Yeast starter

[aldee]

Made a starter this week,wyeast 1098 brit ale activator,added to 100 gm light dme/1lt water, stir plate 24 hrs, added 400gm/ water to make up 4lts, stir plate 40 hrs, chilled for 12 hrs.Surprised how little yeast is in bottom of conical. plan to pour off liquid, split sediment and keep half for later, restart the rest.
( bugger, gotta learn how to resize photos )

[Mike Neilson]

I reacon there will be about 100mls of compacted extremly viable yeast there. it all depends what your pitching into!!

[aldee]

So you wouldn't expect any more than that Mike? Never let them settle out before but thought I'd seen photos wthe 2 or 3 times that amount.
I intend to store half away for later and build the rest up for an IPA, 1050 og around 4.5%, harvest and rinse the cake for a porter.

[Mike Neilson]

Dont stress as your yeast isnt it. If your concerned about pitch rates buy a microscope, but in my opinion use Mr Malty trust it and if you dont get results your after address it then. Pitch, under pitch, over pitch is a huge topic and I believe you need to now the strain (pitch rate pitch temp fermentation temp etc) before you can comment that 'its an over pitch' (unless you use 1L of yeast in 200mls of beer you know what I mean)

This is what I do, I make a 4L starter normaly 3-4 days before I brew, let it floc (0deg) Brew a beer say 1.050. I decant the beer off the top of the starter, mix in sterile water enogh to make a tight slurry, I measure out in this beer about 60-70mls 10-20mls more than I need due to added water I added as you normaly need about 10mls per .010 of beer of the tightest, tightest most viable yeast per 20L (Ale) (lager rate get a life Ales is wheres it at lol; X 3-4 for Lager))

Once measured; I tip the rest into a sterilized vessel for next time. Some times it a pitchable ammont some times it not?

[aldee]

Thanks Mike, appreciate your thoughts.

[martin w]

am i reading this correct? from 4 litres you drain off the liquid and pitch approx 70 mls of the slurry? - still trying to get my head around starters!