First Biab

[stuchambers]

Hey guys,

I will be doing my first All Grain BIAB tomorrow attached is the recipe I will be using. The program I used for the recipe was BeerAlchemy as Im using MAC I think it is a great program not that I have used any others.

View attachment TTL_.pdf

One question about a yeast starter, if I remove a small volume of wort after the boil and cool quickly in the freezer while the rest of the brew will be no chilled.
Once chilled I guess in half an hour or so can I add the yeast to this leave overnight then pick the whole starter into the cooled wort the next day. Yeast used will be SO4

Cheers Stu

 

[argon]

One question about a yeast starter, if I remove a small volume of wort after the boil and cool quickly in the freezer while the rest of the brew will be no chilled.
Once chilled I guess in half an hour or so can I add the yeast to this leave overnight then pick the whole starter into the cooled wort the next day. Yeast used will be SO4

Cheers Stu

If you're using a dry yeast - S04, then you don't need a starter. Just rehydrate in cooled boiled water, then pitch.

 

[stuchambers]

will making the starter and pitching the active yeast make any difference or is it not worth the effort?

 

[argon]

will making the starter and pitching the active yeast make any difference or is it not worth the effort?

Not worth the effort, for dry yeast. Dry yeasts have plenty of cells and reserves to get going for a vigorous fermentation. Especially if you pitching into 1048 wort (as per your recipe). Re-hydrating will get the yeast up and ready to fire.

 

[Bribie G]

Congrats on your first BIAB
If you get onto using liquid yeasts in due course (highly recommended) or decide to re-use yeast cake or yeast you have top cropped during fermentation, then it's a good idea to use the same wort that the beer is made from.

I usually brew to get an extra litre of wort left over and store it overnight in a glass lab bottle:



It's really just a mini nochill in its own right and I don't boil it up or anything the next day, just use it at around 20 with the yeast in a larger container to start it off. An excellent starter vessel is a 1.5L heavy glass V-8 bottle, well sanitised and cling wrapped. If the yeast sample is pretty fresh - say up to 2 weeks, it should be crawling out of the bottle within a few hours.

Also if you don't want to go to the expense of lab bottles (I scored mine) then another good lurk is the 750ml heavy glass Passata bottles from the pasta aisle, likewise clingwrap. But don't reuse the lids of those or the V-8 because they are cardboard lined and can't be sterilised.

 

[stuchambers]

Thanks guys.
I was planning on using a liquid but couldn't find one at my local so I just got the s04. Next brew will definitely be using a liquid yeast. I have done a bit of reading lately on culturing and storing yeasts so I can help cut the costs.
Once again thanks for your replies.
Cheers Stu

 

[stuchambers]

Well everything went off without a hitch. Well sort of. Here is a summary of the days play

Strike water hit 72*C
Mashed in temp settled at 65*C Mash for one hour temp at end of hour 63*C. (Just used a fermenter as mash tun with a few towels as insulation.)
Remove bag place in spare bucket add 2 kettle loads of boiling water Approx 3L
Transfer wort to kettle and bring to boil.
Squeeze out the bag and add those runnings to the kettle.
Once boiling begin hop additions.

Pre boil gravity only 1.030 that is the adjusted figure. According to my software I have only got a 55% mash efficiency.

Not too bothered at what alcohol I achieve as long as it tastes good.
Next brew will be the same recipe but with a liquid yeast I think a wyeast 1028.

Cheers Stu