How fast for a starter

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anthrobe

anthrobe

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Today I made my first starter using LDME. Within one hour I was already seeing bubbles. Is this normal from a starter? This was also my first time using a Wyeast smack pack. I took it out of the fridge last night and let it get to room temp. I had a hell of a time trying to pop that inner package. I thought that I may have popped it and let it sit overnight. In the morning the package was not really pressurised as I thought it may be. So I brewed my starter, piched the yeast, and found that the package inside was barely broken with most of the yeast nutrient still inside. I thought that I had messed up but I now have bubbles. How long does anyone starter take to bubble? :confused:
 
anthrobe said:
Today I made my first starter using LDME. Within one hour I was already seeing bubbles. Is this normal from a starter? This was also my first time using a Wyeast smack pack. I took it out of the fridge last night and let it get to room temp. I had a hell of a time trying to pop that inner package. I thought that I may have popped it and let it sit overnight. In the morning the package was not really pressurised as I thought it may be. So I brewed my starter, piched the yeast, and found that the package inside was barely broken with most of the yeast nutrient still inside. I thought that I had messed up but I now have bubbles. How long does anyone starter take to bubble? :confused:
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I usually see bubbles or krauzen within 12 hours, but a couple have been quicker, and a couple have taken two days to show any activity.
 
currently I am at 14 bubbles a min. Can you starter go to fast? :confused: I am planning on brewing tomorrow afternoon.
 
anthrobe said:
currently I am at 14 bubbles a min. Can you starter go to fast?
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I don't think so...some like to pitch when the starter is at full krauzen, but others wait until it has fermented all the way out. I try to time it so I can pitch when the starter is 12 - 18 hours old, but sometimes stuff happens :drunk: and I have to wait until the next day. Seems to work equally well either way.
 
anthrobe said:
From what I have been told, start your starter 24 hours in advance then pitch...... :confused:
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And that's good advice...but sometimes the starter won't be ready in 24 hours. As long as it's showing some sign of activity, you could go ahead and pitch it and likely be fine. But, if you wait another 24 until that particular yeast is ready, then you'll have better results.

Bottom line is do what ever works best for you, and relax and have a brew. :cool: Just having made a starter you're way ahead of the game..
 
They're very temperature dependent, as well, just like full 5g batches. I kicked off a starter Monday pm that did hardly anything (a small krausen) until Wednesday when I put it on top of the satellite receiver which I left on. Within a few hours I almost needed a blowoff tube for my growler!

I usually pitch at full krausen, but I've been meaning to let one ferment fully, chill it, and then pitch just the cake. Haven't gotten to it yet, though. Pitched a full 2qts tonight.
 
I'm doing a starter as I type but am not brewing until Sat. My history seems to have been about 48 hours on my starters to finally show some good activity & start to settle out. Although most of them have been with saved slurry. This is a fresh WL San Fran Lager yeast so I thought I'd kick it a day earlier in case... 24h just hasn't cut it for me. I like 2 days personally; Thu night starter, Sat brew day..
 
Well brew day has finally arrived. I am a little nervous though about my starter. It has been 48 hours since it has been made. The firt 24 hours was some good bubbling through the air lock and has slowly decreased since. However, it never developed the krausen. Now there is no activity in the airlock. I am pretty sure that it is good yeast since I did have good activity the first 24 hours. I guess that I am a little nervous on how I made it. I was not completely sure on how long to cook the LDME. I boiled it for 20 min, cooled, then pitched the yeast. How long does everyone cook their starters?
 
I usually boil for only 10 or 15 minutes, and I use them about 20 to 24 hours after pitching the yeast into them.

As for the lack of Kraeusen... I've only made a few starters to date, but I have gotten several inches of foam sometimes, sometimes a thin layer, sometimes none at all. As long as it was doing some fermenting (which it sounds like yours did) and you have a nice cake of yeast on the bottom of the vessel, you are probably good-to-go.

-walker
 
It does look like I have some good pitching yeast cake in the bottom. When you pitch, do you shake it first to get everything stired up again :confused:
 
Sounds about right. Starters often ferment quite rapidly, and I have had some that showed virtually no sign of krausen, although I usually get one. The telltale sign is a nice cake of yeast on the bottom of the vessel.
 
anthrobe said:
It does look like I have some good pitching yeast cake in the bottom. When you pitch, do you shake it first to get everything stired up again :confused:
Click to expand...

That's what I do. Swirl it around to get everything into suspension and then pitch half. (I make big starters and save half in the fridge for a future brew).

Other people decant off the majority of the liquid, swirl up a thick slurry with what remains, and pitch that.

-walker
 
anthrobe said:
It does look like I have some good pitching yeast cake in the bottom. When you pitch, do you shake it first to get everything stired up again :confused:
Click to expand...
I've done it both ways and haven't noticed a difference...if you're pitching at krausen you need to pitch the whole thing since the yeast are suspended. If you wait until they cake up (helps to chill it in the fridge) you can decant the liquid and leave just enough to slosh the cake out. Some people prefer this as they don't want the contribution of the starter beer in their batch...I haven't had a problem with it.
 
sweet, thanks for the quick replies. So far the brew is going good. Almost done with the specialty grains. I am a little surpised for this porter is looking dark :D Just how I like it.
 
if you have pure oxgen. airrate it for 45sec. or fish tank airpump . You can airate the wort up to i think i beilive 12hour if take off is slugis
 
I usually put the starter in the fridge the night before. This significantly slows down yeast metabolism and they will sink to the bottom. Then you can decant most of the liquid (you don't really want to pitch this). Let the growler with the yeast cake sit on the counter to warm up (covered with tinfoil). Fill some of the cold wort into it to suspend the yeast and pitch.

The frigde method for "crashing" the yeast dosn't work so well for lager yeast through.

Useful information on starters can be found at:
http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/
(section Yeast)
 

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