First Time Using A Starter

[corcatraz]

Hey everyone

Just wanted to say thanks for all the good info!

It has taken me ages to get my brewery up and running and I finally got my first full size AG batch in the fermenter. There was plenty of "firsts" going on including making a starter. I'm totally stoked with the results so far as fermentation is cracking along!

So after a bit of reading on top cropping I went for the spoon and grabbed some of the foam. It in the fridge under some cooled boiled water. I came back an hour later and it was spewing out the top again so of course I went and grabbed some more :icon_cheers:

As it was so foamy after a night in the fridge it settled down to about 4 or 5 ml in the bottom of the jar. There is a little bit of brown stuff in there I'm asuming to be hop gunk? Do I need to be worried about this stuff?

Thanks all
Cant wait for the next brew day
:icon_chickcheers:

 

[mwd]

Does not look like much yeast in all that foam. Usually you get a pale brown scum which is the yeast. You may have to dig through the foam to top crop. Hops usually give a greenish scum on top of the foam.

 

[corcatraz]

Does not look like much yeast in all that foam. Usually you get a pale brown scum which is the yeast. You may have to dig through the foam to top crop. Hops usually give a greenish scum on top of the foam.

Ahh ok gotcha. Yea under the foam sitting on top of the wort it was a bit more 'creamier' I spose, which was the stuff I was trying to get. Oh and yea it is 1056 btw. I know not technically a true top cropper but I figured I might try it anyways.

Cheers!

 

[Wolfy]

For top-cropping you are usually looking for a thick almost solid head, that looks a little bit like thickened cream in colour and texture, there may not be much yeast in all that foam.

This was a dark-coloured mild beer, but it is the best picture I have just now:

 

[corcatraz]

yea it has setled to bugger all yeast. First time using liquid yeast so very new to this game. From what I've read most people dont top-crop 1056 instead rinsing it or just dumping a new batch onto it but i thought i'd give it a try. I'll prob try to rinse and reuse the yeast from the bottom as well.

Cheers wolfy