Yeast Starter-- Delay

I typically make a yeast starter and use it within 24 hours.

Decided to delay my brewing until tomorrow and made a yeast starter last night. So it will probably be 40 hours instead 24 hours on the yeast starter.

Is it ok if the yeast starter sits that long (40 hours)?

One other thing to add- I am not using a stir plate.. Plan on getting one soon.

Thanks,

Rick

It'll be fine. Keep the temp constant and protect from contaminants. An extra day will not hurt anything.

BierMuncher said:

It'll be fine. Keep the temp constant and protect from contaminants. An extra day will not hurt anything.

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Ok -- great. Thanks for the response.
Yep -- I've got it sitting in a nicely controlled 68 degrees.

What if it sits on the counter for a few weeks? I started a pack of Nottingham and then Thanksgiving happened. I put it in the fridge. Will it be viable?

SFTH

baron said:

I typically make a yeast starter and use it within 24 hours.

Decided to delay my brewing until tomorrow and made a yeast starter last night. So it will probably be 40 hours instead 24 hours on the yeast starter.

Is it ok if the yeast starter sits that long (40 hours)?

One other thing to add- I am not using a stir plate.. Plan on getting one soon.

Thanks,

Rick

Click to expand...

From what I have read, without a stirplate, 40 hours will be better than 24 hours. Do you agitate the starter? The yeast will do better if they get plenty of oxygen during fermentation. Give the flask a shake every time you walk by. Oxidation is not a concern with starters.

I prefer to cold crash starters and decant the liquid. On average my starters are on the stir plate until the Krausen drops, 2 days or so and then 3-7 days in the fridge.

Point is you have a wide latitude on timing.

kgalle said:

What if it sits on the counter for a few weeks? I started a pack of Nottingham and then Thanksgiving happened. I put it in the fridge. Will it be viable?

SFTH

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If your sanitation was good the yeast should be alive.

I am not sure on the viable cell count at this point. Dry yeast is meant to be re-hydrated and pitched. I would expect that you have lost some of the original cell count. How much I cannot say. You may be better off if you made a starter.

I only used dry yeast on my first batch so I am no expert. Others with more experience may have better advice.

kgalle said:

What if it sits on the counter for a few weeks? I started a pack of Nottingham and then Thanksgiving happened. I put it in the fridge. Will it be viable?

SFTH

Click to expand...

Starter are for:
Confirming viability of your yeast
Increasing Yeast Health
Raising cell count of pitching level

Well you know you yeast is alive, a week and a couple of days is not that long in yeast terms

Their health would have been mildly affected if you worried do another starter

Their cell count can be easily calculated, I usually say viability calcs are a guess at best as you don't know how the yeast was stored since production, Ie transit, shop, postman etc etc but you do know how it was stored so you can figure out your original cell count after the starter and calc your losses over the last week or so using Mr Malty with some jigging and figure out from that if you want to do another starter.

Personally I would decant the spent wort and do another starter, even just the same size the morning of the brew and pitch 6-8hrs (the whole starter) but then again I like to baby my yeast, I make them work hard and often for me.

Clem