James, you say you use the slurry (trub) in the bottom of the FV to re-pitch. I thought that this trub, if left in contact with the beer, could lead to off flavours...hence the reason for racking to a secondary FV. So my question is, do you acid wash this "harvest"? If not, I would have thought you would run the risk of tainting future brews.
Just a thought.
What's everyone's next brew ?
-
James
That’s a fair point BB.
Re-using slurry is a totally OK way to re-pitch yeast, lots of people do it. Its also the easiest, which is why I do it! You can also get a lot of yeast doing it that way, which I think is better than skimming.
If you decant as much of slurry into a clear glass container, set it in the fridge and wait about 5 days, it will naturally settle out usually into about three layers – beer at the top, ‘stuff’ in the middle and yeast at the bottom. Decant off until you’ve got the yeast. Simple.
Even if you just ‘chuck the lot’ into a new batch, the percentage of trub is so small in comparison to the new clean batch of beer. It is leaving fermented beer on a large bed of trub that is really the problem.
The last time I got yeast form a brewery they gave me slurry - Nuff said!
Good info on yeast re-use and pitching rates here - http://www.mrmalty.com/pitching.php
JC
[EDIT] > More info here> http://byo.com/mrwizard/1397.html
Re-using slurry is a totally OK way to re-pitch yeast, lots of people do it. Its also the easiest, which is why I do it! You can also get a lot of yeast doing it that way, which I think is better than skimming.
If you decant as much of slurry into a clear glass container, set it in the fridge and wait about 5 days, it will naturally settle out usually into about three layers – beer at the top, ‘stuff’ in the middle and yeast at the bottom. Decant off until you’ve got the yeast. Simple.
Even if you just ‘chuck the lot’ into a new batch, the percentage of trub is so small in comparison to the new clean batch of beer. It is leaving fermented beer on a large bed of trub that is really the problem.
The last time I got yeast form a brewery they gave me slurry - Nuff said!
Good info on yeast re-use and pitching rates here - http://www.mrmalty.com/pitching.php
JC
[EDIT] > More info here> http://byo.com/mrwizard/1397.html
-
BlightyBrewer
-
Andy
- Virtually comatose but still standing
- Posts: 8716
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:00 pm
- Location: Ash, Surrey
- Contact:
Fermentation progress is definitely slowing, the yeast head is reducing in volume....
Should take a SG reading I guess, any tips for collecting a sample of wort for the hydrometer tube with the minimum of disturbance to the yeast head ?
This is where I'm tempted by a refractometer, indeed it's tempting at all stages of the brewing process for obtaining a SG reading with minimal sample size and regardless of temperature etc. (I know that during fermentation a refractomer reading needs some maths applying to it to conpensate for the alcohol but spreadsheets and Promash etc can do this for you easily).
Should take a SG reading I guess, any tips for collecting a sample of wort for the hydrometer tube with the minimum of disturbance to the yeast head ?
This is where I'm tempted by a refractometer, indeed it's tempting at all stages of the brewing process for obtaining a SG reading with minimal sample size and regardless of temperature etc. (I know that during fermentation a refractomer reading needs some maths applying to it to conpensate for the alcohol but spreadsheets and Promash etc can do this for you easily).
QUOTE (andy @ Jan 25 2006, 02:42 PM) ...any tips for collecting a sample of wort for the hydrometer tube with the minimum of disturbance to the yeast head ?
I just float the hydrometer in the fermenter. You only need to make a small gap in the head (which you can do with the hydrometer itself).
It's not so easy to get level with the surface to remove paralax errors, but you can read it near enough for an indication of how the fermentation's doing.
I just float the hydrometer in the fermenter. You only need to make a small gap in the head (which you can do with the hydrometer itself).
It's not so easy to get level with the surface to remove paralax errors, but you can read it near enough for an indication of how the fermentation's doing.
-
James
Go one of these form my local shop http://www.fermtech.on.ca/thief/thief.html (it’s probably the only useful thing iv’e bought there!) you drop your hydrometer inside it, then dip the ‘theif’ into your beer (it will automatically fill up)
Pull it out (doesn’t leak/drip), take a reading, and then push the tip of the thief against the side of the FV – it’ll then return the beer to the FV. I thoroughly recommend it, think it was about £8. Expensive, but I think its great.
JC
Pull it out (doesn’t leak/drip), take a reading, and then push the tip of the thief against the side of the FV – it’ll then return the beer to the FV. I thoroughly recommend it, think it was about £8. Expensive, but I think its great.
JC
-
bitter_dave
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2070
- Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:00 pm
- Location: Whitley Bay
-
Andy
- Virtually comatose but still standing
- Posts: 8716
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:00 pm
- Location: Ash, Surrey
- Contact:
QUOTE (James @ Jan 20 2006, 10:33 AM) I'd get in contact with yout local water board and get them to send a water quality report through, this will give you a whole host of info, in addition to Ph. It should be free too. (and also be more accurate, most Ph kits and indeed chemical-based water testing kits are not all that accurate).
JC
Received a water analysis report for my domestic supply...
:blink:
http://www.knownentity.com/misc/Hogsbac ... 0Zone..xls
JC
Received a water analysis report for my domestic supply...
:blink:
http://www.knownentity.com/misc/Hogsbac ... 0Zone..xls