Just tried culturing Ommegang breweries belgian yeasy strain. Put it in a mason jar with 1.025 gravity wort. Two bottles worth of yeast slurry. It's been 3 days and no activity. I heard it takes some time. Should I dump it or wait a few days?
Give it a few more days, then step it up. First prop from a bottle can go so fast you never see it. It wakes the yeast up. No problem. Just be patient. Second step is usually "funner" to "watch".
What activity are you looking for? Some of my wheat starters don't produce any krausen until near the end and even then it's a thin layer at best; however ... early on ... you can see CO2 breaking the surface vigorously. Then again ... Hi-K fermentation phase ... such as it is ... may have come and gone while you slept. Can you test a drop or two with a refractometer?
Not to take away from your questions, but I have one question myself (and I'm a newb that's never cultered before). How do you have wort before you brew the beer? Do you have to actually take the time to brew a small batch of wort just to culture yeast with or is it as simple as mixing some malt extract in water and throwing yeast in? Thanks and sorry if I'm taking away from your questions...
Yes. Dry malt extract in water. You want the gravity to be low like 1.020 so you don't over stress the yeast.
I just cultured the dregs off of two bottles of Hennepin and has been sitting in 1.020 wort from light dme. The temp in my cndo is 70 degrees. It's been 1 week and there seems to be a thicker layer of yeast forming on the bottom. Not compacting like other yeast but floating around. When I swirl the mason jar with the lid on tight I get a white head with small bubbles going up the side. I tested the wort two days later and no drop in gravity. I cold crashed it and started to see what appeared to be a fingernail of healthy white yeast settling on top of that thicker floaty looking yeast. Are those thick floaties dead yeast? It seems to be taking a long time for the yeasy to multiply. I haven't seen any small krausen form in the mason jar yet. Should I just wait longer? The carbonation is a sign of fermentation tho right?
Could be trub, like cold break. If you have CO2 escaping when you shake it up, and white yeast layer when it settles, I would say all is going well. Are you leaving the container sealed, or is there exchange of O2 and CO2? You won't want a completely closed system so it isn't under pressure.
First question, add yeast nutrition to help out the yeast and stir the crap out of it. What temp is it at? I would keep it around 70. Ld1 the bottom darker layer is Trub. Crap you don't want. The layer on it and the stuff floating is yeast. The good stuff you do want. Above that when it all settles is just beer. Without disturbing the crap layer on the bottom Decant the yeast into a clean container with some fresh wort and start again. Should take right off. . Keep it clean and good luck.
Did you shake the mason jar at all after first putting in the bottle dregs? I was suggested to step up bottle dregs with this procedure and it has worked every time, even multiples times on the same beer (heady). - make a small starter, 200-300mL, of 1.010 wort and chill. - pour starter wort and dregs into a mason jar or growler and swirl often for 24 hours. - after 24 hours, make a larger 1L starter of 1.035 wort and put on a stir plate for 2-3 days. at that point, you can assume anywhere from 75-100 billion cells (if the yeast weren't old). I normally stick to 100 and have never underpitched a beer when using that figure to work from. I have also never seen krausen form in the mason jar with such a small starter. You should see a krausen form on the step up and should have a nice layer when cold crashed. Hopefully this all helps, cheers!
