I made a starter on Saturday intending to brew Monday. Well...... With a family things got in the way. My question...what should I do with the starter bc I will not be able to brew until Saturday? Should I leave it on the stir plate or put it in the fridge and revitalize it on Thursday or friday or option 3?
Yeast starter
- Thread starter MHUSS
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Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Put it in the fridge with sanitized foil over the opening. This will 'cold crash' the yeast down to the bottom of the flask, concentrating it. When you're brewing on Saturday, take the flask out of the fridge and let it get up to room temp. Before you pitch the yeast in, decant most of the cleared starter off of the yeast cake. Leave enough to create a slurry though. Then just hold the stirbar with a magnet (if you didn't already remove it), swirl it up to get all the yeast into a slurry, and pitch that into your oxygenated wort.
That's what I do with every starter, aside from the stir plate stuff since I don't use one.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Having a stirplate makes it so much easier. Plus you get to make smaller starters for the batch. 
I've actually got my eye on a stirplate that will easily handle a 5L starter. Just waiting until after I move to get it (******* landlord)...
I've actually got my eye on a stirplate that will easily handle a 5L starter. Just waiting until after I move to get it (******* landlord)...
Having a stirplate makes it so much easier. Plus you get to make smaller starters for the batch.
Yeah, I know. There's every reason to get one, and I will. One of the main reasons I don't brew more lagers is that it's a major PITA to make a starter of appropriate size.
Freshness. You want those yeast to go to sleep if you're not using 'em. They'll last a lot longer that way. Plus they pack down and you can decant most of that starter beer.
