Cultured Coopers Yeast

[fitnessfan]

Hey guys, I'm culturing up some coopers yeast according to the PDF available here somewhere. I've just struck something a bit different to the directions. My yeast has a big krausen and is massively active after 12 hours. I'm hoping it isn't an infection but i can sort this out when i'm ready to pitch with a smell and taste test. My question is, if it's active so fast should I still wait 4 or 5 days or should I pitch sooner so that the yeasties don't go back to bed?

 

[brettprevans]

coopers yeast culteres up pretty quickly. ive only done it once but it went off like a rocket

edit: soops forgot about the when to pitch part. either or. i pitch while active with all the beer. I use either wort or DME so it wont affect the bee too much. unless its a lager then i'll pour off some of the beer so as not to make a taste differance (given that a lager starter is 2-4L).

gibbore's advice is good.

 

[gibbocore]

Hey guys, I'm culturing up some coopers yeast according to the PDF available here somewhere. I've just struck something a bit different to the directions. My yeast has a big krausen and is massively active after 12 hours. I'm hoping it isn't an infection but i can sort this out when i'm ready to pitch with a smell and taste test. My question is, if it's active so fast should I still wait 4 or 5 days or should I pitch sooner so that the yeasties don't go back to bed?

you'll get a few different answers mate, and that is because a few different things will work.

To me, it sound like your starter is working perfectly, i'd let it finish and let the yeast settle back out, then put it in the fridge overnight and in the morning pour out the 'beer' on top, you can have a taste at this point, and from experiance, the coopers yeast will make a sour/tart yet still sweet tasting 'starter beer'. then what i do is run some wort into the starter cake, give it a good shake and pour into the wort.

the reason for letting it finish is that you'll get a higher cell count and if you were to pitch an active yeast starter with not enogh cells, you'd shock it when it was faced with the task ahead, they'd go back into the multiplying phase and you'd get a small lag.

hope this helps.

 

[brendo]

you'll get a few different answers mate, and that is because a few different things will work.

To me, it sound like your starter is working perfectly, i'd let it finish and let the yeast settle back out, then put it in the fridge overnight and in the morning pour out the 'beer' on top, you can have a taste at this point, and from experiance, the coopers yeast will make a sour/tart yet still sweet tasting 'starter beer'. then what i do is run some wort into the starter cake, give it a good shake and pour into the wort.

the reason for letting it finish is that you'll get a higher cell count and if you were to pitch an active yeast starter with not enogh cells, you'd shock it when it was faced with the task ahead, they'd go back into the multiplying phase and you'd get a small lag.

hope this helps.

+1 to this advice

I have recultured Coopers a few times (am doing it right now as we speak) and it is a vigourous and fast acting bugger for sure. Make sure you have plenty of head space in the fermentor as you will get a nice BIG krausen and I usually find that the active ferment is done and dusted within 2.5-3 days.

The other thing with this yeast is that temp control is pretty critical to the final ester profile - 16/17/18 you will mostly get pear with a hint of banana, 19+ will favour banana - def don't let it get too high as it will be overpowering and the alcohol can be pretty harsh as it is a highly attenuative yest.

cheers,

Brendo

 

[fitnessfan]

Thanks for the tips guys, reckon some of them should be tacked onto the PDF. Have a much better idea of what I'm doing now.

Cheers.

 

[growold]

I have had great success just tipping a whole 375ml bottle into the fermenter.

Though I have stopped this practice after hearing that Coopers now bottle condition their ales with a refined strain of their primary yeast.

 

[dpadden]

I have had great success just tipping a whole 350ml bottle into the fermenter.

Though I have stopped this practice after hearing that Coopers now bottle condition their ales with a refined strain of their primary yeast.

:huh:

Where did you hear that growold. I have made a few aussie ales lately using properly re-cultured coopers yeast and they have been turning out great. I have always believed that the yeast was exactly the same, so would be very interested to know if this has changed lately.

 

[dpadden]

Though I have stopped this practice after hearing that Coopers now bottle condition their ales with a refined strain of their primary yeast.

growold has me a touch worried now, anyone else heard this?

 

[manticle]

They've been successfully bottling with the same yeast for years now so I doubt there's any veracity to it. Anyone with anything beyond rumour or hearsay, feel free to shoot me down.

 

[Effect]

They've been successfully bottling with the same yeast for years now so I doubt there's any veracity to it. Anyone with anything beyond rumour or hearsay, feel free to shoot me down.

+1

Don't listen to the haters...

 

[growold]

Paddo,
I wouldn't worry about it.
I don't work for Coopers, I don't know anyone working there and I'm not going to say who told me.
What I was told was that Coopers have separated their conditioning yeast from their primary yeast. Still the same strain, but kept separate. Probably done for quality control and consistency, but this would give them the opportunity to refine the yeast to suit bottle maturation more than the initial fermentation.
That's rumour to opportunity to worried home brewer in one day, sorry Paddo.
So yes, If anyone knows for sure, let us know.
But here are three facts,
*Coopers have stated the yeast is the same and they encourage home brewers to use it.
*Many people in this forum (and a few in this thread) have used the bottled yeast with great success.
*I have used both the Leabrook and Regency bottles with good results.

 

[hazard]

I have had great success just tipping a whole 375ml bottle into the fermenter.

That would appear to be a massive under-pitch. What lag time do you experience with this method?