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I have a bottle of homebrew with Vermont yeast and another with American ale 2. I want to build this yeast up to a 2l starter for a 23l brew. Is there a idiots guide about?
I'd opt for 5.6pH dextrose agar and VERY good hygiene as the risk of contamination is substantial. I'm actually about to try and do a la Chouffe one, but that's in a cleanroom with laminar airflow.
Edit: grow it out on agar and use that strain to make the starter, to prevent contamination ofcourse. You might also want to keep the pH around 5.5pH to make it a little harder for pathogens.
From a microbiological standpoint that makes me cringe, but if it works.. it isn't stupid. For my ease of mind I'd rather invest in some cheap chinese petridishes and buy some sabouraud agar. 20 petridishes will cost you about 10 quid and the agar is another 10 quid (sufficient for about 36 petridishes)..
So for about 20 quid you can grow out about 9 different strains of yeast (as much volume as you like). And you don't have to do all at once.
I can understand the described method is a lot cheaper and easier (and it can work perfectly well for 1000 times if you work hygienically), but I think it's just a discipline thing that snug in..
Your solution is by the way quite an effective method. A little gas stove or bunsen burner would even be better, but it works very well like described.
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