Yeast Starters

Something I have learned over the years is, everyone says you need to make a yeast starter for each batch.  I never did one.  I thought it was too much work and too hard.  Everything seemed over my head when I would try to read about it or figure it all out.

Then I meet a guy that is now in the little brew club I started with some fiends (Big Brew Theory).  He ran me through everything (few time), and I realized it isn't all that hard.  I ended up taking a step further (with my buddies help) and not only do I make yeast starters, I cultivate the yeast too. 

What I means is, I start out like I am doing a yeast starter, but I let the yeast go on a stir plate (that I built) for much longer.  Then I pour that starter into jars and refrigerate it.  By doing this, I have taken a yeast tube or smack pack and turned it from one beer into three.  It was costing me about 13 bucks (in purchase and shipping) per beer for my yeast.  Now that 13 bucks is getting me at least 4 beers.

I wanted to post some pictures of the stuff in action.

This was at hour 1.  (Not much going on)

This was at hour 12.  (There was a bit of action)



This was at hour 48.  (The action had died down)

This was at hour 72.  (Not much had changed)

Here were the jars with the yeasties.  (These jars worked great, it split into the 4 perfectly)

This was the start of the yeast starter for brew day.  (Not much going on)

By the 8th hour the yeasties were having a party.

I stopped the starter after 12 hours.  I put the flask in the fridge and cooled it so the yeast would settle.  I pulled most of the stuff off the top of the yeast, left a little bit in the flask and shook it up to get all the yeast of the bottom just before pitching.

I am stocked the stir plate worked so well, and from what I can see, within 12 hours the yeasties are having a good time in the carboy.

If anyone is interested in the stir plate, I will post some pictures and a step by step on how I built mine so that you can do this too.