59 replies to this topic

[johnpreuss]

Like Chils said I have done this... probably not the way anyone wants to talk about but but yes I had success using a smack pack straight into the 1 gallon starter and then into the fermenter about 30-35 hours later.  All I can say is WOW is t hat yeast clean.  It is absolutely amazing.  I will do this with every lager going forward. 

 

I have to agree with Chils on the amount of $$$ wasted making starters.  DME is not cheap... Canning wort / freezing wort... That is a brew day for me.. and I don't have enough time the way it is.  This is a great way to make my cheap a$$ happy.

[Big Nake]

This is interesting. I would say that the upside may be a little less for me because I typically can get my lager wort close to 50° in the first place and I rack from kettle to primary so I get "less" schputz into the primary from the start. But I'm sure I do get SOME schputz in the primary (break material, some hop schputz) and I would also probably be pitching less yeast than I should if it were a batch that used a starter as opposed to slurry from a previous batch. This process would help me to pitch a more reasonable amount of yeast... because I'm pitching it into less wort. The idea of transferring the large amount of wort to a new primary is both a plus and a minus for me... I hate the idea of mucking with the wort once it's in primary but I love the idea of getting it off the schputz. Hmm, a chin-rubbing situation for sure! 

Edited by KenLenard, 09 October 2014 - 06:27 AM.

[positiveContact]

if yeast harvesting is not a concern I say don't fear the scputz™.

Edited by Evil_Morty, 09 October 2014 - 06:48 AM.

[Big Nake]

if yeast harvesting is not a concern I say don't fear the scputz™.

I do harvest yeast from primary to pitch into subsequent batches but when I transfer wort from kettle to primary, I get about 4 gallons of crystal-clear wort followed by some amount of schputzy wort (which goes through a sanitized strainer) so there is SOME solid material in there but a small amount.

[JMcG]

How viable is freezing the yeast?

Need to use a 10% glycerin solution to keep the ice crystals from breaking the yeast walls.  Must be stored in freezer without "frost free" function to prevent freeze/thaw cycle.  Might be able to store in a small cooler packed with blue ice inside a standard freezer.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Need to use a 10% glycerin solution to keep the ice crystals from breaking the yeast walls.  Must be stored in freezer without "frost free" function to prevent freeze/thaw cycle.  Might be able to store in a small cooler packed with blue ice inside a standard freezer.

 

I just read about that. Leaving it in a rubbing alcohol bath prevents the freeze/thaw cycle from hurting the yeast.

[Steve Urquell]

Like Chils said I have done this... probably not the way anyone wants to talk about but but yes I had success using a smack pack straight into the 1 gallon starter and then into the fermenter about 30-35 hours later.  All I can say is WOW is t hat yeast clean.  It is absolutely amazing.  I will do this with every lager going forward.  I have to agree with Chils on the amount of $$$ wasted making starters.  DME is not cheap... Canning wort / freezing wort... That is a brew day for me.. and I don't have enough time the way it is.  This is a great way to make my cheap a$$ happy.

Do you still have that pic of your harvest? I'd like to see it.

[johnpreuss]

Do you still have that pic of your harvest? I'd like to see it.

 

You know I forgot to take the pic but the slurry is still in the fridge.  I'll snap shot of it tonight.... I might just use that tonight/this weekend.

[johnpreuss]

 

I'd say that's some clean yeast... I have another slurry from an APA that didn't use this method... it's green to say the least.... nothing like this slurry. This one makes me not want to use anything that doesn't look like this.

[johnpreuss]

Ok I had to post a side by side comparison of the two slurries.  The dark one is from my AAA that was heavily hopped and the one on the right is the yeast from the lager that I used Chils method on.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Very nice. Thanks for the pics.

[MyaCullen]

so you are basically krausening?

[Steve Urquell]

so you are basically krausening?

As I understand it, Kräusening would be adding actively fermenting beer to already fermented beer to carbonate or clean up fermentation flaws. The Germans use the term Drauflassen to mean building up yeast count by holding unfermented wort until the starter is actively fermenting.https://braukaiser.c...tle=Drauflassen

[MyaCullen]

As I understand it, Kräusening would be adding actively fermenting beer to already fermented beer to carbonate or clean up fermentation flaws. The Germans use the term Drauflassen to mean building up yeast count by holding unfermented wort until the starter is actively fermenting.https://braukaiser.c...tle=Drauflassen

cool, almost like the Burton Union concept where the first batch pitches itself into the next

 

I am intrigued to try this, but am a little scared to leave unpitched wort for 30 hours

[MtnBrewer]

Give it a few days on this side before sending it over there. Let us discuss the details. Good feedback coming in from the members.

I created a FAQ entry from your OP and pointed a link at this thread so that the discussion is not lost. Let me know if you'd like to make any edits.

[denny]

if yeast harvesting is not a concern I say don't fear the scputz™.

 

I harvest yeast from every batch including the schputz.  It just doesn't matter.

[3rd party JKor]

I'm not worried about the schputz, but having clean yeast does make it easier to hit consistent pitching rates.  You just never know exactly how much schputz is in there!  I've left my boiled/chilled wort in my kettle for a few hours to let trub settle, I've also used the bottom valve in my conical to dump trub after a several hour rest at temp.  I don't think it affects the beer in any great way, just makes yeast harvesting easier.

[Big Nake]

My attorneys have notified me that the use of the word schputz, a registered trademark of the Mayfair Court Brewhouse, is rampant in this thread. They will be taking action shortly and you will all be receiving a letter bomb warning by mail.

[positiveContact]

I'm bringing this thread back!

[neddles]

I'm bringing this thread back!

 

To get an answer as to why overpitching the draulaussen starter doesn't produce off flavors in the final beer?

 

I don't know why but my N=1 with the technique produced a blonde lager with no detectable off flavors as far as I could tell.