Starter cold crash help?

[bennie1986]

I've had a starter going for over 24hrs and it's at serious krausen still. Can I crash for 12hrs in the fridge at this point to decant and pitch?

 

[bennie1986]

Now that I think about it since it's fermenting its already multiplied as much as it's going to right?

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I'd just pitch it. At high krausen the yeast is as ready to ferment as they'll ever be. If it is a big ass starter and I have time I crash and decant. Most of the time I pitch the whole starter and the resulting beer tastes great.

 

[bennie1986]

I don't have room though

 

[CA_Mouse]

Depending on how big of a starter it is, 12 hours may not be enough to completely crash it. How big of a starter and how much do you need for your batch? If it is a 2 liter and you only need 1.25 to 1.5 liters, I would just decant off into a sanitized jar the amount you don't need and cold crash that, then you can build a starter for that when you are ready to use it.

 

[bennie1986]

I'll be under pitching from the 2l starter I made according to my calculations, I can't do any bigger.

 

[bennie1986]

I put it in the fridge after 33hrs on the stir plate.

 

[CA_Mouse]

I put it in the fridge after 33hrs on the stir plate.

That is too long. According to White Labs, a proper starter on a stir plate is done in 18 to 24 hours. I generally never let mine go longer than 16 to 18 hours.

 

[bennie1986]

That's actually a relief because I figured it was not long enough.

 

[bennie1986]

Based on how I figure brew day going ill pitch it in 15-16hrs

 

[CA_Mouse]

Just decant the spent starter beer when you take it out of the fridge. Leave enough of the starter wort over the yeast to cover it and leave it on the counter top so that it can warm up to your pitching temp. The swirl it up to get it all into suspension and ready to pitch.

 

[bennie1986]

I have a thin layer at the bottom but even being in the fridge it's still fermenting a little. Am I going to lose a bunch of yeast of I decant?

 

[bennie1986]

Must have got most of the yeast cause I had serious fermentation in less than 12hrs.