yeast starters and stir plates ?

I finally built my stir plate and acquired everything needed to do a yeast starter, but I have one question.

How long do you leave it on the stir plate running?

as long as you are trying to keep your yeast multiplying. Usually about 2-3 days.

Sometimes I pitch it at high krausen if I can time it right. Otherwise I leave it on until the krausen drops and let then let it settle out, which is about 2 days.

A shade less than two days (about 40ish hours give or take) is ideal. Check out this article: Yeast Culturing.

A good bet might be putting the yeast on the plate late-night on a Friday, then brewing in the morning/early afternoon on a Sunday.

Thanks for the replys.

I have one more question.

Since this is my first attempt at a freezer bank also, should I start it Thursday take it off Saturday and put it in the fridge overnight to settle, then Sunday morning make the freezer bank and pitch it the wort Sunday afternoon?

Pelikan said:

A shade less than two days (about 40ish hours give or take) is ideal. Check out this article: Yeast Culturing.

A good bet might be putting the yeast on the plate late-night on a Friday, then brewing in the morning/early afternoon on a Sunday.

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Timing it to this degree of precision is impractical, in my experience. I've pitched both at high krausen and well after the ferment in the starter is finished with no perceptible differences between the two methods.

flyangler18 said:

Timing it to this degree of precision is impractical, in my experience. I've pitched both at high krausen and well after the ferment in the starter is finished with no perceptible differences between the two methods.

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Yeah, I understand what you mean. Most of the time I start brew day and say to myself, "I'll be done in 3-4 hours, guaranteed," and it turns into 5-6 hours, maybe more.

I guess I threw the number out there 'cause that's what the PhDs are tellin' me. A number to shoot for, I suppose (although 99% of the time I don't quite hit the hit the mark).