Choices, choices......

I made a one liter starter last friday night but then life got in the way and I was not able to brew on Sunday as planned. So I have left the starter in the closet and it has fermented out nicely. It's been in there for one week.

I plan on brewing this sunday. I can go three ways as I see it. Which one seems best. I am brewing a simple 1.052 OG Irish Red Ale.

Should I:

1) Just pitch starter as is

2) Refrigerate starter, decant and pitch just the yeast and trub

3) Step up the starter and get the yeast out of bed prior to pitching

4) Do something else that I'm not thinking of

If choice 3 is chosen, I have never stepped up a starter. Do I decant the beer and add fresh wort? Or do I add fresh wort to the starter as is?

Thanks in advance

I say pitch it as is. I have left a starter around for 4-5 days and got a fast vigorous fermentation. They seem to wake up quickly.

#1 or #2, depending on how much work you want to go through. Either will work...the only thing about #1 is you will affect the overall gravity and there is also a chance of introducing off-flavors to the beer...but that's pretty low.

View it like a regular brew. After 5 days, is it spoiled? Nah. As long as you've kept it sealed up with an airlock, etc., it should be fine to pitch the whole thing.

You could also increase your chances of shorter lag time by just adding a bit of wort, as in option #3. Couldn't hurt.

Oh, and for future reference, when posting a new thread, you have the option to make a poll..which would have been perfect for this thread.

You can use as is. However, I would chill, pour off clear liguid, add some fresh sterile wort the night before I brewed and let it ferment overnight. Let those yeast get a running start!!

Dr Malt

I vote with Dr. Malt. Decant off the old wort and give them a little something to chew on to come out of dormancy before giving them your precious wort.

dantodd said:

I vote with Dr. Malt. Decant off the old wort and give them a little something to chew on to come out of dormancy before giving them your precious wort.

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How much do you think? About 1/2cup DME and 1/2 liter of water? Or would less suffice? Of course I would boil it for 10 minutes and cool prior to pouring into starter, just wondering how much would be enough to "get them going".

a half liter and a 1.5 ounces of DME will get you near 1.040

Try to get your starter wort near your beer's OG so that the yeast is acclimated to your beer.

dantodd said:

a half liter and a 1.5 ounces of DME will get you near 1.040

Try to get your starter wort near your beer's OG so that the yeast is acclimated to your beer.

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How many tablespoons is 1.5oz?

use a scale, I don't know the volumetric equivalent

Well, i took suggestions given here. Chilled starter, decanted, then gave the yeast a liitle food prior to pitching. I pitched this morning at 11AM. By 2PM, it was fermenting and by 5 or 6 PM, it is going berzerk! I love when a plan comes together.

Thanks.

P.S. Starters rule.

glad to hear it's bubblin' away.