Safale K-97 Fermentis.

[molc]

1.040 is your target og for the starter. If you have a mash around that level spare after a big beer, you can use that runoff, otherwise just go with 10:1 water to dme boiled for 10 mins to sanatize.

[armedcor]

Yep I use a 1.030 wort nothing massive. The smack pack is an "activator" basically it's a bit of nutrient and a way of seeing that your yeast is still alive.

[Greg2013]

1.040 is your target og for the starter. If you have a mash around that level spare after a big beer, you can use that runoff, otherwise just go with 10:1 water to dme boiled for 10 mins to sanatize.

Gotcha thanks for that.

Yep I use a 1.030 wort nothing massive. The smack pack is an "activator" basically it's a bit of nutrient and a way of seeing that your yeast is still alive.

Cool i dint realize that tbh,i always thought the smack pack was the starter,told ya i know nothing about liquid yeast lol. How long will a clean sample in a jar keep for in the fridge in my kitchen ?

[molc]

Keep the clean sample in the original vial after your first growth phase and it will keep for 3 months with no issues. I recently grew a 6 month old vial and it kicked off perfectly after a day lag. Vial is now refilled and the clock is reset.

[Greg2013]

Keep the clean sample in the original vial after your first growth phase and it will keep for 3 months with no issues. I recently grew a 6 month old vial and it kicked off perfectly after a day lag. Vial is now refilled and the clock is reset.

So basically i grow up the original vial or smack pack over say a week,the split it in two and decant half back into the vial or other jar to keep in fridge and use the second half to brew with ? 

[armedcor]

Keep the clean sample in the original vial after your first growth phase and it will keep for 3 months with no issues. I recently grew a 6 month old vial and it kicked off perfectly after a day lag. Vial is now refilled and the clock is reset.

So basically i grow up the original vial or smack pack over say a week,the split it in two and decant half back into the vial or other jar to keep in fridge and use the second half to brew with ? 

Exactly! Over time the yeast character will slightly change but look now you've got a "house"  yeast.

[Greg2013]

Keep the clean sample in the original vial after your first growth phase and it will keep for 3 months with no issues. I recently grew a 6 month old vial and it kicked off perfectly after a day lag. Vial is now refilled and the clock is reset.

So basically i grow up the original vial or smack pack over say a week,the split it in two and decant half back into the vial or other jar to keep in fridge and use the second half to brew with ? 

Hmm ESB brewed with a kolsch yeast sounds interesting.

Exactly! Over time the yeast character will slightly change but look now you've got a "house"  yeast.

[Greg2013]

Well i am rightly bolliked for brewing this weekend now.HBC and Geterbrewed have no Kolsch yeast in stock and HBW haave no liquid yeast at all,i really am not meant to brew these beers i think lol.

[Leann ull]

Don't be blaming these poor guys for your planning! I thought Kolsch was a seasonal strain!
Edit no it's not!

[nigel_c]

No liquid yeast in HBW for a good while now. Saying that though, putting in an ordere Thursday afternoon for a weekend brewday was never going to work even if they had the yeast in stock. You could try nottingham at a low temp (15-16c) if you have it.

I have a Kolsch starter on for brewday Saturday. Sorry.

[Leann ull]

Hey Nigel were you the fecker that nicked my European ale yeast as well
Have to get my shit together on slanting at some point

[molc]

I hear you on that. At this stage I'm trying to keep 4 yeast strains alive and it's probably more hassle than its worth.

Total sidebar, but we really should figure out a way to centralize slanting in Dublin. I know partridge was doing some as well. Would be so handy for moments like this to have somewhere to go and pick up a sample.

[nigel_c]

I've started building up a starter, save the last drop for James , and a vial for myself. Building up a nice catalog of yeasts. Few days and I can have any of the strains built up.
I've been saying this for a long time that local clubs should have a yeast bank of some sort.

[molc]

Are you slanting your vial or just regrowing them every 3 months or so?

[nigel_c]

No slants yet but it is on my to do list.
Ones that get forgotten about get sacrificed to the brewing gods in the boil.