reported as a fast worker so should see some action in tomorrow. Exciting.

Empty keg syndrome is taking its toll on my keezer atm.

Cheers,
D80
 
i absolutely love the wy 1968 and have brewed with it down to 16* in an apa and had it ferment out fully. a bonus of this yeast is it is a great top cropper so there is no real need to split the smack pack. i have some that is in its sixth gen of top cropping and still going strong. my yeast of choice for anything british in origen.
 
1968 is good in a bitter.

1 pack of fresh wyeast will be fine to pitch straight into 1042 wort.
 
1968 is good in a bitter.

1 pack of fresh wyeast will be fine to pitch straight into 1042 wort.


Interesting, I reckon i will just grow a pair and smack it when i get home.
Probably pitch about 4-5 hours after.

Question: How do you top crop in a cube fermenter?
Also do i grab the yeast at high krausen => add to a starter => ferment out, then store under sterilized water?

Cheers,
D80
 
No need to ferment it out in a starter. It's just beautiful pure yeast so store it however you would store any other yeast you reserve (slurry, split smack packs etc). If you keep it for a while, make a starter, if you think you need to step it up, then grow some in a small amount of wort.

Essentially you are just scooping out yeast with a sanitised spoon or ladle - then do with it whatever you would normally do with yeast. If you have wort in a vessel next to you, you can scoop it straight in and inoculate that. Avoid the brown specky stuff (although don't freak out over it).
 
No need to ferment it out in a starter. It's just beautiful pure yeast so store it however you would store any other yeast you reserve (slurry, split smack packs etc). If you keep it for a while, make a starter, if you think you need to step it up, then grow some in a small amount of wort.

Essentially you are just scooping out yeast with a sanitised spoon or ladle - then do with it whatever you would normally do with yeast. If you have wort in a vessel next to you, you can scoop it straight in and inoculate that. Avoid the brown specky stuff (although don't freak out over it).

righto, thanks manticle will see what i can do. Looks like my flasks and sample jars turned up (note from Aus post when home from work today).

Will try and grab some yeast out of this batch and grow it up. If i succeed there really is no going back....

Pack is smacked, will pitch in the morning, hopefully not too long away.

Cheers,
D80
 
How long is a starter good for in the fridge?

I like the idea of some strains of liquid yeast but I'm not paying that dough for each one... and I might not need the yeast for weeks.

Mat.
 
Slants on agar or similar will last ages (months+). I believe there's a way of freezing yeast with glycerine which probably lasts indefinitely if done correctly.

Cooled boiled water or sterile water will last less long and you are best off making a starter if you keep it longer than a few weeks. However I have fired up yeast (and know others who have) kept in this way for several months. If you have a tendency to use a few of the same yeasts or make similar beers then it can be very economical.

You need to be as hygenic as you can because a yeast infection in an AG batch will blow your savings out of the water.
 
I was thinking of basically just using a large sterile syringe to suck up some yeast cake after I've bottled. If that's good for a few weeks until the next brew then I'd be pretty happy.
 
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