Made a starter and can't brew, best way to store?

[lakedawgs]

Made a 1500ml starter last night with Wyeast and cannot brew today. Will brew on Sunday. What is the best way to store?

I'm thinking wait till tonight and put in the fridge. My starter flask as a stopper with an airlock.

Any advice is appreciated.
Matt

 

[Homercidal]

Put a piece of sanitized foil over the top and put it in the fridge. When you are ready to brew, let it warm up to room temp, pour off most of the liquid and pitch the yeast slurry that will have collected at the bottom.

 

[flars]

Refrigerator is the best. The cold will settle the yeast to be able to decant the wort on brew day. Let the yeast warm to near pitching temperature on brew day.
I would remove the air lock before refrigerating. The chilling may suck the contents of the air lock into the starter flask. Cover with sanitized foil with a rubber band to secure the foil.
Do you have the air lock installed while the starter is fermenting? An air lock would be counter productive since the yeast needs the air exchange for maximum oxygenation of the wort.

 

[Falcon3]

Yup fridge. If I'm storing for longer than a couple days, I'll cold crash it, pour off most of the beer, then transfer to a sanitized Mason jar. This is also what I do with harvested yeast from full batches. I've kept up to a couple months with no problems. Just remember that even at fridge temps, the yeast will create co2, so with a sealed mason jar, you need to "burp" it every couple weeks so you don't build up too much pressure


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[brewprint]

I do this frequently.

I just keep the foil on and throw the flask in the fridge.

Also when I do starters I double up what I need and fill a pint mason jar and keep that around for months and months in the fridge. It doesn't build co2 that I've ever noticed.

This is how I get use after use out of yeast. A $6.99 package goes a LONG way with a little dme.

 

[eadavis80]

When you guys make a starter, how long does it keep in the fridge? I would plan on decanting and then letting it warm up prior to pitching. I also was curious about this - I only have 1 flask, but I plan on brewing both batches with starters on the same day. So, after I make a starter and let it finish out and decant, can I pour that starter into a sanitized mason jar and let it sit in my fridge for a week + while I make my other starter with the now empty flask?

 

[flars]

Definitely can do this. Keep it sanitary.

 

[flars]

forgot this. Leave some wort with the yeast to nearly fill the mason jar. The extra wort will help protect the yeast.

 

[brewprint]

When you guys make a starter, how long does it keep in the fridge? I would plan on decanting and then letting it warm up prior to pitching. I also was curious about this - I only have 1 flask, but I plan on brewing both batches with starters on the same day. So, after I make a starter and let it finish out and decant, can I pour that starter into a sanitized mason jar and let it sit in my fridge for a week + while I make my other starter with the now empty flask?

Yes you can do this! This is the only way that I harvest yeast.

I just sanitize my mason jars and put in the mixed up starter into the jar. I have left them in there for months and just warmed to room temp and pitched directly into wort just like you would a normal smack pack or dry yeast packet. I've also made starters.

I bet that it would last years but would need a starter.

 

[serum]

Another vote for putting it in the fridge. I tend to do this every time I buy some yeast and I take half the starter, grow it up again and use it and leave the other half till next time round. They seem to last quite a long time. I've not had one fail on me yet.