Yeast Starter Or Not? (Pushed for Time)

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json2001

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Hey Guys,

I am brewing today and I didn't have time to make a starter last night and I'm looking to brew today.

Should I throw a starter on my stirplate now even if it can only work for 4-5 hours before pitching? Or should I just chuck the whitelabs vial in at this point?

Thanks in advance.
 
4-5 hours on a stir plate is pretty good. Presuming your yeast vial is reasonably fresh, you can often be at or near high krausen in 4-5 hours on a stir plate, and pitching at high krausen is typically a good thing. I don't think it's necessary -- if you're really tight on time you'll be fine if you don't do a starter. But it can't hurt & could help to make a starter, even for 4-5 hours, so if you've got the time . . .
 
mkling said:
4-5 hours on a stir plate is pretty good. Presuming your yeast vial is reasonably fresh, you can often be at or near high krausen in 4-5 hours on a stir plate, and pitching at high krausen is typically a good thing. I don't think it's necessary -- if you're really tight on time you'll be fine if you don't do a starter. But it can't hurt & could help to make a starter, even for 4-5 hours, so if you've got the time . . .
Click to expand...

+1. I'd make the starter even if I had only a few hours, let alone 4-5.
 
I agree, it's better to at least get the yeasties waking up then it is to just toss them dorman into your wort. If you can though, try to get the temp of the starter wort close too and maybe just a few degrees above the temp of the yeast, so there's less need to recover from thermal shock. But it would be better also if your yeast were already at room temps.
 
Thanks guys. Appreciate the tips...the beer came out a bit undergravity...I'll keep my fingers crossed!
 

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