Yeast starter not doing anything

[Rocker1986]

The boiling wort wouldn't have cooled enough in 20 minutes but if it was then mixed up with water that would have cooled it enough. Hopefully the yeast was pitched after mixing with water!

 

[billysbeer]

Hey billysbeer , Are you saying you dumped your brew as in literally ? I have a question … could you add another yeast starter maybe of the same strain to do the rest of the work for you to try and salvage the wert ?

Hey billysbeer , Are you saying you dumped your brew as in literally ? I have a question … could you add another yeast starter maybe of the same strain to do the rest of the work for you to try and salvage the wert ?

Hello Jangles sorry for the late reply but I haven't logged in for a while. And nah I didn't dump the whole batch just the 3 litres of DME yeast starter and the yeast that was not activating quick enough. Iv had a few starters not ferment due to long storage.

 

[blink471]

Yeah, most of the time my starters are about 2 litres (aside from lagers) mainly because I brew similar OG beers most of the time. I harvest about 800mL of them to get yeast for the next one so the actual size of the starter required for the yeast needed for the batch itself is closer to 1 litre, which I use only when I'm on the last re-use of a strain before buying a fresh culture.

Hi mate. I know this post was a fews months ago, just wasn't sure what you meant. You said you collect the yeast to get about 1 litre, and only use on last re-use of strain. So do keep using the collected yeast from each wort you have just brewed, up till the original re-use date on pack? I'm going to do this as well but not sure how many batches are too much. Thanks mate.

 

[Rocker1986]

Hi mate. I know this post was a fews months ago, just wasn't sure what you meant. You said you collect the yeast to get about 1 litre, and only use on last re-use of strain. So do keep using the collected yeast from each wort you have just brewed, up till the original re-use date on pack? I'm going to do this as well but not sure how many batches are too much. Thanks mate.

What I meant was, if I wasn't harvesting from the starter then it would only need to be about 1 litre in size. Because I take 800mL of it for the next time, they have to be around 2 litres to account for that portion harvested.

So, 800mL of it goes into a mason jar which is stored in the fridge, the remaining 1.2 litres or whatever contains the yeast that is pitched into the batch.

When I decide it's time to replace the yeast with a new pack, I don't harvest anything from the starter, so in that instance it is only made to about a litre or so.

I often get around 14-15 reuses from a wyeast smack pack before I replace it.

 

[ABG]

Hi mate. I know this post was a fews months ago, just wasn't sure what you meant. You said you collect the yeast to get about 1 litre, and only use on last re-use of strain. So do keep using the collected yeast from each wort you have just brewed, up till the original re-use date on pack? I'm going to do this as well but not sure how many batches are too much. Thanks mate.

I can't speak for @Rocker1986 but like him, I make a bigger starter than I need and then pour a portion into a mason jar that's been sterlised (put it and the lid into boiling water for 15 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature). Once it's in the mason jar, pop it into the fridge until you want to use that strain next and repeat the whole starter procedure.

I re-use the same strain about 3 or 4 times - occasionally I've gone higher by not being methodical with my note taking and being too enthusiastic with QA testing from previous batches of beer. I don't worry about the use by date on the original packet (apart from the first pitch into the original starter) and have successfully re-used my reserved starters 4 months down the track. I've heard some people say they've reused theirs after 6 months. I've also heard of people re-using the same strain more than 6 times, but I'm worried about the yeast drifitng away from the original charecteristics of the strain.

 

[blink471]

Ok got it... Thanks guys for replies. I have collected from batches before and re-used, just interested how others do it. I also have been adding late hop additions at the end of fermentation, and this has been in slurry but I have done a quick wash of collected yeast and use it with a similar recipe. I was mainly interested in how many times you reuse it before it loses its true characteristics. Thanks guy's.

 

[ABG]

Ok got it... Thanks guys for replies. I have collected from batches before and re-used, just interested how others do it. I also have been adding late hop additions at the end of fermentation, and this has been in slurry but I have done a quick wash of collected yeast and use it with a similar recipe. I was mainly interested in how many times you reuse it before it loses its true characteristics. Thanks guy's.

Washing yeast is how I used to harvest my yeast, but it's way more work than just reserving some of your starter for later use.

 

[blink471]

Washing yeast is how I used to harvest my yeast, but it's way more work than just reserving some of your starter for later use.

So you dont find the hops a problem? Your way sounds much less work. Will give it a go. Cheers.

 

[Rocker1986]

So you dont find the hops a problem? Your way sounds much less work. Will give it a go. Cheers.

There are no hops in a starter.

 

[blink471]

There are no hops in a starter.

Not meaning a starter. Was talking about using the slurry after fermentation with late hops that settled in bottom.

 

[ABG]

So you dont find the hops a problem? Your way sounds much less work. Will give it a go. Cheers.

Not meaning a starter. Was talking about using the slurry after fermentation with late hops that settled in bottom.

@Rocker1986 is spot on. There are no hops in a starter. I simply reserve some of my starter for my next batch. I just chuck out the slurry at the bottom of my fermenter after each batch.
I used to wash this, but pinching a bit from the starter, like @Rocker1986 mentions earlier is way simpler, easier and less prone to infection.

 

[blink471]

@Rocker1986 is spot on. There are no hops in a starter. I simply reserve some of my starter for my next batch. I just chuck out the slurry at the bottom of my fermenter after each batch.
I used to wash this, but pinching a bit from the starter, like @Rocker1986 mentions earlier is way simpler, easier and less prone to infection.

Ok thanks. That idea seems better. I got confused. Thanks to you both. I will get there.