Getting Your Yeast Starter Down To Pitching Temps

[Gustatorian]

I've heard from several sources that it's beneficial to have your pitching temp be 1-2 degrees lower than starting fermentation temp. My experience has been good with this technique, but I've never had my yeast starter at the same temperature as the wort I'm pitching it into. Usually, my starter will be on a stir plate (post cold-crash/decant/fresh wort added) at room temp. I usually pitch into 66ºF wort. Not sure if a 4º difference is a huge deal, but just wanted the communities opinion on this. Any suggestions on how to drop the temp of my yeast to pitching temps? (It's in a 2L flask so getting a temp on it is rather difficult, especially when I'm trying to be as sanitary as possible)

 

[eadavis80]

IME, as long as the yeast is within about 10 degrees of wort, it'll be fine. I guess if you were SUPER CONCERNED, you could add some previously boiled, but now cold water to your starter until the starter's temp was exactly the same as wort, but even in rehydrating dried yeast, I believe the NB video says just get it to within 10 degrees of your wort. I thin the key is to avoid pitching yeast right out of the fridge.

 

[jpakstis]

My usual procedure is to create a starter 3-4 days in advance, chill it to decant, and then on brew day let it sit at room temperature until pitching time. I've never noticed what temp the starter is at when I pitch it, other than just wanting it to be around room temp to avoid the drastic temp change from fridge temps to wort temp and also it allows the yeast to mix back into the remain starter wort to make it easier to pitch. I've never had any issues with the yeast adapting to the wort temp since I usually see activity within 12 hours.

 

[petrolSpice]

Not to derail the thread, but I have heard that it's good to pitch warmer (70F for example), and then once fermentation gets going drop down the temp (to 64F for example). What you're saying is the opposite of this. Not sure which method is ideal?

 

[AkBrew907]

My usual procedure is to create a starter 3-4 days in advance, chill it to decant, and then on brew day let it sit at room temperature until pitching time. I've never noticed what temp the starter is at when I pitch it, other than just wanting it to be around room temp to avoid the drastic temp change from fridge temps to wort temp and also it allows the yeast to mix back into the remain starter wort to make it easier to pitch. I've never had any issues with the yeast adapting to the wort temp since I usually see activity within 12 hours.

This is exactly what I do and have always had great results. I see action within 12 hours every time, usually a lot sooner.

 

[beskone]

The starter is such a small volume that once added to your pitch temperature wort it'll equalize in just a mater of minutes.

I always have my starters just sitting next to my brew stuff in ambient temps before pitching into my cooled wort.

 

[Natdavis777]

Not to derail the thread, but I have heard that it's good to pitch warmer (70F for example), and then once fermentation gets going drop down the temp (to 64F for example). What you're saying is the opposite of this. Not sure which method is ideal?

You want to start low then work your way up to avoid ester production, which are more apt to occur at higher temps.

I always pull my starters out at the beginning of the brewday and pitch when my wort is around 64F (for most styles I brew). My house is always set at 68F, so I am usually within 5 degrees.

 

[pdxal]

You could also just keep the starter in the fridge after cold crashing, then decant off the beer and pitch the yeast in colder than the wort and let it warm up to the wort temp in the fermentor. I've heard from folks in the yeast industry that "thermal shock" this way doesn't happen.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Not to derail the thread, but I have heard that it's good to pitch warmer (70F for example), and then once fermentation gets going drop down the temp (to 64F for example). What you're saying is the opposite of this. Not sure which method is ideal?

Similar to what I do... I cold crash my starter and decant nearly all of the liquid. I then return the flask to the fridge until start chilling my beer from the boil. I pitch the yeast into my fermenter at about 68*F to 70*F and place the fermenter into my chamber which is already set at my starting ferment temperature (usually 64*F to 65*F). I generally see activity in the airlock within 4 to 6 hours.

 

[Queequeg]

My process is to move the starter straight from the fridge to a pitch temperature a few degrees below initial fermentation temp.

Eg starter (41F), wort temp at pitch (61F), Brewpi starter temp (65F)

Never had any problems. Yeast have no issues going from cold to warm, what they don't like is the reverse.

Edit: if you warm your starter before pitching to a temperature equal to or a few degrees lower I would expect shorter lag times. What definitely is not ideal is to pitch and then cool, you want fermentation always to go cooler to warmer. Especially the growth phase which you want cool. Remember yeast actually want to ferment between 77-95, dependent on the strain, increases in temperature is toward optional conditions for the yeast whilst a decrease is almost always a move away from ideal conditions for them. They are permanently stress during fermentation because we are making them do what they don't want, so imo it best not to stress them even more.

 

[brewerdoc]

Having the temperature of your starter be close to that of your beer will potentially decrease lag time, however, even if the temp is exactly the same since the nutrients are different and the pH will be different, no matter what you do there will be a lag phase where the yeasts are getting acclimated to their new environment. It is true that if your starter is at a much higher temp then the yeasts will most likely activate their heat shock proteins or certain transcription factors, however once it goes into your beer it will then change to whatever temp you are brewing at and possibly turn off those mechanisms.

 

[Gustatorian]

Having the temperature of your starter be close to that of your beer will potentially decrease lag time, however, even if the temp is exactly the same since the nutrients are different and the pH will be different, no matter what you do there will be a lag phase where the yeasts are getting acclimated to their new environment. It is true that if your starter is at a much higher temp then the yeasts will most likely activate their heat shock proteins or certain transcription factors, however once it goes into your beer it will then change to whatever temp you are brewing at and possibly turn off those mechanisms.

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