Do I have time for a 1 gallon starter?

Hi all, let me start by saying that this will be my first starter so I don't really know more than what the LHBS told me and what I've read online.

It's Friday afternoon and I'm planning to brew on Sunday. I'm making a 1.102 5 gal. Imp Stout and it was suggested that I make a one gallon starter. At the brew store they didn't mention the step up method, but it sounds like that method is the consensus on the forums. I got the impression that I should make a full gallon starter (a container is no problem), use yeast nutrient and just aerate it regularly. They also suggested adding a 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient every day (and aerating) until I pitch it (everything - no decanting) into the stout.

* Is this method OK? I'm second guessing my plan since it seems like there are multiple suggested methods.
* If I made the starter tonight would it be ready by Sunday? I've read that it normally takes 24-36 hours to pitch at high krausen, but is this just the time frame for smaller starters?

Thanks in advance everybody!

your most likly not going to have enough cells for a correct pitch by sunday but it will still work. 36 hours is usually for a smaller starter. 1/4 TSP of yeast nutrient per day is overkill in my opinion. Use some when you make it and aerate multiple times per day by shaking...what kind of yeast are you using?

Thanks much! It's Wyeast 1056. So just to clarify - while it's not an ideal amount of time it can still be done? And it's possible to make the full gallon at once? That said, I made this recipe last time and we couldn't get it to finish fermentation so I want to make sure and get it right. If I was going to do this by the book, would it be correct to make a half gallon and then add another half gallon of wort?

After reading through some of your other posts, scinerd3000, I came up with this process. Does it sound OK?

Making a Large (1 gal.) Starter for a High Gravity Beer

1. Break smack pack and let it swell for at least 3 hours at room temperature.

2. Make a small starter @ 1.040 SG.

* Mix 2 cups of water, .5 cups of DME, and .25 tsp. of yeast nutrient.

* Boil for 10 minutes.

* Cool wort to 70 deg. with ice.

* Funnel wort into a sanitized jug and add yeast.

* Cover with foil and wait 24 hours for fermentation to finish

3. Step up to a large 1 gallon starter @ 1.040 SG.

* Mix 16 cups of water, 4 cups of DME, and .25 tsp. of yeast nutrient.

* Boil for 10 minutes

* Cool wort to 70 deg. with ice.

* Funnel wort into a sanitized jug and add the yeast from the small starter in Step 2.

* Cover with foil and wait until high krausen before adding to primary.

use about 500 ml per 3oz extract. Normal starter sizes are 1000ml and 2000ml but if you build ip from 1000, let it ferment out and then toss it in a fresh 2000ml starter you will end up with close to double the amount of cells.... which is key for a large beer.

Cool cool. Thanks again sir. So far so good. I made a two-liter starter and stepped it up to another 2-liter starter. Seems like everything is working fine in my Imperial Stout. We'll see if it ferments out. The first starter was perfect. Started out at 1.04 and made it down to 1.01. The second one started out too high at 1.05, but it seemed like it was still fermenting when I pitched the whole 4 liter mix into the wort. We put the 5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy. Definitely glad we used a blow tube because it's bubbling like crazy. Can't tell if it's because of over the top fermentation or because we put way too much beer in a way too small carboy.

BtotheG said:

Cool cool. Thanks again sir. So far so good. I made a two-liter starter and stepped it up to another 2-liter starter. Seems like everything is working fine in my Imperial Stout. We'll see if it ferments out. The first starter was perfect. Started out at 1.04 and made it down to 1.01. The second one started out too high at 1.05, but it seemed like it was still fermenting when I pitched the whole 4 liter mix into the wort. We put the 5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy. Definitely glad we used a blow tube because it's bubbling like crazy. Can't tell if it's because of over the top fermentation or because we put way too much beer in a way too small carboy.

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You pitched a gallon starter without chilling and decanting?

wildwest450 said:

You pitched a gallon starter without chilling and decanting?

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Yup, chucked the whole thing in there. I heard so many different methods that I figured it couldn't hurt much. Had I waited another day to brew and let the starter wort ferment out, I would have chilled and decanted. The dudes at the home brew store said they had luck just starting straight up with a 1 gallon starter and not decanting. Admittedly, they're so laid back I get the impression that they don't think there are many ways to mess things up. Also, looking at it in the jug, I doubt it was a full gallon, but still a big starter. My wort for the Imperial Stout was at the correct gravity and it seems to be fermenting well so hopefully it finishes and tastes alright.