Starter from yeast in bottle

[mike]

I am gonna try experiment #2 this weekend and brew another beer. As you might know i made a little mistake on my last beer which resulted in a 1/4 inch layer of yeast on the bottom of the bottle.

What I plan to do is use this yeast to make a starter since i will be using essentially the same ingrediants as last time.

I am not exactly sure on how to do this -- but i will try using the following steps. Pour beer into glass leaving about an inch of beer in the bottle --- sanitize the lip and pour in 2 inches of water (pre-boiled and lukewarm of course) --- swish it around to suspend all the yeast --- and then pour it into a milk jug. I figure 3 bottles worth will give me enough for a starter (24 hours before brewing wort)

At this point make a very very light starter wort to bring starter volume up to half a gallon and let it sit for 24 hours at 70 Degree's.

Let me know what you guys think of this. Will this work or should I just pitch pre-packaged yeast instead?

I am working uder the assumption that yeast used in a similar recipe might provide better attenuation.

[mike]

Here is my recipe

7 lbs light malt extract
2 lbs dark malt extract
1 lbs british light crystal
1 lbs american 2 row
1 oz fuggles hops
2 oz saaz hops


Used yeast from my last brew --- there was some left in the bottom of the bottles --- used 2 bottles worth made a 1-quart starter from the extract. Let rest @70 degree's for 24 hours. Half inch yeast cake on bottom of milk jug (i love my milk jugs) same malty smell as last time -- but i could smell the hops from last batch as well.

30 minute mash
1 lbs british light crystal
1 lbs american 2 row
mash in 140 degree's
mash out 150 degree's

1 hour boil time.

15 min. 1oz Fuggles@4.6%AA
30 min. 1oz Saaz@3.6%AA
60 min. 1oz Saaz @3.6%AA

(let rest for 15 minutes @200 degree's)
OG 1.072 @ 80 degree's


Little bit darker than last time, hopefully it will be a richer, fuller beer.

[BeanoMan]

I recommend fermentation above 70 deg F. Remember the difference in taste from 58 to 68 degrees fermentation temp in the Kolsch we tasted at Bob's. Get more Ale flavor/character.

[mike]

looks like i am going to end up fermenting around 74-75 degree's.

i do not really have a way to controll temperature very well, so it will be room temperature.

the things is bubbling like crazy. Last bast the most i got was 15-20 bubbles a minute.

This time i am getting around 40-45 bubbles a minute if not more.

I might be able to rack this one after 3 days instead of 4 from the last batch.



Thanks for the tip Doug, I appreciate any and all input I get from you guys.

[mike]

OG=1.072
FG=1.023

Alcohol = 6.3%

little higher than i did on my first batch. bottled 2 - 12oz bottles in case i decide to put this one in a competition. Also shook it up a little for the last bottle so I can have a nice healthy yeast culture for the next batch -- put it directly into the fridge after bottling --- hopefully this will keep for a month until i decide to brew again.