[Robert]

   I wonder how many homebrewers actually have the ability to count yeast . If you're not counting, you're guessing.

Homebrewers are too hung up on numbers to quote my friend Chris White.

But we can develop, empirically, valid proxies.  Since my yeast harvesting and repitching procedure and schedule is pretty consistent, I have an intuitive guide to "pitching rate" based on volume of slurry.  More for some beers, less for others.  I don't have any real idea of the cell count, but I know what works in my brewery.  Likewise when propagating a new pitch, I know what volume works for what.  So I think the underlying concept of cell count is valid, we just have to accept we are not approaching it directly, and admit that a little variation in what is anyway an unknown is not worth fretting about.  If you follow a rule of thumb like "pitch half the old cake for lagers, a quarter for ales," for example, you are making assumptions based on relative cell count, if not actual.

[denny]

   I wonder how many homebrewers actually have the ability to count yeast . If you're not counting, you're guessing.

Homebrewers are too hung up on numbers to quote my friend Chris White.

But we can develop, empirically, valid proxies.  Since my yeast harvesting and repitching procedure and schedule is pretty consistent, I have an intuitive guide to "pitching rate" based on volume of slurry.  More for some beers, less for others.  I don't have any real idea of the cell count, but I know what works in my brewery.  Likewise when propagating a new pitch, I know what volume works for what.  So I think the underlying concept of cell count is valid, we just have to accept we are not approaching it directly, and admit that a little variation in what is anyway an unknown is not worth fretting about.  If you follow a rule of thumb like "pitch half the old cake for lagers, a quarter for ales," for example, you are making assumptions based on relative cell count, if not actual.

Obviously that's true.  Based on volume of slurry, I can extrapolate that my cell count is "enough".   That's all I need to know.

[goose]

   I wonder how many homebrewers actually have the ability to count yeast . If you're not counting, you're guessing.

I used to do yeast cell counts when I did my pro-brewing gig.  Yes, you can get really good empircal data from yeast counts and also good viability numbers at the same time to aid in re-pitching the proper amount of cells.  I just don't have the space to set up a lab in my brewery, buy an expensive microscope,  hemocytometer, and methyl blue solution to do so.  Things like Mr. Malty and past experience get me close enough on the homebrew front.

Hmmm, I am starting to take the Denny approach here. 

[denny]

   I wonder how many homebrewers actually have the ability to count yeast . If you're not counting, you're guessing.

I used to do yeast cell counts when I did my pro-brewing gig.  Yes, you can get really good empircal data from yeast counts and also good viability numbers at the same time to aid in re-pitching the proper amount of cells.  I just don't have the space to set up a lab in my brewery, buy an expensive microscope,  hemocytometer, and methyl blue solution to do so.  Things like Mr. Malty and past experience get me close enough on the homebrew front.

Hmmm, I am starting to take the Denny approach here. 

I knew I'd get ya! 

[Robert]

^^^^
Skip Mr Malty, stick with experience. 

[denny]

^^^^
Skip Mr Malty, stick with experience. 

Yep.  Haven't used a yeast calculator in years.

[stpug]

Regarding oxygen:
Low flow for shorter than you think should get you to sufficient oxygen (i.e. 0.25 lpm for 30 seconds in 5 cold gallons should give 8+ppm). Then again, for homebrewing the "realm of reasonable" is HUGE - from doing nothing, to mild shaking, to aquarium pump, to 2 lpm oxygen wand for 2 minutes - it'll all produce a finished beer with little to no discernible difference.  From a commercial standpoint, consistency in finished product is key and yeast health is very important from an expense standpoint, therefore the steps required are dictated differently than at home.

Regarding yeast:
Same as oxygen.  You're throwing grenades at the wort - even somewhat close is well within the margin of error for screwing up the batch.  But again, from a commercial standpoint, things are dictated differently than at home.

Sometimes the more you know, the less you know.
Ignorance can truly be bliss in homebrewing  (not so much in commercial brewing  ) - luckily this is a hombrewing forum!!

[Visor]

^^^^
Skip Mr Malty, stick with experience. 

Yep.  Haven't used a yeast calculator in years.

   What's a yeast calculator ? Can it be downloaded to my ChiComm flip phone?

[coolman26]

Pitching large amounts of healthy yeast reduces or eliminates the need for aeration

I agree with this. I forget who used their DO meter to test this. Their wort had sufficient DO w/o any aeration.


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[steveg297]

Regarding sanitizing a .5 micron stone, I spray starsan down the tube and on the outside, then I push the starsan out of the stone with O2 before I oxygenate the wort.  Once the foaming subsides, place the wand in the wort and oxygenate.  I haven't examined the stone with a microscope, but I think this will sanitize the stone from the inside out.