How long in starter?

[Tom Church]

I have a yeast packet that is taking longer than I expected to take off...it was getting there this monrning when I left and I am hoping it is good when I get home...

We where hoping to brew on Saturday afternoon...if I get it in a starter tonight will it be good to go by then? What if I have to wait 'till tomorrow?

Tom

 

[todd_k]

plenty of time...... I only give my starters a few hours, most give there starters a couple days or so.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Some say the ideal starter pitching time is 8-12 hours after making it, you'll be fine.

 

[Monster Mash]

There is no set rules for making a starter. The pack does not have to be swelled to use it but it does help because it gives you an idea of how good your yeast is.

I make my starters a week ahead of time so I have a chance to refrigerate it, let it drop out and decant the spent wort before pitching.

 

[Desert_Sky]

I got a good starter story from last night.

I had originally planned on brewing this one tonight, but I ended up doing it last night. I made 1000ml starter with 1 cup of DME. It went a good 30 hours and was right in the middle of prime fermentation. I originally was going to let it go, then chill it and decant as usual.

But I went ahead and pulled it off the stirplate and pitched the entire thing into 6 gallons of wort. I set a new record. 1 hr 45 minutes and I saw bubbles in the airlock and movement in the carboy. This morning its going crazy. If I dont notice any off flavors from pitching the whole starter, I may start doing it this way from now on. I mean, who wants lag time anyways?

 

[Tom Church]

What is a stirplate? We just dumped the entire starter in the batch last time (had crazy action within 12 hours!).

Tom

 

[Evan!]

I don't worry about "off flavors" from wort. I'm pitching into wort...so how is wort gonna give off-flavors to wort? Nuts to that. As long as you're careful about sanitation when making said starter, I would keep doin what yer doin, and pitch directly.

 

[Monster Mash]

I don't worry about "off flavors" from wort. I'm pitching into wort...so how is wort gonna give off-flavors to wort? Nuts to that. As long as you're careful about sanitation when making said starter, I would keep doin what yer doin, and pitch directly.

Starter wort is heavily oxidized, especially if you are using a stirplate. Taste your starter and see if you want that in your beer.

I make up to 3 gallon starters, that is a lot of oxidized wort to be adding to 25 gallons of beer. I refrigerate and decant so I only pitch the yeast.

 

[Desert_Sky]

I don't worry about "off flavors" from wort. I'm pitching into wort...so how is wort gonna give off-flavors to wort? Nuts to that. As long as you're careful about sanitation when making said starter, I would keep doin what yer doin, and pitch directly.

Oxidized wort, and twang from a bit of DME is all Im really worried about.

 

[TheJadedDog]

What is a stirplate? We just dumped the entire starter in the batch last time (had crazy action within 12 hours!).

Tom

Stirplates are used to boost the cell count, as someone who just started making starters I wouldn't worry about it.

Also, I make my starter a day and a half in advance and just pour the whole thing in.

 

[uglygoat]

hows the stir plate boost the cell count?

 

[Desert_Sky]

if you watch it with just plain ol water in there, you see that there is a definite whirlpool going on constantly. And the whirlpool is constantly introducing air into the wort.

Now Im not 100% sure on this, but as long as oxygen is present in the wort, the yeast will keep reproducing. Ive made a starter on my striplate, and ended up with 1/2" layer of yeast on the bottom after chilling and decanting off the wort. Thats in a 1000ml erlenmeyer flask which is about 5 or 6 inches across on the bottom. Thats alot of yeast.