Yeast Starter?

[dazz1975]

This is my first post so please be kind

I have just started up home brewing again out of a can after a few years off and my local home brew shop give me an idea on how to get your fermentation off to a flyer.

He told me to put a couple of hundred mls of cooled boiling water into a a clean container at around 30 degrees, add two teaspoons of white sugar and stir then add a packet of dry yeast (The yeast that comes with the cans that is) then stir all together and wait till it froths up then add it to your fermenter.

Now I have followed his directions and yes I did get it to froth up so I was guessing that the yeast was actively working and threw it into the fermenter than put the lid on. For some reason it is taking longer to start working in the fermenter than by just adding the dry yeast.

Has anyone got any ideas on what is going on? Is there a problem with the way I am going about making a yeast starter or is it that I am shocking the yeast therefore taking alot longer for it to become active in the fermenter.

Edit: My starting temperature of the fermentor was around 24 degrees

Cheers
Darren

 

[fw00r]

How long has it been since you pitched the yeast?
What temp is the fermenter at now?

It sounds like the yeast was alive and functional... So it might just be going through a long growth phase.

 

[dazz1975]

How long has it been since you pitched the yeast?
What temp is the fermenter at now?

I done one about eight hours ago and it is not fermenting yet. The temperature is around 24 degree's. I done another yeast starter a few days ago and it took 18 hours for any noticable action. If I just do a dry yeast then 6 - 12 hours and away she goes.

I thought a yeast starter would be quicker.

Cheers

 

[fw00r]

looks like I snuck my edit in there a bit late

Are you doing something different to do with aeration? Because an increased amount of oxygen will possibly prompt a longer growth phase.

 

[Screwtop]

You want quick beer or good beer? if your answer is good beer then do a lot more searching and reading of what this site has to offer.

 

[dazz1975]

looks like I snuck my edit in there a bit late

Are you doing something different to do with aeration? Because an increased amount of oxygen will possibly prompt a longer growth phase.

Nothing different from the norm. Same process on each. Just following the canned instuctions. Mix brew up and try for around 22-24 degrees add yeast whether it be dried yeast or yeast starter then put on the lid.

 

[dazz1975]

You want quick beer or good beer? if your answer is good beer then do a lot more searching and reading of what this site has to offer.

I have been doing that. Spent the last few days reading on yeast starters and all of that. There are a million different ways people tend to do yeast starters going by these forums. Maybe I could use malt extract next time like a previous thread said instead of white sugar.

 

[Tony]

Firstly, dont listen to your HBS person ever again...... 30 deg :blink: bread maybe but not beer.

Unless your brewing something you want really fruity like cordial keep it below 20 deg.

OK.... as you did with the cooled boiled water, forget the sugar (you just want to rehydrate it) put the yeast in, cover with glad wrap and let sit at 20 deg for a couple of hours till its all reduced to sludge in the bottom. I usually give it a swirl to get what sticks on the sides. I use a 3 cup pyrex glass jug and put 1 cup of water in.

Your yeast should be nurtured at the same temp you will pitch at (within a few degrees) and firmented at. Its a living thing and if your nice to it it will be nice to you

get your brew down to a lower temp if you want it to be cleaner. high temps firment faster but create more off flavours.

and use a better yeast. the yeast in the kits is good for throwing in the bin, not your beer.

your making 2.5 cartons of beer for under $20, a few more dollars to make it 5 times better wont hurt will it.

use a good dried yeast like US-05 for a clean dry lager like ale, SO-4 for a malty Ale, Nottingham is also clean and dry. there are many others....... and will produce a better beer than the kit yeasts.

There is a good chance you have shocked the crap out of the yeast. It is not good for it and when it gets going at 24 deg it will taste like tropical punch.

let it see its course if you like and then brew your next batch (what are you brewing by the way) with a pack of US-05 and let us know the difference.

You will never look back B)

cheers

Would someone in QLD distracy PP looking at this one too

 

[Sammus]

This is exactly what John Palmer recommends in How to Brew.
Says rehydrate at 95-105F (35-40C) and proof with sugar.

Thanks what I used to do and it always worked really well. I use a hand held milk frother to aerate my starters which also works well

I say 'used to' because now I just draw off some wort from the mash and dilute a little, boil and cool.

 

[dazz1975]

let it see its course if you like and then brew your next batch (what are you brewing by the way) with a pack of US-05 and let us know the difference.

I am currently doing Black Rock Colonial Lager and Black Rock Mexican Lager. The new batch has just started to ferment. So that batch probably took about 14 hours to start bubling away.

I have read here that 24 degrees is fine to ferment. I know the lower the better but obviously not under 18 degrees for alot of the yeasts. Would a more ideal starting temp be around 18-20 degrees or something like that.

Cheers
Darren

 

[Tyred]

For ales 18-21 degrees is good. For lagers 10-12 degrees is good. Depends on the yeast.

 

[devo]

I've found that you can get away with a starter at around 25c (tops). So long as the wort in the fermenter is at the correct temp when you finally pitch, you'll find that you won't be getting overly fruity flavours. Although I do tend to hover around 20c myself.

Also giving your starter wort a good shake to aerate makes a noticeable difference.

good starter example found here




This site is also a great source of information regarding yeast and starters

http://www.alsand.com/beer/yeast/index_E.html

 

[Plastic Man]

I've always followed the Grumpys dried yeast instructions when using dried yeast and it's always started well. I think the other improtant think is to use two sachets.

Grumpys DY instructions