Yeast starter getting a helping hand from CraftBeerPi

[Dubzie]

Bit cold out in the brew shed in winter, and the missus doesn't like the noise the stirplate makes.

So while the CraftBeerPi isn't brewing it's giving me a hand with keeping my yeast starters at optimal temperature

Stir plate + fish tank heater (controlled by CBPi) + WLP004 Irish Ale yeast:

CraftBeerPi doing its thing:

This WLP004 will be getting the S-04 treatment, planning to also freeze some samples once i pick up some glyserine:

 

[MHB]

I just gave my new rig with a timed On/Off Oxygen supply a breadboard test.

After 3 days

Me taking samples and spinning them down to see how much yeast I was making.

I'm pretty happy, one smack pack of Wyeast Trappist HG into 8L of 1.050 wort, looks like we have about 10-15 times the starting amount of yeast. Brewing a Belgian Trippel on Tuesday, so Monday morning I will feed it, should be an adequate pitch into 150L of well aerated wort.
Mark

PS
Yes I have joined the dark side!
M

 

[Dubzie]

NICE!

Yea i just ordered some new liquids:


I spin up 2L, transfer the whole lot into 500ml ball glasses and cold crash em for a few days, decant most of the beer off the top then transfer to the 50ml containers. Has about 25ml of yeast in there when compacted estimating around 75b when fresh.

Going to freeze a couple for long storage, and have a few on hand to spin up a few days before brewday, and a few to hand out to some local brewers if they need

 

[MHB]

Gone into the fermenter after being feed another 5L of 1.040 wort this morning, I think from the pick you will have to agree that its fair to call it an actively fermenting starter.
Mark

 

[Dubzie]

Thats some huge starters! haha

 

[MHB]

Nah - next is to modify a 50L keg into a starter flask for inoculating the 500L fermenters - pretty good value from 1 smack pack.
Mark

 

[Dubzie]

Nah - next is to modify a 50L keg into a starter flask for inoculating the 500L fermenters - pretty good value from 1 smack pack.
Mark

Indeed! I just did a 5L starter of Saflager W34/70, would have needed like 7 packets of dry yeast @ $7.50 for my double batch.
Cost me $12.50 for the amount of yeast i needed, compared to $52.50