Different Starter methods

[Schmoltsbeer]

I wonder if you folks can help me; I can't remember where I read about an idea concerning making starters just to energize the yeast before pitching shortly after (same day possibly). Does anyone have a clue what I'm talking about, or has anyone else seen this and if so, where have you seen it?

I believe the general concept was, prepare the starter and pitch (same day) and let yeast do their thing and wake up for 6-12 hours or so and then pitch fully aroused and hungry yeasties.

 

[KeninMN]

It's called a Vitality Starter:

http://brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/yeast-pitch-rate-pt-2-viable-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/

I swear by this method...

 

[RedlegEd]

It's called a Vitality Starter:

http://brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/yeast-pitch-rate-pt-2-viable-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/

I swear by this method...

^^^^+1!

After the boil starts (before any hop additions,) I usually pull enough wort to make 1L at ~1.035-1.040, cool it down to room temperature in my sanitized Erlenmeyer flask, pitch the yeast, and put on a stir plate. By the time I've finished my boil and cooled down the main batch, the starter has been going right at 4 hours. I pitch when the main batch hits the right temp (I try to keep the temp difference between the two less than 5⁰.) Even though Brulosopher says don't aerate the main batch, I still do out of habit. It consistently seems to work amazingly well.

 

[KeninMN]

I use a stir plate to mix the starter and FastPitch from Northern Brewer to make the starter wort. (It's another thing I swear by.) My own anecdotal experience is that it just works better than wort that I've made with DME. You also don't have to boil and cool it before use. Simple pour one can of FastPitch with 16 oz of distilled or RO water into the flask with the yeast, put it on the stir plate and you're done. If I'm using slurry that I've saved, I pull the yeast out of the refrigerator first thing in the morning, allow it to warm until just before I mash, and then start the starter. It's ready to pitch by the time I'm done cooling the finished wort. If I'm using a fresh Smack Pack I'll pull it out of the fridge first thing in the morning, smack it, allow it to warm for an hour and then pitch it in the starter, regardless of when I think I'll finish. Smack packs seem to need more time to show signs of activity vs. slurry...

 

[Schmoltsbeer]

Vitality Starter, I knew you guys would come through. Thanks for the link too. I could swear I saw it on Brulosophy, but I couldn't find it! Thanks for your great input guys. I made a starter yesterday of newly bought yeast as I brewed yesterday. In the end I let the starter go overnight and pitched earlier today into beer made yesterday. Thanks for the input again, everyone!

 

[HTH1975]

The only way I've ever made a starter is with DME the day before I brew. I normally give the starter 24-36 hours and my beers are fermenting down great. I'm pitching at quite a high rate with one smack-pack per 12.5 litres of wort made with a 1 litre starter.

 

[Schmoltsbeer]

My usual starter method is 1 packet/vial pitched to a 1-1.5L starter 2-3 days prior to brew. I remembered reading about the vitality starter a while back and had a fresh pack of yeast, and short suspense for pitching, so this time I had the starter running for 12 or so hours prior to pitching.

Yeast used was WL029, 1.5L starter, pitched into 5.25 g, 1.060 wort, and it took off like a rocket last Monday and has kept pumping since. I will likely be employing the vitality starter, with a much shorter time to pitch, from now on. I will reserve my traditional method for old packets of yeast that need to propagate, and possibly be stepped.

 

[petrolSpice]

~2L starter (depending on OG), one yeast vial, made 3-4 days before. 2-3 days of fermentation on stir plate and 1 day of cold crashing. On brew day morning I decant the starter and let it sit out and get up to room temp before pitching.

 

[catdaddy66]

I make my starters no sooner than 24 hours before pitching and usually 36-48 hours. I use unboiled wort that I have collected from my most recent mash (prior brew, not current brew), boiled then cooled and add yeast. I have to do one tonight as a matter of fact, with wlp810 for a lager I will brew on Saturday.