Updates to Stuff I Said on the Show

[jamilz]

Jamil et al...

You mentioned being concerned about Star san residue in your kegs affecting our head retention.

Why not just drain and dry the kegs upside-down? Pasteur proved that microbes cannot migrate UP without assistance, and assuming your area is wind-free, this should be enough protection to prevent contaminants. Besides, the beer should have enough alcohol to hamper other microbial growth anyway, no?

Good question. I do use Star San in my kegs. I do worry about the amount of Star San in the keg affecting head retention, so I invert the keg and drain out any liquid. I don't bother letting it dry, as I think the reside would still be there and I don't think it makes a lot of difference.

All in all, Star San is an excellent product and I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I just make sure I dump the couple ounces that collects in the kegs before use.

[Guest]

Jamil - I've been doing some research in preparation for attending school soon and I've been consistently seeing reported fermentation temperatures much higher than my usual (which is 60F) -- anywhere from 65 to 72F.

My understanding is that lower temperatures give cleaner beer, but some of my favorite brews are listed as having much higher fermentation temps than I've been comfortable using. Obviously, this excludes saisons, belgians and hefeweizens, but can you shed some of your knowledge on fermentation temps for styles\yeast?

NZ

[jamilz]

That is a huge question. The brief answer would be that it depends on the strain of yeast and the environment (number of cells, wort composition, etc.). Temperature is just one factor.

Yes, to a certain extent, a colder fermentation results in a less estery beer, but not always the "cleanest" beer and not always the least ester production either. There are a number of factors involved.

Probably the biggest problem with too low a fermentation temperature is a sluggish fermentation, which can result in an overly sweet beer and/or contamination getting ahead of the yeast.

The temperature you list, 60F, would be too cold for most ale yeasts and too warm for most lagers.

As a very general rule, Belgians are fermented warm, 72 - 85F. German Hefe cooler, around 62 - 67F (though a lot of homebrewers ferment it way too warm). California, English, and other ales of that type around 65 - 70F. And lager yeasts around 43 - 55F.

I know I'm generalizing excessively here, but I hope this brief answer helps.

[Guest]

That's good news! White Labs will have to update their FAQ (it still shows 30 to 50 billion cells, in the 'What is Pitchable' section).

http://www.whitelabs.com/faq.html

I had said on the last show that White Labs was shipping vials with 30 to 50 billion cells. They've increased that amount to 70 to 120 billion cells, depending on the yeast strain. That is great news!

I've updated the information on my site to reflect this, but wanted to mention it here for anyone listening to the archives.

[Pizzmeister]

Hmm, I guess I forgot to log in before posting this...

That's good news! White Labs will have to update their FAQ (it still shows 30 to 50 billion cells, in the 'What is Pitchable' section).

http://www.whitelabs.com/faq.html

I had said on the last show that White Labs was shipping vials with 30 to 50 billion cells. They've increased that amount to 70 to 120 billion cells, depending on the yeast strain. That is great news!

I've updated the information on my site to reflect this, but wanted to mention it here for anyone listening to the archives.

[BigBadBrad]

Hey Jamil,

First, thanks for all the help you have already given me via email. I have a question regarding stir plates. I have never used one and I am considering buying one. You mentioned making a 2 liter starter, but the largest flask I see on B3 is 2 liters. That doesn't leave much headspace. Does the vortex prevent the krausen from rising and filling what little head space there is?

[jamilz]

The vortex does keep the foaming down, but sometimes it can get out of hand. You can get a 3 liter flask or you can get some foam control. One drop of foam control will take care of it. B3 sells it.

I'm glad I could help.