Yeast Starter Article

[ForkBoy]

Stumbled across this article - sums up the topic of starters quite nicely

http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/MB_Rain...t_Culturing.php

 

[ForkBoy]

heh, love this quote...

"Remember that you want the yeast to spend most of their energy making alcohol not babies in a fermenter!!"

 

[razz]

This was the article that led my to buy a stirplate two years ago.

 

[ForkBoy]

great, now I need another piece of gear!

 

[ForkBoy]

Razz, appropriate question for you then... did you note an improvement in your beers since adopting these methods?

 

[razz]

G'day Forkboy. I didn't do a side by side comparison at the time I got the stirplate, but I reckon the beers are better now than ever. There is a definite reduction in primary fermentation time when you pitch an optimum amount of yeast, for the same temp a brew may take 4 days instead of 6-7 for example. One other benefit from using a stirplate is reducing the amount of time it takes to make a starter, approx 25-50% less. I do make beer differently now than I did then, like most brewers I make slight changes along the way.

 

[ForkBoy]

Thanks Razz, just quickly, how do you ramp up your starters? what do you start with and what volume do you end up with (and do you pitch the whole starter or decant)?

 

[razz]

Thanks Razz, just quickly, how do you ramp up your starters? what do you start with and what volume do you end up with (and do you pitch the whole starter or decant)?

Sorry, had to do my exercise routine, nice day for a bike ride! Generally I do the 10:1 ratio, so for a vial of whitelabs I would inocculate approx 350 ml of wort. And I usually pitch the whole starter.

 

[WildaYeast]

Wow!

Thanks for posting the link FB. Still digesting the article, but I enjoyed it for being comprehensive, but still readable.

For my last two beers I made starters, the last one using the yeast from my primary. I have another starter now from the same batch, but it has a funny white growth on the top, so I reckon I'll chuck it and start again.

Hmmm, stir plate... Got to get my kettle organised first.