smmcdermott

Recipes 

Hi All,

This is going to be my first experience with a liquid yeast and starter so I want to make sure I have the timing down. I can only do stuff after 9:30 PM because I am an accountant and have no time so keep that in mind.

I will be brewing on Saturday, possibly Sunday. So here is my thinking, correct me where wrong.

Tuesday night, activate the smack pack
Thursday night, make starter
Swirl starter every chance I get after this.

Does that timing make sense? I just wanted to confirm my thinking. Thanks in advance!

Pappers_

Recipes 

Yes, that seems right. I try to time it so that my starter has been working 24 - 48 hours before pitching. Some people suggest less than that - 16 hours or so.

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mightynintendo

Recipes 

If you're using Wyeast you don't need to wait that long after hitting the smack pack but it isn't going to hurt anything so yeah, that's about right.

__________________
'I know that I am mortal by nature and ephemeral, but when I trace at my pleasure, the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies, I no longer touch earth with my feet. I stand in the presence of Zeus himself, and take my fill of ambrosia.'

—Claudius Ptolemy, AD 150

smmcdermott

Recipes 

ok, so maybe start the actual starter Friday night?

mightynintendo

Recipes 

no i mean you don't have to wait that long to pitch to the starter after smacking the pack. still make the starter thursday but you could smack it wednesday night or even thursday morning or afternoon. After 8 hours or so the Wyeast smack pack has done everything it's going to do.

__________________
'I know that I am mortal by nature and ephemeral, but when I trace at my pleasure, the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies, I no longer touch earth with my feet. I stand in the presence of Zeus himself, and take my fill of ambrosia.'

—Claudius Ptolemy, AD 150

dzlater

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That's what I would do
don't know if it's the correct way
but it works for me

JiveTurkey

Recipes 

You don't need that much time between smacking the pack and making the starter. The swelling of the pack is mainly a viability tester.

Before and initially after the yeast, shake your starter container vigorously to aerate. You can also shake instead of swirl later, which drives off CO2 and re-introduces more oxygen in order to get better reproduction.

Are you planning on dumping the whole starter into your batch or decanting the starter wort and just pitching the yeast cake? If the latter, it's a good idea to chill the starter in the fridge the night before brewing to get the yeast to drop out of suspension.

For what it's worth, here's my method:
-Day 1 (72 hours before brew day): Make starter, aerate by shaking, pitch yeast, aerate. Then, shake some more later.
-Days 2-3: Intermittent shaking. Refrigerate night before (~12-24 hours before) brew day.
-Day 4: Brew day. As I begin brewing, I take starter out of fridge and decant. When ready to pitch, I refill the starter container with enough wort to use to swirl up the yeast cake and pitch.

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In bottles: #2 Honing Wit (Belgian Wit Bier w/honey); #3 Be Hoppy, Not Bitter ("Oregon" Pale Ale: APA using Oregon-inspired ingredients and lots of late-addition/dry-hops); #4 American Red-Head (Irish Red made from American ingredients); #5 Student Power Orange Ale (Orange-hued amber ale for a wedding)
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mightynintendo

Recipes 

+1 to refrigeration. JiveTurkey's method is my SOP too.

__________________
'I know that I am mortal by nature and ephemeral, but when I trace at my pleasure, the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies, I no longer touch earth with my feet. I stand in the presence of Zeus himself, and take my fill of ambrosia.'

—Claudius Ptolemy, AD 150

smmcdermott

Recipes 

Alright, I will try that then. I will smack Thursday morning before work and then pitch to starter Thursday night. Then fridge and decant, pitching the cake. Thanks a lot!

earwig

Recipes 

Do you really need to have a starter with a smack pack?