First time using my stirplate! Is it ready?

I'm really itchin to start Cheeses' VCCA and right now I have a starter going on the stirplate. I left it on overnight (round midnight) and the stirbar ended up off balance in the morning. I turned it off and back on again and now 8 hours later I have a little layer of foam and lots of bubbles flowing throughout the wort. Is this considered ready to pitch? I'd like to get this going tonight if possible. Also, will it be ok if I just throw the entire starter in, rather than decanting? I've got a 2000ml starter going... so 1300 ish mL of h20 and 1 cup of Xlight DME.

The bulk of the yeast reproduction is done in 12-18 hours on a stir plate. If you have had it on even close to 12 you will be fine.

Taste a little, if it tastes ok pitch it. I have found stir plates oxidize the wort and make it taste like something I don't want to add to my beers, so I decant as much as I can. If I have time to crash cool it I can get almost all the wort off the yeast, if not I just decant until I start to loose yeast and then pitch what ever is left.

Alright, it is starting to look really good now. The stirbar is struggling to keep a vortex. I'll throw it in an icebath to get as much of the wort away from the yeast

I am no expert but I dont think Yeast care for a sudden change in temperature. The least I would do is put it in the fridge for a few hours.

I ended up just leaving it outside (50F degrees) for a few... didn't do much. I'm going to just chuck it all in, after all, it didn't taste like much.

I've always chilled and decanted my starters (I use a stirplate) and have had lag times ~10-12 hrs. This weekend I pitched a whole 1.3 L starter for the first time, about 18 hours after I made it, and holy s#@t!!

I've never had a fermentation take off like this. 3 hr lag time and krausen up to the neck of the carboy in 10 hours. As for how it affects the taste, ask me in about 5 weeks, but I'm encouraged so far.

Very nice! Mine took off like crazy too... Started in about 10 hours which was a lot quicker than I expected.

Along similar lines...

With a stirplate and 2000mL starter what's the usual length that it takes for it to ferment out (~1.050)? Gonna freeze the yeast and don't wanna do it too soon.