Pitching Yeast

[Ross]

The latest BYO magazine in it's cloning article, says to make your yeast starter, let it ferment out, pour off the liquid & just pitch the yeast.

I was under the impression that pitching your entire starter at full krausen was the prefered method?

 

[Gulf Brewery]

Ross

I have seen this where they say to pitch at full krausen and also to pitch the fermented starter. Whitelabs say on their site to pitch their tubes into a 1 litre of wort and then pitch that after 2 hours.

I prefer to let my starter ferment out and let the yeast flocculate out. Then I will know my wort won't be affected by any flavours from the starter wort/beer. I pour off the beer and only pitch the clean part of the yeast.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[Asher]

I think its personal preference...
But I pitch the whole lot as I rarely have time to ramp up starters and wait for it to ferment out before brew day. Its much easier to time when the starter is going to be at high krausen than how many days will it take to settle... With some of the top fermenting ales, you could be throwing the baby out with the bathwater if your yeast isn't fully fermented out and settled. Also selecting only the more flocculating yeasts, over time you may end up with a strain that drops before its finished fermenting....
Just my thoughts
Asher for now

 

[pint of lager]

A couple of points.

If your starter is made from poor quality malt or fermented at the wrong temperature, this will lead to off flavours in your beer if the whole lot is pitched. Some of my earlier ag brews had extract flavour in them from the starter.

If you pitch the whole starter, try and pitch it at full krausen, that point where the starter is shaken and you see lots of activity for the first time.

If you brew up a starter, let it ferment out and just pitch the slurry, this will let you brew as big a starter as possible, ferment at higher temperatures and aerate a lot.

Have used both methods, and my preferred method is to let it ferment out, or as outlined a few days ago in the "cold ferment" thread.

Your choice will depend on what level of brewing you are at, how much equipment you can devote to starters and your brewing time frame.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

There is another way, better in my opinion.

Ensure the starter is fermented out a day or two before brewday. I do not put my starter in the fridge to flocc out as that might check the yeast due to the rapid temperature drop.

Then half an hour into the mash I draw out a pint or so of wort, boil and chill, pour off the liquid above the yeast cake into another starter bottle to make another starter, and pour in my boiled & chilled wort.

I think you will find Dr Clayton Cone recommends pitching when the starter is just before full krausen, when the yeast has the maximum reserves of energy.

Jovial Monk