I saved the yeast cake unwashed in three quart jars and let it settle out in the fridge. Now what I plan to do is save some extra wort (second runnings) from my next batch and make three starters. I was going to decant the liquid off the saved yeast and pour the next layer plus some sludge into a quart of wort. Does this sound right? Will it be enough yeast? Or should I combine all the saved yeast and just make one starter?
I have three quarts of saved wort. I’ve decided to take two jars of saved cake and add it to one quart of wort. Should I let fermentation start or just refrigerate until ready to use.
when I save cake in the fridge I will make the starter the night before I brew. If I have large amounts of cake, my general rule is to take 2 shots of yeast to make the starter with but with unwashed yeast this can be hard to figure. I have been successful just using an inch of cake from the bottom of a quart jar, putting that in a wort of 1.035+or- and letting that go for 14 hr or so. So to sum it up, with starters you by all means do not need a lot of cake. With cake and no starter you may just take 1/3to 1/2 of the cake and pitch it.
You said that you had 2 jars of saved cake. you do not have to add the wert until, and or unless you make the starter.
Sounds like you will get it all figured out one way or another, just remember that there are a lot of variables in brewing that can cause your beer to suffer, I know this by finding out the hard way so be prepared.
Actually I have three jars so each jar has a third. So your saying to dump the whole cake trub and all no starter?
How old is the yeast? When was the original pitch date? What size batch are you brewing now and what is the estimated OG?
This will tell you if you need to make a start or not. If the yeast is relative fresh (a few weeks old) you should have enough in those jars that you won’t need to make a starter.
yes 1/3 jar should do it as long as you pitch it into 1.050-1.060 wort. if its going to be big beer say 1.060 + a starter would be better. If the yeast is old say 2 weeks or more you should make a starter also.
Now what I do when pitching cake that has been in the fridge is to get the temps of the two the same and then add a few ozs of the new wort to the cake and do this a few time over a 30 minute span. what that will do is let the cake get used to the fresh wert. I think this method may keep the cake yeast from getting too stressed out when going from dormant to go mode. I may be wrong but this is how I do it.
Yeast was originally pitched on 4/13 harvested on 5/5 going to repitch on 5/10. I’m going to pitch into .060. I’m making a small starter tonight from 1 jar . Grainy, what you said isn’t that basically what a starter does?
sorry I was not more clear. a starter is made then left to finish taking about 12- 24 hrs. what I do when pitching cake is to take wert from witch I am going to pitch into and allow the yeast to get used to the new wert slowly , about 30 minutes… this allows the yeast that has made beer and finished, went dormant, dropped out to wake up, get used to the new wert, different ph and what ever. Now dose this give me better yeast,? I really do not know but it is what I do.
Sounds good. Giving your team an edge. Maybe I’ll try that also. Thanks for the tip.
Less than 2 weeks old I’d just pitch one of those jars of slurry.
More than 2 weeks old make a starter 3-4 days prior. I let it finish up, cold crash it then decant prior to pitch.
If you’re brewing tomorrow and you’re dead set on making a starter then you’ll want to pitch the whole thing at high krauesen. I’ve done that a couple times too. Unless of course if you have a stir plate, then just ignore me… :blah:
I don’t put quite as much effort into acclimatizing the yeast as grainy does. I sometimes use some of the fresh wort to swirl up all the yeast prior to pitch.
:cheers:
Combined one jar of slurry with saved wort this morning.going to brew tomorrow or Sunday. I’ll cross my fingers and hope fore the best.
No activity in the jar. Something’s gone wrong. Moved it to a warmer place.
when did you add the wert to the yeast?
what was the temps of them? anything in the 60s should be fine.
what was the gravity of the wert?
did you decant the beer off the yeast?
did you airate the wert , I shake the heck out of mine.
is there any off gassing of c02 at all? you can tell this if you use a canning jar with the lid on snug, then loosen it up quickly, it should hiss. (don’t leave it tight for to long, it will explode).
and lastly do you have any backup yeast? you should always have a pack on hand, you never know when it will come in handy.
Warmed the yeast overnight Thursday heated the wert then cooled and mixed them to together and put the lid on and shook it up. I took the lid off Friday morning and it did hiss then I put aluminum foil on. The yeast seams to be settling out but no krausen forming. I have a couple more jars of slurry, I’ll pick up some backup yeast also. Things came up so not brewing this weekend anyway.
Starting over. Boiled and cooled the leftover wort, decanted and pitched some of the saved yeast. It’s Thursday evening and I’m going to brew Sunday. I hope I didn’t make the starter to early but I will not be home the next couple days. I did get some backup dry saison belle. I would like to get to the point of reusing my yeast. Sure I could afford to buy yeast. I can also afford to buy beer also but what’s the fun in that. I give most of it away anyway.
A few days till Sun. shouldn’t bother that starter. I’ve used warmed up cake 3-4 wks old in the frig.
several times. Some say they have left it a few mos. I’m going to test that theory out pretty soon.
I also keep dry yeast around always, just in case. I have also used expired yeast with a qrt. starter
many times with success. Some were 6 mos. old, my LHBS sells it half price.
The yeast took off like a banshee . Still bubbling on Saturday night. Should I cold crash it while it’s still active and then decant and pitch tomorrow or just pitch the whole thing in. The starter wort was third running of a wheat beer I’m pitching to a beer with no wheat do you think it matters?
If you are brewing tomorrow, let the starter finish at room temp, decant tomorrow and pitch when you are ready. I have decanted and also just swirled and pitched it all. I personally haven’t tasted any difference after doing it either way. Maybe someone else knows the difference.
Thanks OG, I will decant because I’m worried the quart of old wort might add something I don’t want to the beer.
