How Long Before Starter Is Ready?

[Mexibilly]

I had intended to brew an imperial red tomorrow afternoon. I had also intended to pop my American ale II smack pack yesterday morning and make a starter yesterday evening.
Way busy and missed on both.
I popped it this morning around 9:20. I have a window around 3:30 to run home and make a starter. (1qt, no stir plate)
I had intended to brew and be pitching around 6pm tomorrow.
Will this be enough time to reach a high enough cell count for this big red?
I could drive an hour each way to pick up some 05 tonite or tomorrow, I could skip brewing Saturday, continue to feed the starter for a week and brew next Saturday, I could toss the starter, have my buddy pick me up another smack pack or some 05 next week and brew next weekend.
This is my 3rd starter and I really haven't locked in any definite best practices and I don't want to under pitch. I promised the wife no brewing on Sunday...

 

[gwaugh]

24 to 36 hrs is when you maximize cell growth from what I've read. After that I usually cold crash the starter in the fridge overnight so I can decant off most of the wort from the yeast but its not critical. Without knowing the gravity of the beer you're making I don't know cell count you need but I would still make the starter if I were you.

A starter is always a good idea even if you don't maximize cell growth it will still "wake up" the yeast and get them active and ready to ferment. And unless you're making some huge Belgian or barley wine I don't think you need to worry about under pitching.

 

[Mexibilly]

OG will be around 1.090.
I would like to brew tomorrow, but if 24 hours isn't enough time to reach a high enough cell count I'd rather wait than not get it right.
So I think another option is to make the starter, give it 48 hours, cold crash, decant then refrigerate til next weekend.

 

[thejuanald]

I usually do as gwaugh says let the starter go for 24 hours or so and then throw it in the fridge overnight. Do you have a stir plate?

Sorry if this is a threadjack, but it just occurred to me that I have a question about starters as well. I plan on brewing this Sunday, and was going to make a starter today. I've never used a wyeast before (usually go white labs) but I wanted to try their Kolsch on a wheat beer. Is it absolutely necessary to let the smackpack go for a day or so before making the starter? I plan on buying the yeast today and making the starter tonight. Will that work or should I break the smackpack and then let it go until tomorrow morning and then make the starter? Sorry again, if you want I will move this to another thread.

 

[kombat]

Is it absolutely necessary to let the smackpack go for a day or so before making the starter?

No - where did you get that idea? I thought it was written right on the packs themselves that the ideal time between smacking and opening was something like 3-4 hours (it's been a while since I looked)? Certainly not an entire day, though.

 

[Mexibilly]

What I'm reading says about 360 billion cells for a 1.090 wort. That's gonna require a bigger starter than I'm prepared to make by tomorrow afternoon.
Oh well...

 

[thejuanald]

No - where did you get that idea? I thought it was written right on the packs themselves that the ideal time between smacking and opening was something like 3-4 hours (it's been a while since I looked)? Certainly not an entire day, though.

I hadn't ever even really looked at them, I was going to buy it today. I was just going off of what the OP posted about popping it in the morning and making the starter in the evening. My bad

 

[MX1]

Trying the "James Bond" starter method. Link to AHA thread. https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=22055.0

Had lots of conversations with a member of the AHA Forums before I embarked into new territory. This is to make 2 separate 1l starters in 2 separate 1 gallon jugs.

Here are the steps I am going by:

1. Gather the stuff needed
2.25 L water
200g DME
Glassware
Lids
Funnel
Sanitizer
Cotton
Alcohol
Yeast
2. Prepare and boil starter wort for 15 min (add the DME to the water); chill when complete
3. While chilling; sanitize glass jugs, lids, funnels, and other equipment needed
4. When chilling complete: Clean pouring lip of pan with alcohol and transfer in to 2x1g glass jug
5. Clean yeast package / vial with alcohol and add equal amounts to each starter
6. Cap jugs, and “Shake like they owe you money”
7. Rest for a few min and loosen caps
8. Pitch or crash at High Krausen

This was done a few weeks ago, it was at high Krausen in about 12 hours, but your time may differ by a few hours. I had AMAZING results; the starter wort was totally drinkable, and fermentation took off like a rocketship.

 

[gwaugh]

No need to wait that long with smack packs. I like to get the pack or of the fridge an hour or so before I make the starter to let the yeast warm up a bit but I do that with White Labs too.
Just break the inner pouch when you get it out and pour the whole thing in you're starter.

 

[hanuswalrus]

No - where did you get that idea? I thought it was written right on the packs themselves that the ideal time between smacking and opening was something like 3-4 hours (it's been a while since I looked)? Certainly not an entire day, though.

Palmer recommends smacking it the day before and letting it swell over night in a warm area around 80 degrees.. but, from what I gather, 3-4 hours is all you really need. I think, on Wyeast packs, it says AT LEAST 3-4 hours to let it swell but it's been a while since I looked as well.

From 'How to Brew' : "2. Put the packet in a warm place overnight to let it swell. On top of the refrigerator is good. Some brewers, who shall remain nameless, have been known to sleep with their yeast packets to keep them at the right temperature. However, their spouse assured them in no uncertain terms that the presence of the yeast packet did not entitle them to any more of the covers. So, just put the packet somewhere that's about 80°F, like next to the water heater."

Here's the link to Palmer's method of making starters: http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

 

[Mexibilly]

I did read Palmer on this.
Brewers friend calculator recommends a 3 stage starter.
I posted the process I hope to use in the fermentation and yeast forum.
I intend to do a 1.25 qt 3 stage in a growler.
Worst I can do is fail then try again : )

 

[born4chem]

I meant to start my brew yesterday. White labs instructions said to keep 1/2cup water and tube yeast for 6-12 hours. So I have the yeast starter covered on the counter for close to 24 hours. It looks good...bubbles when shaken. Is is still ok if the yeast starter is more like 24 hours? Basically I'm worried about the yeast count dying out for some reason. TY, I promise to read up more before I start my next round (I've complete just 2 previous brews... which were excellent!)

 

[Mexibilly]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/