How Long Can I Save Starter?

[Clint Yeastwood]

Night before last, I made a US-05 starter for stout. I thought I had a bag of grain ready. Today it turned out I had grain for three other beers, but no stout, and nothing that went with US-05. I have grain for a wheat beer, a wheat-heavy Belgiany kind of beer, and a lager I generally make with yeast suitable for Bud.

I ordered grain. Probably won't be here until at least Friday.

How long can I hang onto this starter? I guess it doesn't matter that much. I can always make a new one. It's just annoying, pouring it out.

 

[day_trippr]

You could use the US-05 starter for an American Wheat beer.
I'm not a fan of keeping finished starters around for more than a few days...

Cheers!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

The wheat ale will have this bill:

8 lbs. Rahr white wheat
1-1/2 lb. Dingmans Belgian Pilsen
1-1/2 lb. Breiss 10LV Crystal (2 row) Domestic
rice hulls

I am planning to use Mandarina Bavaria in it. Because I changed the hops, I am reluctant to change another variable.

I am refrigerating the starter now.

Can't believe I just assumed I had stout grain. What am I going to do if the stout runs out? The thought is hard to bear.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I must have the greatest homebrew store on Earth. Placed an order for stout and ale grain at 11:59. Fedex picked it up at 1:37. I paid the plain old ground shipping price, and the box will be here tomorrow. Maybe early enough to brew.

Guess I can hold onto my starter.

 

[wepeeler]

Pitch a starter within 2 weeks. I would keep it in the fridge until brew day, then decant spent wort and only pitch yeast.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

How long can I hang onto this starter? I guess it doesn't matter that much. I can always make a new one. It's just annoying, pouring it out.

You could decant the yeast into a sanitized canning jar and store it in the fridge for weeks or a few months.

I do something similar with my harvested yeast. If it has been around for 4-6 months, I might spin up some on a starter, then store the yeast back in the fridge until I am ready to brew.

 

[Spivey24]

I’ve kept a starter around for a week several times with no issue. I usually cold crash before it’s completely done though. Just keep it in the fridge and you will be fine.