Wyeast 1318

What? There's an incredible amount of food in the first part! It's 1/4 the size of a regular starter, and the gravity is much higher. Also, they're only in the first part for no more than an hour. A starter will go for a full day. When they first hit this first part all they see is lots of food. Then, while they've hardly even started their appetite, they're already in the wort raring to go.

 

Please read what I said about space. Food and space. The food is dense, but it's packed into too small a volume. The yeast will not propagate. The inoculation rate is just too high.

Before you go on, please answer this question: Do you think the yeast will be propagating in your 'headstart?' I'd like to know your position on that, because I think you're not understanding what I'm trying to tell you.

 

I just brewed 2 days ago and used 1318. I smacked it at the start of brewing and when I pitched it, it was already popping off 4 hrs later. Use a blow off because this yeast is active.

 

All that's important is that by using this method (and I have used it for over a decade, and recommended by others) my wort will be fermenting vigorously only a couple of hours after pitching. This quick ferment will help avoid any wild bacteria from taking hold. The beer turns out excellent, so I only see advantages by this method. Any lack of propagation (if any) - in the first half to on hour - will be very minimal, especially considering the yeast has barely started during that time.

If you have studies that prove otherwise - considering this one hour headstart - I would like to see them.

 

As far as I know, there are no studies that prove that this 'headstart' is beneficial or harmful. Why would there be? No there's no logical reason for anyone to have studied it. Just maybe, it helps prevent infections. But that would have to be a small advantage, if any, since people who practice good sanitation rarely get them anyway. Do you have studies to support your position that there is some benefit? I apologize in advance for not taking your assessment of your own beer as excellent as evidence.

Since you didn't really answer my question..."Do you think the yeast will be propagating in your 'headstart?'"... I'll help you out. No, they won't. And so they will have to switch gears when you then dump them in the main beer wort. Do you know that yeast make different enzymes, transport mechanisms, and other compounds depending on what they think they will be doing, based on their assessment of their environment? This takes work and resources. Would you tell a kid to go put on football equipment and then hand him a baseball? It's a strained analogy, but the point is you're getting your yeast ready to (and starting to) do one thing, then suddenly changing their goals.

 

Yeah, right, yeast are just like kids playing football, analyzing their environment, making calculations on how much food they have left for the game, etc. I think you're over-analyzing all this. It works great for me for over a decade, and has been recommended by others long ago, so I see no reason not to continue. Much of making beer is trial and error. What works - works.

 

Okey Doke.

 

1318 is a monster i doubt it will matter unless its a very high gravity beer.