How many days ahead of time to prepare yeast starter?

[cutchemist42]

??


Thanks!

 

[steelerfanatic7]

2-3 should be enough time i think.

 

[Golddiggie]

Depends on the aeration/oxygenation method... On a stir plate, 1-2 days ahead is plenty. With just oxygenating up front, 2-3+ days. With intermittent shaking/stirring, 2-3+ days.

Personally, I make my starters 2 days ahead now. I'm using a stir plate with them, so they are done within 24 hours. I then move the flask into the fridge to cold-crash the starter to concentrate the yeast on the bottom, getting the rest out of suspension. On brew day, I let it sit on the counter/table (inside) while brewing (for at least a few hours) then decant and pitch the super-slurry. :rockin: This method (along with using pure O2 in the wort before pitching the slurry) typically gets me active fermenation within 12-24 hours. Most often under 12 hours.

 

[Hoppylikerabbits]

I usually start it on a wends and brew on saturday. It also depends on how big of a starter your making. I make about a 1L starter. Some people step the starter up a few times. So honestly it depends on the ammount of yeast you need for innoculation.

 

[osagedr]

It depends on several factors.

For ales, I pitch the entire starter at high krausen, which is 12 hours (give or take) on my stirplate.

For lagers, the starters are usually pretty big so them ferment out completely, then chill and decant. At room temperature this could be a couple of days to several days, but if I do the starter at ferm temp it could be a week or ten days.

 

[two_one_seven]

I do usually do 18 hours for ales. So if I'm brewing on saturday morning and pitching around 12 pm to 1 pm i do a starter on Friday night about 6 pm. I get activity within 6 to 12 hours and high krausen in less that 24 hours (after pitching into my wort). I do not currently use a stir plate but plan on getting one soon. I will follow the same schedule but hopefully get even larger cell counts.

 

[Stauffbier]

About 2 days.. 24 hours on stirplate, 12 hours in fridge to crash (more or less), Take out of fridge and decant spent wort, allow to sit at room temp for 4 hours then I add about a cup of fresh, room temp wort to wake it up for 2 hours and then picth it...

 

[Gtrman13]

I typically do two days with a stir plate. Around 24 hours on the stir plate and then cold crash in the fridge. Works every time.

 

[zacster]

I do it Tues or Weds and I brew on Sunday usually. I use the shake method, 3 or 4 times a day as I remember.

 

[cowgo]

I've been brewing medium gravity ales, so a bit shy of 24 hours on the stir plate works great.

Since I no chill I use wort straight from my boil kettle to a 2 liter pyrex flask. I soak the flask in cold water for an hour or so and pitch the yeast on a stir plate. I don't cold crash or decant. It's the same beer so it all goes in the fermenter. With pure 02 aeration I get good fast activity.

 

[Stauffbier]

I've been brewing medium gravity ales, so a bit shy of 24 hours on the stir plate works great.

Since I no chill I use wort straight from my boil kettle to a 2 liter pyrex flask. I soak the flask in cold water for an hour or so and pitch the yeast on a stir plate. I don't cold crash or decant. It's the same beer so it all goes in the fermenter. With pure 02 aeration I get good fast activity.

This is about the ONLY way I would consider pitching the entire starter without decanting first...

 

[msa8967]

I made the error of leaving my 2 L yeast starter on the stir plate for 48 hours. Is this too long? I was trying to step up from 750 ml to 2 L starter for an 8 gallon brew this weekend.

 

[cowgo]

This is about the ONLY way I would consider pitching the entire starter without decanting first...

Yep, me too. No "about" about it. For lagers that require steps or any higher gravity beers, it's DME and decant.

 

[Stauffbier]

I made the error of leaving my 2 L yeast starter on the stir plate for 48 hours. Is this too long? I was trying to step up from 750 ml to 2 L starter for an 8 gallon brew this weekend.

It shouldn't be a problem.. I've gone between 36 to 48 hours once or twice.

 

[flyingfinbar]

Cool thread, answered some of my questions.

I don't mean to hijack, but I don't know if this is worth its own thread. Let's say I want to make a 2L starter with a Belgian yeast strain...can I just make 2L of wort and pitch the liquid yeast into that, or do I have to step it up?

 

[Stauffbier]

Cool thread, answered some of my questions.

I don't mean to hijack, but I don't know if this is worth its own thread. Let's say I want to make a 2L starter with a Belgian yeast strain...can I just make 2L of wort and pitch the liquid yeast into that, or do I have to step it up?

IMO you don't have to step it up.. I've done both scenarios with success!

 

[flyingfinbar]

IMO you don't have to step it up.. I've done both scenarios with success!

Thanks man! Making my first starter either today or tomorrow, looking forward to getting the experience under my belt.