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

Author Topic: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?  (Read 5191 times)

Offline Robert

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4214
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #15 on: March 10, 2019, 08:15:05 pm »
The shaken not stirred approach has gained widespread acceptance, for sure.  Alternatively, you can time your brewing for harvest and repitch on the brew day.  That has been my approach for the last couple years, averaging 7-8 generations per strain.
As I often note (drone on about,) storing yeast for a period before pitching or repitching is not a real problem either for us, if scheduling brewdays to match propagation or harvest is difficult.  The enemies of yeast in storage are hydrostatic pressure and heat buildup in the yeast mass generated by its own metabolism.   These are significant concerns in the cone of a commercial fermenter or even in a large brink.  In a quart jar in your fridge, or even on the bottom of a homebrew sized fermenter,  not so much.  One of many advantages we have over the pros.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk
« Last Edit: March 10, 2019, 08:22:18 pm by Robert »
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4882
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #16 on: March 10, 2019, 08:37:19 pm »
For sure and agreed.  My reason for immediate repitch is lowering the likelihood of contamination, which, given my bumbing lab skills is appreciably increased with time in the flask!  YMMV for sure.  FWIW the most I have taken out a yeast strain was 25 generations.  I gave up because I tired of the strain at that point....
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline Robert

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4214
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #17 on: March 10, 2019, 08:41:52 pm »
For sure and agreed.  My reason for immediate repitch is lowering the likelihood of contamination, which, given my bumbing lab skills is appreciably increased with time in the flask!  YMMV for sure.  FWIW the most I have taken out a yeast strain was 25 generations.  I gave up because I tired of the strain at that point....
Sounds like me, I think it was around 18 generations.  But that was harvesting and repitching about 5-6 days later, still no problem.   BTW that wouldn't have been WY2124, would it?

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk

Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4882
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #18 on: March 11, 2019, 06:00:09 am »
White Labs 830, but yeah Weihenstephaner.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline Robert

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4214
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #19 on: March 11, 2019, 06:03:22 am »
Yep.  Workhorse, reliable, forgiving, versatile, and I just don't love it anymore.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk

Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Online Visor

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 753
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2019, 10:15:13 am »
The shaken not stirred approach has gained widespread acceptance, for sure.  Alternatively, you can time your brewing for harvest and repitch on the brew day.  That has been my approach for the last couple years, averaging 7-8 generations per strain.
As I often note (drone on about,) storing yeast for a period before pitching or repitching is not a real problem either for us, if scheduling brewdays to match propagation or harvest is difficult.  The enemies of yeast in storage are hydrostatic pressure and heat buildup in the yeast mass generated by its own metabolism.   These are significant concerns in the cone of a commercial fermenter or even in a large brink.  In a quart jar in your fridge, or even on the bottom of a homebrew sized fermenter,  not so much.  One of many advantages we have over the pros.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk
   I have become hypersensitive to autolysis, can't detect diacetyl or DMS if I'm swimming in them but two dead decomposing yeasties in a gallon of beer and I'll notice them. That being said, depending on the yeast strain and batch specifics, I've detected autolysis in harvested yeast stored under beer in a closed jar in the fridge in as little as 10 days, though some harvests are still fine after 3 or 4 weeks.
I spent most of my money on beer, tools and guns, the rest I foolishly squandered on stupid stuff!

Offline Ronnal

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Starters - Pitch whole, or crash & decant?
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2019, 02:01:39 pm »
As a general rule, I crash my starter, but I do it to taste the beer before I pitch. It gives me an idea that the yreast is healthy and produces flavours and aromas I am happy with. If I am happy with it, I pitch the hole thing in.