First yeast starter

[Millarkey]

I'm trying out my first yeast starter and was looking for input. Pitfalls / must-do's? I've seen a few clips on how to and all but none have showed the actual pitch. Do I pitch the slurry and all the liquid; just the slurry; just the liquid? Anything else I should know?

 

[camus]

Normally I pitch it all, I make mine the day before I brew.


If you need a really bit starter, you may want to decant it. <- I will let others weigh in on this portion.

 

[trevorc13]

You can do either, decant or pitch the whole thing. I usually put it in the fridge over night and decant the next day, but this is primarily because the DME I use is old, and I don't want to incorporate off flavors. It has been said that off flavors occur anyways in the wort of a starter due to the aeration, but I guess these get cleaned up with the fermentation of a 5 gallon batch.

Another thing to realize is that the krausen of a starter will not be like that of your five gallon batch. It will appear to be smaller and you really won't see a lot of activity unless you make a really big starter. After 18-24 hours, you should be ready to pitch. As long as your yeast is new, you should have a healthy starter. Are you using a stir plate, or just intermitant swirling? How big are you making it?

 

[jheist]

If you make it the day before you brew you need to pitch it all. If it's still got a krausen I would pitch it all. If it's been a few days and looks calmed down you could decant and pitch. I don't like to mess with that unless I'm making a lager or super light ale.

 

[Millarkey]

You can do either, decant or pitch the whole thing. I usually put it in the fridge over night and decant the next day, but this is primarily because the DME I use is old, and I don't want to incorporate off flavors. It has been said that off flavors occur anyways in the wort of a starter due to the aeration, but I guess these get cleaned up with the fermentation of a 5 gallon batch.

Another thing to realize is that the krausen of a starter will not be like that of your five gallon batch. It will appear to be smaller and you really won't see a lot of activity unless you make a really big starter. After 18-24 hours, you should be ready to pitch. As long as your yeast is new, you should have a healthy starter. Are you using a stir plate, or just intermitant swirling? How big are you making it?

Thanks for the info. I was going to use a 32oz starter, I'm not sure if thats a small or large starter. Should I be making a larger? I'm shooting for an OG of 1.060. I was planning on just swirling it but have considered investing in a stir plate but I'm not sure if they're worth the price. Also, will the slurry that drops to the bottom easily pitch or is it difficult to remove?

 

[enkamania]

Use Mr. Malty pitch rate calculator to determine the size of your starter

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html