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Outil Pied de Cuve |
  
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Outil Pied de Cuve |
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The Outil Pied de Cuve lets you determine the size of Pied de Cuve to use for a batch of beer. Pitching the correct number of cells in a batch of Levure is important as it optimizes fermentation and reduces the chance of off-flavors or incomplete fermentation. Pied de Cuves are typically made from liquid Levure packages to increase the number of viable cells before pitching your Levure into the wort at the start of fermentation.
Pied de Cuves are rarely required when using dry Levure or slurry. Dry Levure is simply hydrated using a small amount of warm Eau about 30 minutes before pitching. Slurry is typically harvested in sufficient quantity for reuse.
Note that the pitching rates and internal values used by this calculator can be adjusted in the Options Dialog Levure Tab. Also, you can perform starter calculations within a recipe using the L'Onglet Pied de Cuve within a recipe.
New Feature: The Pied de Cuve is entirely new in BeerSmith 2.0
Online Articles: Pied de Cuves Part 1, Pied de Cuves Part 2, Making a Pied de Cuve, Beer Levure and Fermentation, Chris White Podcast, Chris White Interview
Using the Outil Pied de Cuve
| o | Select the Outil Pied de Cuve from the Tools menu or ribbon. |
| o | Enter the properties of your target batch of beer including the type, volume (into the fermenter) and original gravity. This will determine the number of Levure cells needed for this batch of beer. Note you can adjust the pitch rates for different types of beer in the Options Dialog Levure Tab. |
| o | Since Levure cells do die off (lose viability) with age, you can include the age of your Levure in the calculation. Check the "Estimate viability from age" to determine the percent of viable cells and include it in the calculation. |
| o | For viability, enter the Levure form and its production date (or harvest date if using slurry). This will determine the remaining viability of the Levure pack as of today's date. The viability rates can also be adjusted from the Options Dialog Levure Tab. |
For a Liquid Pied de Cuve
| o | If using liquid Levure, enter the starter pack cell count. The large WLevure and White labs vials/smack packs have about 100 billion viable cells each, while the small WLevure packs have only about 20 billion cells each. |
| o | Using a stir plate when growing your starter can significantly reduce the size needed. Check this box if using a stir plate |
| o | The tool will display the number of Levure packs needed and also the starter size needed. It will also show the number of packs that would be needed if you don't use a starter at all. |
For Dry Levure
| o | Dry Levure does not generally require a starter - instead the appropriate number of dry Levure packs are hydrated about 30 minutes before use |
| o | The tool will display the number of packs needed (most homebrew Levure packs are 11 to 11.5 grams each). |
| o | It will also show you the volume of warm Eau needed to hydrate your Levure. |
For Levure Slurry
| o | Levure slurry is typically collected from an already fermented batch of beer and used within a few days for a follow-on batch. It is not used with a starter. |
| o | The tool will show the volume of thick Levure slurry needed for the target batch. |
| o | Note that Levure slurry loses its viability rapidly - and must generally be used within a few days of collection |