Yeast Thread 2021

[Classic Brewing Co]

I don't even like the look of this one, been in the fridge for 3 weeks & it will be chucked.

I know if I shake it up it may look better, but quite honestly, I am not prepared to take any chances.

[iBooz2]

16 hours ago, stquinto said:

To any yeast connaisseurs out there - would you pitch this? A Notto that’s been fermented once.

I’m a bit loath to risk the effort and expense of a brew on a dodgy yeast

 

@stquinto , did you dry hop this brew or use any gelatin or other finings in this brew?   If it was a hard to get yeast I would have a crack at making a starter by drawing off some of the white middle bit with say a wine thief pipette tube but as it is an easy to get Notty yeast just dump it.

TIP:  Also I do not use recycled jars anymore as they are just too hard to clean an sanitise to my standards.  I always use 500 ml and 1 L reagent jars now for my yeast collection.  Suggest you invest in a few of those as they are super easy to clean and sanitise so perfect for the job.  See the link here for description. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by iBooz2

[iBooz2]

3 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I don't even like the look of this one, been in the fridge for 3 weeks & it will be chucked.

I know if I shake it up it may look better, but quite honestly, I am not prepared to take any chances.

@Classic Brewing Co , looks fine to me and good for a couple of months I reckon.  Don't let your phobia get the better of you.

I always let my nose do the YEAH NAH test.  Tip most of the unhopped beer off to get rid of that beer smell, leaving enough to swirl it up and then have a good sniff.  After you have done it for a while you will instantly recognize an "off yeast" sample.  Practice this craft as it will save you a fortune. 

Have you bough some more Erlenmeyer flasks yet to get that CCA yeast and COPA's into your brewery? 

Edited April 10, 2023 by iBooz2

[Classic Brewing Co]

48 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

@Classic Brewing Co , looks fine to me and good for a couple of months I reckon.  Don't let your phobia get the better of you.

I always let my nose do the YEAH NAH test.  Tip most of the unhopped beer off to get rid of that beer smell, leaving enough to swirl it up and then have a good sniff.  After you have done it for a while you will instantly recognize an "off yeast" sample.  Practice this craft as it will save you a fortune. 

Have you bough some more Erlenmeyer flasks yet to get that CCA yeast and COPA's into your brewery? 

Not as yet but it will happen very soon, I am just re-organising & simplifying my brewing spaces.

[Aussiekraut]

Can I use US-05 for a ginger beer? I have a kit going, which came with 2 sachets of yeast but after initially starting nicely, it appears to have stalled. It's been sitting on 1.045, 3 points down from OG for the last three days. Any other yeast I can use? I have a fair few yeasts around, like US-05, Notty, Windsor, Verdant, Voss Kveik and several lager yeasts. Any suggestions?

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

17 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

Can I use US-05 for a ginger beer? I have a kit going, which came with 2 sachets of yeast but after initially starting nicely, it appears to have stalled. It's been sitting on 1.045, 3 points down from OG for the last three days. Any other yeast I can use? I have a fair few yeasts around, like US-05, Notty, Windsor, Verdant, Voss Kveik and several lager yeasts. Any suggestions?

I'm not 100% but I'm fairly sure most ginger beer yeasts are more similar to a cider yeast because of the plain sugar involved. I'm sure any yeast will work but cider yeast may be closer to style. 

3 days with no drop maby go the us-05 as it's neutral. If worried sitting too long maby Kveik Voss? sorry I'm not sure either just an idea.

[iBooz2]

Thought I would resuscitate our old yeast thread. 

Got my starter fired up today, spinning up one pouch of WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast in 2.7 L of 1.036 wort so as to make an overbuild that I can harvest 0.8 L for the next starter and the other 1.9 L will be pitched into my 44 L Guinness clone.  Will let it spin until tomorrow morning and then just let the yeast do their thing.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

5 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Thought I would resuscitate our old yeast thread. 

Got my starter fired up today, spinning up one pouch of WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast in 2.7 L of 1.036 wort so as to make an overbuild that I can harvest 0.8 L for the next starter and the other 1.9 L will be pitched into my 44 L Guinness clone.  Will let it spin until tomorrow morning and then just let the yeast do their thing.

You temp control your starters mate?

[iBooz2]

33 minutes ago, Greenyinthewestofsydney said:

You temp control your starters mate?

Yep, always have @Greenyinthewestofsydney.  I have a small wine chiller cabinet that can produce ranges from 11 C to 21 C.  Not as good as a real fridge but as near as damn it for starters and is a perfect size for my purposes.  I set the temp to the higher of the yeast's ideal temp range + 2 C.

Today for example it was 38.3 C here in the brewery and the little wine cooler has struggled to keep the starter below 22 C but I am pleased to say that now the cooler evening has arrived it has held, and the starter is currently 21.4 C.  So, you can see that if I did not use temp control my starter would have ended up being something in between fairy floss and yogurt tomorrow.

At a cost of $23 for a pouch I want it to work for me and not be thrown out plus I know that the yeast will be as fresh and as fit as possible when it comes to the title fight.

[RDT2]

15 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

At a cost of $23 for a pouch I want it to work for me and not be thrown out plus I know that the yeast will be as fresh and as fit as possible when it comes to the title fight.

Yeah my homebrew store doesn’t stock white labs anymore because of the new pouches being so expensive! Not happy!

[iBooz2]

5 hours ago, RDT2 said:

Yeah my homebrew store doesn’t stock white labs anymore because of the new pouches being so expensive! Not happy!

That is sad news RDT2.  What are your options?

Admittedly the new pouches are about twice the volume of the old-style packs which is good if you do not build your own starters but for a thrifty punter like me, I like some economy in my brewing and yeast costs.

The other issue I have noticed is that a lot of the big yeast suppliers have reduced their total range of yeasts so I just cannot order what I need when I need as its never in stock.  I have noticed this with pellet hops too of late.  All the more reason to build up your own selections of favourite yeast in your own yeast bank IMO.

[RDT2]

39 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

That is sad news RDT2.  What are your options?

Admittedly the new pouches are about twice the volume of the old-style packs which is good if you do not build your own starters but for a thrifty punter like me, I like some economy in my brewing and yeast costs.

The other issue I have noticed is that a lot of the big yeast suppliers have reduced their total range of yeasts so I just cannot order what I need when I need as its never in stock.  I have noticed this with pellet hops too of late.  All the more reason to build up your own selections of favourite yeast in your own yeast bank IMO.

I agree with everything you just said!!!

[RDT2]

On the yeast subject I was amazed when I went on a brewery tour that two of the breweries I went to use dry yeast! One of them said they used only lallemand! I couldn’t believe it they don’t even use starters must be a lot cheaper in bulk!

[Classic Brewing Co]

12 hours ago, RDT2 said:

On the yeast subject I was amazed when I went on a brewery tour that two of the breweries I went to use dry yeast! One of them said they used only lallemand! I couldn’t believe it they don’t even use starters must be a lot cheaper in bulk!

I know a few of them that only use fresh yeast, one guy said for him to do it properly it would take time he hasn't got, it's just easier to buy in bulk & use fresh.

Obviously, the price is passed on to the consumer though.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

3 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I know a few of them that only use fresh yeast, one guy said for him to do it properly it would take time he hasn't got, it's just easier to buy in bulk & use fresh.

Obviously, the price is passed on to the consumer though.

Yeah know a couple who just use bricks of US05. A 500gm brick is only $120 so why would you go to the trouble of making your own. 

Only if your making like squillions of litres like the commercial guys or have a house culture which gives you a point of difference would you invest in the equipment or time.

[Shamus O'Sean]

On 2/23/2024 at 7:47 PM, RDT2 said:

On the yeast subject I was amazed when I went on a brewery tour that two of the breweries I went to use dry yeast! One of them said they used only lallemand! I couldn’t believe it they don’t even use starters must be a lot cheaper in bulk!

A small brewery in Ringwood (8 Track Brewery) just uses dry yeast.  The owner/manager said it was for consistency of brews.  He could not afford any issues with doing a starter that might affect the finished beer.

[Aussiekraut]

I'm about to get serious about setting up a little "yeast bank" using the most common yeasts I use. I even got myself a stir plate and a big 5l Erlenmeyer flask and will follow that up with a 3l flask. Now I know two things about this: Jack and S**t and Jack just left. 

I don't particularly want to use sludge from an FV as it has too much other stuff in it and I know bugger all about washing yeast. So my thinking was that I make a nice starter, 2l for simple ales and 3l for lagers and heavy ales. The plan is that I make the starter 2 days in advance, then pour off the "beer" in the flask and the rest, minus maybe a quarter, will go into the wort. The remainder goes into a jar and is kept in the fridge until the next time when I make a new starter, keep a little and so on. That way I should always have Gen 1 yeast, if I understand things correctly. Does this sound right? How long can I keep the yeast for and if it nears its EOL, is it just a case of making a small starter and using it to replace what was in the jar with it?

I'd only do this with yeasts like NovaLager, W34/70, Windsor and Notty. Maybe also M54 and US-05. 

Yeast is a killer in some beers. The Doppelbock I made used 3 sachets of Dubbya, at a cost of $28.50. That's more than some other batches in total. 

[Popo the Reprobate]

6 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

Now I know two things about this: Jack and S**t and Jack just left.

Haha. I love that saying.

[iBooz2]

7 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

I'm about to get serious about setting up a little "yeast bank" using the most common yeasts I use. I even got myself a stir plate and a big 5l Erlenmeyer flask and will follow that up with a 3l flask. 

SO, you have finally seen the light grasshopper.   I would stick to having two x 5 L flasks as they are the perfect size for overbuild starters and allow for any big Krausen yeast you might use (wheat beer yeast for example).  I have 2 x 5 L and 1 x 3 L and a heap of reagent jars in 500 ml and 1 L sizes.  The 3 L flask is normally only used for when I have some wort left over after cubing on brew day for storage.

You will need to do your starter at least a week before brew day as you need to let it ferment out then cold crash it to settle most of the yeast.  That way you can tip off most of the un-hopped beer and just leave enough to swirl up the yeast so you can divide it between your jar and your brew in the required proportions.  I keep my yeast bank for about three months in the fridge and they always fire up when next I make a new starter.  Some have been much older nearly 12 months, just spin them up and start fresh again.

Don't forget to tag or label and date the jars because after a while you will have several in the fridge, just so you don't throw the wrong yeast at your brew.   I have not done it but came damn near close after I had cleaned the fridge out and the jars got shuffled.

Edited March 1 by iBooz2

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

3 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

SO, you have finally seen the light grasshopper.   I would stick to having two x 5 L flasks as they are the perfect size for overbuild starters and allow for any big Krausen yeast you might use (wheat beer yeast for example).  I have 2 x 5 L and 1 x 3 L and a heap of reagent jars in 500 ml and 1 L sizes.  The 3 L flask is normally only used for when I have some wort left over after cubing on brew day for storage.

You will need to do your starter at least a week before brew day as you need to let it ferment out then cold crash it to settle most of the yeast.  That way you can tip off most of the un-hopped beer and just leave enough to swirl up the yeast so you can divide it between your jar and your brew in the required proportions.  I keep my yeast bank for about three months in the fridge and they always fire up when next I make a new starter.  Some have been much older nearly 12 months, just spin them up and start fresh again.

Don't forget to tag or label and date the jars because after a while you will have several in the fridge, just so you don't throw the wrong yeast at your brew.   I have not done it but came damn near close after I had cleaned the fridge out and the jars got shuffled.

+1. I have a 5L, 3L and 1L. The 1L I only use if I'm bringing something back from the dead with a 200ml starter or something. 5L for the lagers and 3L for the ales.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

10 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

 

Yeast is a killer in some beers. The Doppelbock I made used 3 sachets of Dubbya, at a cost of $28.50. That's more than some other batches in total. 

Yep. 5L erlenmeyer is only about 30 bucks.

[Aussiekraut]

14 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

SO, you have finally seen the light grasshopper.   I would stick to having two x 5 L flasks as they are the perfect size for overbuild starters and allow for any big Krausen yeast you might use (wheat beer yeast for example).  I have 2 x 5 L and 1 x 3 L and a heap of reagent jars in 500 ml and 1 L sizes.  The 3 L flask is normally only used for when I have some wort left over after cubing on brew day for storage.

You will need to do your starter at least a week before brew day as you need to let it ferment out then cold crash it to settle most of the yeast.  That way you can tip off most of the un-hopped beer and just leave enough to swirl up the yeast so you can divide it between your jar and your brew in the required proportions.  I keep my yeast bank for about three months in the fridge and they always fire up when next I make a new starter.  Some have been much older nearly 12 months, just spin them up and start fresh again.

Don't forget to tag or label and date the jars because after a while you will have several in the fridge, just so you don't throw the wrong yeast at your brew.   I have not done it but came damn near close after I had cleaned the fridge out and the jars got shuffled.

Thanks for that. I've seen the light for a long time but I was too scared to go to it  Yes, labelling is good. If you don't, you never know what you get   

I never thought of leaving the starter to ferment out but it makes sense. It just means that if I want to make a certain beer, I need to plan a little ahead and stick with it, not change my mind last minute  

I shouldn't need to use 2 sachets of yeast to make a 3l starter for a lager for example right? I can just use one to build it up appropriately I presume. At least I would think that if 2 sachets to a full batch, one should be sufficient for a 3l starter.

 

[iBooz2]

On 2/24/2024 at 11:27 AM, Greenyinthewestofsydney said:

Yeah know a couple who just use bricks of US05. A 500gm brick is only $120 so why would you go to the trouble of making your own. 

Only if your making like squillions of litres like the commercial guys or have a house culture which gives you a point of difference would you invest in the equipment or time.

Yes, that is all well and good for them but for us mere mug punters trying to keep a library of our favourite yeasts that seem harder to get these days, as I notice a lot of suppliers have cut back on their yeast lines (among other ingredients), so we have no option but to spin up what we need when we need it.  In my brewery the cost savings alone have more than paid me back over and over.

[iBooz2]

11 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

Thanks for that. I've seen the light for a long time but I was too scared to go to it  Yes, labelling is good. If you don't, you never know what you get   

I never thought of leaving the starter to ferment out but it makes sense. It just means that if I want to make a certain beer, I need to plan a little ahead and stick with it, not change my mind last minute  

I shouldn't need to use 2 sachets of yeast to make a 3l starter for a lager for example right? I can just use one to build it up appropriately I presume. At least I would think that if 2 sachets to a full batch, one should be sufficient for a 3l starter.

 

You will be fine AK, you already have the mindset for cleanliness and sanitation in your brewery whilst brewing your beers so it's exactly the same when spinning up yeast.  It will be a shoo-in for you.

The idea is that you take, say, one sachet of W34-70 (for example) and build and over-build starter so that you end up with the equivalent of three sachets of W34-70 (or a tad more).  One sachet equivalent will go into your storage jar to keep for the next fresh starter and the other two sachet equivalents will go into your lager to ferment it out. 

There are heaps of starter calculators on-line and in the tools of Beer Smith and Brew Father, so I suggest you look at those and learn how to use them.  The trick is to have the BBD or manufacturing dates of the original yeast sachet so it can calculate the viability given its age.  Please note that I think the viability calculator in Brew Father for dried yeast is a little bit pessimistic, for example, when it says viability is 85% I automatically up it by 10% and that seems to work for me.  Liquid yeasts, well you can type in the batch numbers on the manufacturer's website, and they will give an estimate of the viability for the liquid yeasts.

Remember you need an overbuild starter to give you at least three times as much yeast as you started off with.  You may be able to do that in just one starter step of you may need a multistep starter to get to the required number of over build cells.

Edited March 2 by iBooz2

[Pale Man]

Question from a yeast dummy. How do you overbuild a yeast starter?