Three starter questions

[jimpdx]

Hey guys. I decided to go Rogue and mix one pack of 1056 with two Scottish Ale strains into a 3.8L starter (divided into two separate 2000ml flasks). BeerSmith said I needed 3 packs and that is what I had! I didn't get the starter wort cooled to temp until 11pm-ish so I was only able to oxygenate with my O2 bottle twice (10 seconds each).

Upon waking 10 hours or so later, I saw some activity. I thought they might need another boost of oxygen and upon dropping the stone into the flasks both bubbled over a little bit. I believe the yeast had already removed all oxygen during respiration and introducing it back was not a great idea. Not a huge deal, lesson learned. Now the flasks have close to no activity, hopefully I did not halt the active fermentation.

Since this is almost a gallon starter for a 5 gallon batch (SG 1.10) I'd like to chill them, decant and pour only the yeast cake into my wort (which I am brewing today). I dont want to dilute the flavor of an Imperial Stout with a gallon of light DME wort.

Question 1: Is it OK for my finished wort to sit overnight in my 6G carboy and pitch tomorrow afternoon ~18-24 hours later?

Question 2: Is 12 hours in the fridge long enough to get all yeast to fall asleep?

Question 3: If you don't have proper time to oxygenate the starter (as in my case) is it better to hit it once, twice than not at all? I assume yes but obviously I should avoid any additional oxygenation after signs of activity/fermentation? Just confirming.

Thanks everyone.

 

[sfgoat]

Question 1: Is it OK for my finished wort to sit overnight in my 6G carboy and pitch tomorrow afternoon ~18-24 hours later?

Question 2: Is 12 hours in the fridge long enough to get all yeast to fall asleep?

Question 3: If you don't have proper time to oxygenate the starter (as in my case) is it better to hit it once, twice than not at all? I assume yes but obviously I should avoid any additional oxygenation after signs of activity/fermentation? Just confirming.

Thanks everyone.

1. Yes it's fine I do it all the time. As long as they are sealed it should be ok.

2. That's about what I do is just leave the starter in the fridge overnight and decant in the morning.

3. Honestly if you use a stir plate like I do you are aerating the whole time to help the yeast produce and since you are decanting most of the liquid before you pitch it shouldn't really matter if you hit it with the O2 again. I'm no chemist though, just what I understand of my own process.

 

[flars]

Hey guys. I decided to go Rogue and mix one pack of 1056 with two Scottish Ale strains into a 3.8L starter (divided into two separate 2000ml flasks). BeerSmith said I needed 3 packs and that is what I had! I didn't get the starter wort cooled to temp until 11pm-ish so I was only able to oxygenate with my O2 bottle twice (10 seconds each).

Upon waking 10 hours or so later, I saw some activity. I thought they might need another boost of oxygen and upon dropping the stone into the flasks both bubbled over a little bit. I believe the yeast had already removed all oxygen during respiration and introducing it back was not a great idea. Not a huge deal, lesson learned. Now the flasks have close to no activity, hopefully I did not halt the active fermentation.

Since this is almost a gallon starter for a 5 gallon batch (SG 1.10) I'd like to chill them, decant and pour only the yeast cake into my wort (which I am brewing today). I dont want to dilute the flavor of an Imperial Stout with a gallon of light DME wort.

Question 1: Is it OK for my finished wort to sit overnight in my 6G carboy and pitch tomorrow afternoon ~18-24 hours later?

Question 2: Is 12 hours in the fridge long enough to get all yeast to fall asleep?

Question 3: If you don't have proper time to oxygenate the starter (as in my case) is it better to hit it once, twice than not at all? I assume yes but obviously I should avoid any additional oxygenation after signs of activity/fermentation? Just confirming.

Thanks everyone.

1. Yes, but there is higher risk of infection getting started.
2. No. There will still be yeast in suspension.
3. Stir plates aerate the starter continuously. Intermittent shaking method aerates the starter whenever you shake it.

 

[sfgoat]

1. Yes, but there is higher risk of infection getting started.
2. No. There will still be yeast in suspension.
3. Stir plates aerate the starter continuously. Intermittent shaking method aerates the starter whenever you shake it.

On your #2 answer I thought that if the starter had finished most of the yeast will have dropped out anyway. Am I mistaken on this? Or do most people pitch the yeast before it has finished in the starter?

 

[flars]

On your #2 answer I thought that if the starter had finished most of the yeast will have dropped out anyway. Am I mistaken on this? Or do most people pitch the yeast before it has finished in the starter?

A starter is like your primary fermenter. When you rack to the bottling bucket enough yeast remains in suspension to carbonate your beer. When the yeast have finished their job in the starter they begin flocculating. Flocculation won't be finished without several days of refrigeration.
Some people do pitch the starter at high krausen, that is if they are pitching the entire volume of the starter.

 

[jimpdx]

Thank you guys! I hit some snags with my new equipment and came up 0.016 shy of my pre-boil gravity. Added 2lbs of light DME (oh well) and still ended around 1.099. It is tasting quite bitter but then again this is my first Stout (Imperial-ish no less) so I don't know what pre-fermentation qualities to look for. And since this was my first boil in a keggle, I got hops stuck in my cross-flow wort chiller and had to dump the pot through a strainer and funnel into the carboy (OG style). I'm just begging for an infection with all these screwups

Well let's roll the dice and she how she does. I am going to pour most of the starter wort of tomorrow and hope for the best! Screwup beers can be great too!