Deferring a starter

[ColoradoChuck]

I made a 1L 1.040 starter; the source yeast wasn't too old, and it seemed to ferment well. Life intercedes, and that flask comes to sit covered with foil in my refrigerator.

- How long do I have before it is no longer good to use? Is saving it to a media bottle for a longer storage period a viable option?
- Can I re-pitch to another starter to keep it going, and if so, are there any modifications to technique or timing to be considered?

 

[JohnSand]

I have saved harvested yeast for months. Your starter will certainly keep in the fridge for weeks.

 

[Zadkiel]

that flask comes to sit covered with foil in my refrigerator.

if it's just a loose foil cover, maybe stick a rubber band around it to seal it, if it's going to sit there for a long time, bad things(tm) could get inside under a loose cover.

 

[day_trippr]

I try to never box myself in like this, but in the same situation, I would chill and then decant most of the spent wort and leave the rest in the fridge. A day before pitching I would warm it up and add enough fresh starter wort to make up a liter again, creating a "vitality starter", and ideally pitch it at high krausen, but post-fermentation would be fine as well...

Cheers!

 

[wepeeler]

Omega told me a starter is viable to direct pitch for up to 2 weeks, probably a bit longer. You can always use that starter to make another starter if you go longer than that.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Ive done what @day_trippr mentioned when I got myself into a situation like this. I know the 2 week rule mentioned above but it doesn't hurt to give the yeast a boost ahead of pitching it, and you'll likely get your fastest start on fermentation with this method as well.

 

[ColoradoChuck]

Ive done what @day_trippr mentioned when I got myself into a situation like this. I know the 2 week rule mentioned above but it doesn't hurt to give the yeast a boost ahead of pitching it, and you'll likely get your fastest start on fermentation with this method as well.

Thanks, @bailey mountain brewer. Would this boost be a vitality starter at the later brew time, or a full-blown starter redo 1-2 days ahead?

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Thanks, @bailey mountain brewer. Would this boost be a vitality starter at the later brew time, or a full-blown starter redo 1-2 days ahead?

A vitality starter.

 

[Deadalus]

A starter is a roughly 1/10 scale fermentation as compared to a 5 gallon batch. If you let the starter finish and get it into the fridge, I will say 4-5 weeks. And probably a while longer. You just increased the yeast population with new cells.

Would you throw out a yeast pack one month old? Like you knew it was manufactured a month ago? No way, you'd be perfectly fine with that.

Would you not use the yeast cake from an ale that was in the fermenter 4, 6, 8 weeks? Would you feel like you had to add more yeast if you bottled that ale?

I've not gotten to brewing as planned and used the starter 4-5 weeks later and not experienced issues whether refrigerated or not refrigerated. I think it is better to refrigerate it however. If refrigerated, I try to let the yeast warm up to pitching temperature without overshooting or sitting at room temperature. You want to give it a vitality starter feel free.

Also use a tight rubber band. You can also let in a little more oxygen a time or two by taking the band off. Fruit flies will crawl in if loose. Or use a foam stopper.