Yeaat starter question

[Vongo]

I missed my brew-day due do last minute things that tend to happen when you have a family. My starter finished out and went into the fridge last Sunday with foil on-top. Looks like no brewing till Monday or Tuesday. Should I pick up another smack pack of 1968 just to be safe or start over again.
Thanks!

 

[ArcaneXor]

Ideally, you can re-build the starter by decanting the spent beer, letting it warm, and feeding it with fresh, cooled starter wort. But realistically, just decanting and bringing it back up to room temperature without feeding it again is good enough.

 

[Yooper]

Ideally, you can re-build the starter by decanting the spent beer, letting it warm, and feeding it with fresh, cooled starter wort. But realistically, just decanting and bringing it back up to room temperature without feeding it again is good enough.

Yep- that's exactly what I was going to say. If it was me, I'd just decant and pitch it but I acknowledge the "best way" is probably to decant, add a bit of fresh wort, and allow it to begin to ferment before pitching.

 

[Vongo]

Sounds like a plan! I do wish Wyeast or White Labs would increase the cell count a bit. You ever think that would happen? I am sure that the pitching rate info for homebrewers has improved greatly since they started. I would be willing to pay a few extra bucks for a smack pack that had a 300 billion cell count... would you? Robbed my own thread!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I sure would, thread robber. I'd probably still make a starter for alotta beers, but a higher cell count in the package would let you make a bigger starter w/o having to step it up. I'd pay for that.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I am not sure either yeast company could do that without changing their packaging. Triple the cells wouldn't fit in a White Labs Vial, except the bacteria strains. They would fit in a smack pack, but it probably wouldn't be able to handle the pressure generated by the sugar that is released when you break the inner pack.

Dry yeasts have about 220 billion cells per 10.5g satchel, and when rehydrated viability numbers above 85% are the norm. I personally prefer most liquid yeasts to dry, but there is something to be said for the convenience of dry yeast.

 

[Vongo]

I am not sure either yeast company could do that without changing their packaging. Triple the cells wouldn't fit in a White Labs Vial, except the bacteria strains. They would fit in a smack pack, but it probably wouldn't be able to handle the pressure generated by the sugar that is released when you break the inner pack.

Dry yeasts have about 220 billion cells per 10.5g satchel, and when rehydrated viability numbers above 85% are the norm. I personally prefer most liquid yeasts to dry, but there is something to be said for the convenience of dry yeast.

Let me dream man... Let me dream.

 

[Vongo]

Ok! The starter was in the fridge a little over 2 weeks... bubbling away just fine!