Starter ferment time?

This will be my first time using liquid yeast and I would like to know how long to let the yeast ferment before pitching so I can time my boil. Any suggestions?
6 hours, 1 hour, 1 day?
Thanks for the help. Sure I'll have more questions going forward.

Actually looked into it and found 12-24 hours. I'll start it tonight and be ready by tomorrow night. Thanks

it all depends on the type of liquid yeast you purchased. some say 1 to 3 days some 3hrs. check the package from which the yeast came.

Whether or not the yeast is labeled "pitchable", I would highly recommend a starter. After a bad experience on a previous brew with a stuck fermentation, I used a starter on my last brew. Worked great. I was fermenting within hours which really gets rid of the worry associated with a slow start.

Also, as a plus, a starter will let you know whether or not your yeast is healthy or not.

McKBrew said:

Whether or not the yeast is labeled "pitchable", I would highly recommend a starter. After a bad experience on a previous brew with a stuck fermentation, I used a starter on my last brew. Worked great. I was fermenting within hours which really gets rid of the worry associated with a slow start.

Also, as a plus, a starter will let you know whether or not your yeast is healthy or not.

Click to expand...

As I re-read your post, I figured out you actually were making a starter. Sorry for the mistake.

I made my starter about a day before I brewed and it worked fine.

Well one more question
As I was making my starter the air lock and the stopper fell into the starter. (Don't ask...grumble grumble.) This was after I put water in the air lock and set it down to start. I fished it out and re seated it but I don't know if any of the water got into the wort/yeast. Should I just go get another yeast vial or can I use it?

(I know. depends..., chalk it up to a learning experience, not another learning experience...etc.)


What say ye?

I would say, and this is all tentative, that if your brew time is flexible by, say, a day or two, you could let you first starter go for a day or two, and if it doesn't look infected, pitch it normally. If something bad starts happening in there, get more yeast and make a new starter.

Of course, it might be that the starter would look okay, and infection wouldn't show until you pitched into the main batch, but I'm not sure about that. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can you a more certain answer.