Brown Ale

[delboy]

It would seem a short starter with the dry yeasts is the way to go, i imagine the info from Danstar was meant to put people off doing a 24-48hr starter where you would actually deplete the reserves (several billion yeast in a pint of wort would exhaust it in a few hours).
Obviously jim and DaaB have hit open a window were the yeast get woken up and start adapting to their environment but that before they munch up all the goodies in the starter and move onto their own stores they are being pitched into the main wort.
Thanks to both for sharing the info

[Scooby]

A while ago Danstar published information saying that making a starter would deplete the nutrient reserves that they packed into the yeast and advised against it so everyone stopped making starters except me it seems. After finding Jims web page I decided to give them a go, it worked so well I decided to make it earlier into the boil and it worked even better...As far as i'm concerned Danstar can keep their advice, I e-mailed them to ask them if there is any reason I shouldn't continue to use this method, i'm still waiting for the reply 6 months later.

I suppose I did it all those years ago to 'prove' the yeast, the only stuff you could get was 'brewers yeast' that worked sometimes and not others if the starter failed you didn't brew and made another one. ( I went over to lifting it from Guinness) Old habits die hard but the theory is fine and it worked so I kept doing it.

We have so much information at our finger tips these days which is great, but we are in danger of getting overloaded.

The trick is sorting out the wheat from the chaff and guys here have done a great job of demonstrating how to do that

Still reckon it's beat to make the starter with 2 packs though

[Scooby]

It would seem a short starter with the dry yeasts is the way to go, i imagine the info from Danstar was meant to put people off doing a 24-48hr starter where you would actually deplete the reserves (several billion yeast in a pint of wort would exhaust it in a few hours).
Obviously jim and DaaB have hit open a window were the yeast get woken up and start adapting to their environment but that before they munch up all the goodies in the starter and move onto their own stores they are being pitched into the main wort.
Thanks to both for sharing the info

Sorry to keep on and not to take anything from Jim and DaaB but DL also states: "A spoonful of dried yeast will be ready within a matter of hours"

That was the way to go then and now

[Scooby]

There is a big difference between the dried yeasts used in Dave Lines time and the yeasts available now.

I mentioned that hence the need to 'prove' the yeast.

Does Dave Line mention expected lag times or pitching rates ?

No and No, just the importance of getting fermentation going as quickly as possible.

See my remarks about information overload

[prolix]

I just chuck in the old safale04 straight from the sachet and away it goes had a bubbly head after an hour and has a head after 4 hours, used to do starters but don't bother with dried yeast as these are spores not buds, fresh yeast needs a starter for sure.

[Scooby]

and how do you stick a nonstick surface to a frying pan

Do you want to know the mechanical or non mechanical method DaaB

I expect you know a third way

[Scooby]

No Nails!

BTW read somewhere that if you soak a nonstick pan in PBW it will lift off the coating haven't tried it

[Scooby]

The bloke from Star San also mentions this in a pod cast. But if teflon is non-stick what was a frying pan doing in PBW anyway

Frying some sausages for Q "wash your mouth out with this"

[delboy]

A bit of topic i know (hasn't anything to do with teflon) but had a peak into the bin and the yeaties are going nuts big krausen head

[Scooby]

A bit of topic i know (hasn't anything to do with teflon) but had a peak into the bin and the yeaties are going nuts big krausen head

Nice one Delboy, sorry about the completely irrelevant discussion on teflon, my fault I think

Likewise not entirely DaaBs fault.

[Gastronaut]

Re Daab's starters, can I pitch in ( ) and say that I tried one last Saturday with Safale and also got a very quick start. Would you suggest using exactly the same method with a Whitelabs yeast?

Andy

[delboy]

Re Daab's starters, can I pitch in ( ) and say that I tried one last Saturday with Safale and also got a very quick start. Would you suggest using exactly the same method with a Whitelabs yeast?

Andy

Its a different ball game with whitelabs, there is nowhere near enough cells in a liquid vial, you need to grow them up for several days before pitching otherwise you will have a very long lag time.

Im sorry i didn't go with your recipe on this brew Andy (the clone brews recipe wasn't even close to the colour and im sure it'll be lacking in the taste department also).
I have an order coming from H&G this week so hopefully next weekend i'll be doing your recipe but with newkie brown hops ie target and goldings

[Gastronaut]

Thanks for the yeast info - I have had problems with very long lag times with White Labs so will definitely make a starter from now on.

Just one bottle of my Practically Mashed left - have been saving it to share with my dad who arrives from Australia tomorrow. Will have to brew it again soon! Let us know how both your brown ales turn out Delboy.

Andy

[DRB]

I've only used whitelabs twice once I tipped it straight into 19lt of wort ,I know I should have done a starter but I didn't after 36 hours nothing so had to throw dryed yeast in,in the end I had to throw it away, as I had a taster out of the fermenter and it was rank.The second one I have made a starter a per jim's way 4lt to split into a few bottles 24 later just starting up.The couple of times i've used the wyeast it has always gone off much better than the whitelabs so from now on when I use liquid i'm going to stick with wyeast,mind you the brewlabs yeast took off like within 4 hours after making up 400ml starter then upped it to a litre first.

[delboy]

48 hrs and its down from 1052 to 1016 using Jims/DaaBs flying starter, tastes like beer already and their is some subtle roastiness coming through.
Hoping it stops tomorrow about 1012 and then i'll leave it about a week to condition before kegging.