Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: American Hef Starter  (Read 2802 times)

Offline rbowers

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 216
American Hef Starter
« on: July 26, 2012, 05:34:24 pm »
Made a 1.6L starter for a ten gallon batch next week of American Wheat using wlp American Hef strain.  Seeing as it is not flocculant at all despite putting in fridge is it important to pitch the whole starter or is it still reasonable to crash cool and pour starter beer off the yeast cake, sacrificing the suspended yeast.  Thoughts?

Offline nateo

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2336
Re: American Hef Starter
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2012, 05:40:38 pm »
Just dump the whole thing in your wort. I don't chill and decant unless my starter is 4L+.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Offline Mark G

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 898
  • Huntley, IL
Re: American Hef Starter
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2012, 08:49:21 am »
I agree. It's a small enough starter to just dump it in. Next time, with a smaller starter, try to get it going about 12-24 hours before brewing and pitch it at high krausen.
Mark Gres

Offline duboman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1578
Re: American Hef Starter
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2012, 03:21:46 pm »
Made a 1.6L starter for a ten gallon batch next week of American Wheat using wlp American Hef strain.  Seeing as it is not flocculant at all despite putting in fridge is it important to pitch the whole starter or is it still reasonable to crash cool and pour starter beer off the yeast cake, sacrificing the suspended yeast.  Thoughts?

I've used WY3068 in all of my hefes and have never had a problem cold crashing my starters, they seem to flocculate fine with no loss of yeast but as mentioned if you used extra light/light DME you can certainly just pitch the whole thing as well
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010