Lager Yeast Starters

In your opinion how long should lager yeast starter let ferment before pitching? and what temp.? Is 67 deg F ok just to get it going.. I'm using a German Lager YeastWLP830...

I just did a 2 qt. starter on a stirplate with that same yeast. I was told that room temp is fine for making a lager starter (though I was sure to decant before pitching)... the advice I was given is that "you're not making beer, you're making yeast." So I think you are fine with the temp.

In my experience the lager yeast seemed to ferment the starter wort out thoroughly pretty quickly - even faster than ale yeast. I bet you would likely hit FG in your starter within 48 hours, especially if you are continually stirring/shaking or using a stirplate.

How large was your starter?
Are you using a stirplate?

Room temp is fine for doing a lager starter. Make a starter that is twice the size of your ale starter, for the same strength brew. I would let it ferment for a few days until it starts to settle, then decant, then pitch.

I am doing a starter right now of the WL Southern German Lager that is a little over a month past its "Best By" date and it has been on a stirplate for about 18 hours now and I still haven't really seen any krausen or activity. Do you think its bad or should I add some yeast nutrient?

can you use a budlight bottle that is fresh to make a yeast starter?

GulleyBrew123 said:

I am doing a starter right now of the WL Southern German Lager that is a little over a month past its "Best By" date and it has been on a stirplate for about 18 hours now and I still haven't really seen any krausen or activity. Do you think its bad or should I add some yeast nutrient?

Click to expand...

It takes a little longer to see activity with a lager starter. This morning was roughly 40 hours since I made my starter (Bohemian Lager) on thursday afternoon. When I left my house to go to a class, I saw very little activity. At 12pm when I returned, there was a full kreusen.

I don't use a stir plate and I don't shake it after fermentation starts. I will cold crash it on tuesday, and either brew that day or add a little more wort to get it going again after siphoning the first wort off then brew thursday (depending on scheduling).

koerd85 said:

can you use a budlight bottle that is fresh to make a yeast starter?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you are serious or not... but no, Budlight is filtered and pasteurized.