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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> General Forum --> Homebrewing Links --> Yeast Pitch Rate - Pt. 2: Viable Cell Count vs. Vitality | xBmt Results!

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brulosopher
Charter Member
Fresno, CA
167 Posts


Over the last few years, homebrewers have been made very aware of the importance of proper yeast pitch rates, which many ensure by making a starter a few days prior to brewing. While this certainly increases cell counts, it has little impact on the vitality of the yeast, a factor purported to be just as, if not more, important than viable cell count. In this xBmt, Ray Found compares a conventional yeast starter to a method designed to improve yeast vitality, results are in!

http://brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/yeast-pitch-rate-pt-2-viable-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/



Posted 34 days ago.

ingoogni
nl
314 Posts


The method comes form Boulton & Quain who also started oxygenating for yeast growth. In a pro brewery where there "always" is a slurry available it is indeed good practice to oxygenate the slurry plus some wort with the goal to increase vitality. Many German brewers do not oxygenate their main batchof wort but use this method to get a "cleaner" beer. In all cases they also pitch the "proper" amount of cells, where the bandwidth of proper is rather large. In home brewing I never oxygenate my wort (if < ~1080), just use a good starter.




Posted 34 days ago.

brulosopher
Charter Member
Fresno, CA
167 Posts


That's right! Colin just emailed me an image of Boulton & Quain's book where they discuss this method.



Posted 34 days ago.

ingoogni
nl
314 Posts


Oops, I wrote Oxygenate where it should be aerate. Don't use pure oxygen on your starters as you can over oxygenate and push the yeast in overdrive, it will reproduce like mad and ferment your wort without producing alcohol.




Posted 34 days ago.

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