[CranjisMcBasketball]

So, I brewed a special bitter that I would love to put on cask, but it will simply be bottle conditioned, as I have no cask. This was my first time making a yeast starter, which I did 24 hours in advance before pitching and in the 1L volume.

Now, I’ve been reading all about this yeast, trying to find answers, and I know that airlock bubbling and krausen presence are never the right way to gauge your ferment. However, it seems to early for me to take another hydrometer reading as I’ve only taken my OG less than 12 hours ago. I also know that you may have violent and loud fermentation’s, and others that almost seem as if nothing is happening at all. Being new to the liquid yeast starter process I am slightly worried that I may have screwed it up somehow, but it seemed as if it went perfectly.

All in all, I guess I’m just throwing this out there to see if anyone else has had any experience with the 1469, and if so, have you not seen any action for the first 24-48 hours, and if it will most likely take off by 72 hours?  I do have a pack of US04 floating around in my fridge that I can pitch if I get no change after taking another hydro reading, but I definitely don’t want to jump the gun, since so much of what I have read is people saying how great this yeast is and what great flavors it develops.

[skyler]

I'd just wait it out. A 1L starter is pretty small, especially if the smack pack was old. I'd give it 48 hours before pitching a backup.

[klickitat jim]

Coincidentally, I have 2 bitters going with 1469 right now. Brewed and pitched 48hrs ago. No bubbles! But that's because no airlocks. Covered loosely with foil instead. I peeked tonight. The fermentation chest smells heavenly of fermenting beer and they have a nice thick krausen going.

I'd say get rid of your airlock, cover with foil, and let it roll.

[CranjisMcBasketball]

I'd just wait it out. A 1L starter is pretty small, especially if the smack pack was old. I'd give it 48 hours before pitching a backup.

Well, the snack pack was dated January 2018 so I know that thing was probably good. But I also thought 1L was small. Since I’m completely new to starters, took some advice that for my projected FG, 1L would be enough but it looked so small. The yeast wouldn’t just start to autolysis after 24 hours I’m such a small starter, would it?

[BrewBama]

I have had extended lag times on various yeasts (Bry-97 is notorious) but the open ferment for a Yorkshire strain interests me (more true to style).  Pop the lid off that sucker and see if it’s top crop time.


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[klickitat jim]

I'd just wait it out. A 1L starter is pretty small, especially if the smack pack was old. I'd give it 48 hours before pitching a backup.

Well, the snack pack was dated January 2018 so I know that thing was probably good. But I also thought 1L was small. Since I’m completely new to starters, took some advice that for my projected FG, 1L would be enough but it looked so small. The yeast wouldn’t just start to autolysis after 24 hours I’m such a small starter, would it?

This might make some people spaz out... There's two ways to tackle your pitching, at least on our scale. You can do the cell count method, use a yeast calculator and properly build a properly sized starter. Probably 1000ml in that case might be small. Those who do it that way typically allow the starter to finish and drop out, then decant the liquid and pitch.

The other method is to pitch an active starter. Size isn't the issue here because they are active. I use oxygen, but you can shake aerate too. I use about 1200ml 1.040 wort. I oxygenate it with oxygen and pitch my smack pack, and cover it with foil. No stir plate. I do that the morning of brew day. 10-12 hrs later, after brewing, I check my starters for activity by gently oscillating them, looking for foam creation. They are always active... I then oxygenate my beer wort and pitch that entire starter.

I have about 2 or 3 years experience doing it this way. It always kicks off by the next day. I've done it with ales and lagers and even recently with a 1.110 OG imperial stout. Works every time.

People speculate reasons why it's a bad idea, and that's fine. I think they just don't want it to be that easy, or they want to wear out their starter plate before switching. The complaints are always something they've read, or heard, or a supposed theory. I dare you to try it and compare.

[KellerBrauer]

I'd just wait it out. A 1L starter is pretty small, especially if the smack pack was old. I'd give it 48 hours before pitching a backup.

Well, the snack pack was dated January 2018 so I know that thing was probably good. But I also thought 1L was small. Since I’m completely new to starters, took some advice that for my projected FG, 1L would be enough but it looked so small. The yeast wouldn’t just start to autolysis after 24 hours I’m such a small starter, would it?

A couple points:  first, what was the OG?  A starter is typically sized based on the OG, not the FG.  Second, did you aerate the wort?  Yeast reproduces during the “lag stage” of fermentation and it’s this stage where oxygen is most important.  Third, temperature.  I have made the mistake of pitching my starter when the starter was much cooler than the wort causing the yeast to get thermal shock; and while the yeast recovered (in my case) if the temperature span is too far off, the yeast may not recover.  I like to pitch my yeast when it’s within 5-7 degrees F of the wort.

I would give it a little more time, as one of the other brewers mentioned.

Hope this helps!  Good luck!

[klickitat jim]

Ya, temperature.

In the method I use and explained, the starter is in my temp controlled chest at the temp I plan to ferment the beer at.

You can go from cool to warmer without much concern. Like smack pack from fridge to room temp starter. But with active yeast I always avoid dropping them into wort that is cooler than they are. Just a few degrees drop can send them into inactivity. In all of my beers the temp that the yeast see is always either stable or slightly increasing, until fermentation and cleanup is done, then a chill and fine.

Some folks claim you should pitch warm because the yeast like it, then drop the temp to your desired temp. That's counter intuitive. If they like warm, how is dropping them temp part of the way into their job going to help?

[CranjisMcBasketball]

I'd just wait it out. A 1L starter is pretty small, especially if the smack pack was old. I'd give it 48 hours before pitching a backup.

Well, the snack pack was dated January 2018 so I know that thing was probably good. But I also thought 1L was small. Since I’m completely new to starters, took some advice that for my projected FG, 1L would be enough but it looked so small. The yeast wouldn’t just start to autolysis after 24 hours I’m such a small starter, would it?

A couple points:  first, what was the OG?  A starter is typically sized based on the OG, not the FG.  Second, did you aerate the wort?  Yeast reproduces during the “lag stage” of fermentation and it’s this stage where oxygen is most important.  Third, temperature.  I have made the mistake of pitching my starter when the starter was much cooler than the wort causing the yeast to get thermal shock; and while the yeast recovered (in my case) if the temperature span is too far off, the yeast may not recover.  I like to pitch my yeast when it’s within 5-7 degrees F of the wort.

I would give it a little more time, as one of the other brewers mentioned.

Hope this helps!  Good luck!

So, the OG was 1043 and I had meant to say based on the OG.  I also made sure to aerate several times all evening long, as I do not have a stir plate, and had a ton of foam the following morning and obvious signs of yeast production.  I also aerated the wort in my fermenter for about two minutes, no air stone, but it’s always been effective enough for me before.  As far as temperature is concerned the starter was at room temp 68° and the wort I pitched into was about 71°, so not much of a swing.  I’m going to check it today for activity, but if I don’t see something by day three I will open and take a hydrometer reading. It’s very unnerving to have so little control. Lol.

[CranjisMcBasketball]

So it’s been about 30 hours since I first pitched and still no signs of activity. What confuses me most is when I woke up the day I brewed, my starter was alive and well with a big cap of foam. Alas!

[KellerBrauer]

That is quite interesting.  Some other considerations would be the water.  Was the water overly soft whereby there were no nutrients available for cell reproduction?  This has me stumped!  My suggestion would be to go ahead and rehydrate your backup of US05 and pitch it at 24 hours if you see no measurable amount of fermentation.

You can also contact Wyeast and ask their customer service.  I have always has success getting quick responses from both Wyeast and White Labs when I asked questions.

[CranjisMcBasketball]

That is quite interesting.  Some other considerations would be the water.  Was the water overly soft whereby there were no nutrients available for cell reproduction?  This has me stumped!  My suggestion would be to go ahead and rehydrate your backup of US05 and pitch it at 24 hours if you see no measurable amount of fermentation.

You can also contact Wyeast and ask their customer service.  I have always has success getting quick responses from both Wyeast and White Labs when I asked questions.

Water was all sealed, distilled water. The dry packet I have is a US04 English ale. However, I have no idea how to rehydrate. Could you please give me a brief tutorial. I will do it tomorrow morning if I’ve still seen no action.

[klickitat jim]

Pull a sample. Full of yeast haze? SG change? Might just not be a yeast that behaves like you are used to.

[CranjisMcBasketball]

Just found this article after searching for two days: http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=54007

This is actually exactly what I’ve been experiencing. I’m wondering if I’m just in the same situation.

[klickitat jim]

Can you break it down?