Home of the BrewNosers

My Wyeast 1272 that I bought in April 2012 has finally had it. I skimmed off of my Hoptoberfest IPA, and I think I must have gotten too much hops and not enough yeast. I started it on a stir plate yesterday morning before brewing, and it wasn't ready to pitch, so I had to get some US05 for it. It's still not going strong now. I can smell some CO2 in the starter, so there's something there, but I don't think it's strong enough to save and repitch later. I lost count, but I think I got something like 40 something batches out of it, including the IPA I brought to Hoptoberfest and the last two exchange beers (rakau and maris otter SMaSH, and brown rye beer), and a bronze medal winning American wheat beer. It's been a good run.

On the plus side, now I can try a new American ale yeast, or possibly a German one.

RIP American Ale Yeast. You will be missed dearly.

Good run, well done!

RIP, sorry for your loss.

That's good going. A top cropping success story.

Top cropping worked well for this, but for the next while I'm going to be trying Rob's method, where when you make a starter for a beer you just make some extra, put it in a jar and then use it to start the next one. It is nice not having to open the lid to potential contaminants, especially with the fruit flies this year.

amartin wrote:Top cropping worked well for this, but for the next while I'm going to be trying Rob's method, where when you make a starter for a beer you just make some extra, put it in a jar and then use it to start the next one. It is nice not having to open the lid to potential contaminants, especially with the fruit flies this year.

Rob what is this method?

sleepyjamie wrote:

amartin wrote:Top cropping worked well for this, but for the next while I'm going to be trying Rob's method, where when you make a starter for a beer you just make some extra, put it in a jar and then use it to start the next one. It is nice not having to open the lid to potential contaminants, especially with the fruit flies this year.

Rob what is this method?

Make more than you need from the starter, then build the extra back up instead of top cropping.

Do you guys have any more specifics. e.g. measurements, process, techniques, etc...

I make most of my starters to an OG of 36, and then make an extra half litre. After running for a day or two or however long on the stir plate, I swirl it all up, pour a half litre into an old jam jar to put in the fridge, and pitch the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b3mftcV0dY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

sleepyjamie wrote:

amartin wrote:Top cropping worked well for this, but for the next while I'm going to be trying Rob's method, where when you make a starter for a beer you just make some extra, put it in a jar and then use it to start the next one. It is nice not having to open the lid to potential contaminants, especially with the fruit flies this year.

Rob what is this method?

I try to do the math so I can save 1L in a mason jar. For example lets say Beersmith says I need to pitch 200 billion cells. For arguments sake lets say that I'll have 300 with a 3L starter. Take away 1/3 of 300B and you're left with the 200 to pitch, save 100. I fill a mason jar to the top (smaller amount of oxygen) and put it into a cold fridge. Also when I pour this amount off it's right after pulling it form the stir plate and the yeast is still in suspension.

When I make my next starter the saved in mason jar yeast has crashed right out. I flame the top, decant most of the starter wort, swirl it up, and pitch into new starter thus repeating the process.

How long can a partial starter like that stay in the fridge before it can't be revived with fresh wort on a stirplate? I'm trying to determine if I brew enough (especially using the same varieties) to use that method.

Basically I'm trying to do the math if this harvesting/yeast bank stuff would actually save me enough money to be worth buying a flask and a stirplate over or if I should just be throwing packets/vials into my wort.

This looks like a good idea. Jared Carleburg has a starter going and posted a picture on Twitter. He has a big stir plate under there.

That's a big stir plate