Is my starter method OK?

[TomBruin]

I'm worried about yeast temperature shock in my starters... I'm not confident in checking the temp of the yeast pack against the wort so here is my fix... I've only made a few to date, but here is my process. Note, I've been making old school starters in clear growlers that I just shake whenever I'm near for aeration, no stir plate yet.
1. Buy liquid yeast pack, put in fridge
2. Make wort depending on starter size
3. Cool and transfer to sanitized growler, cap with sanitized lid
4. Put growler in fridge
5. Once both wort and yeast are fridge-cold, take out and pitch yeast (sanitized foil etc), shake shake shake
6. Let come to room temp and shake periodically until brew day, usually 18 to 36 hours

So far it has worked great, but I'm curious to hear what the HBT community has to say about the process, espespecially pitching the yeast cold into cold wort. Thanks!

 

[IslandLizard]

Welcome to HBT!

Store your yeast pack(s) in the fridge.

Ahead of preparing your starter:

• Put the yeast pack you want to use on the counter.
• Let it come to room temps, naturally, which takes about 1-2 hours.
• You can leave it there a few hours more, if that so happens, or fits better into your schedule.
• I wouldn't go much beyond 6 hours though, if you can prevent it.

During that time prepare and chill the starter wort to get it around room temps. Fill your jug with the wort and pitch your yeast. Oxygenate, shake, swirl, whatever.

Yeast propagates faster at room temps (or higher) so chilling the starter to fridge temps first, and pitch then, incorporates an unneeded delay of at least 12, possibly 24 hours.
Moreover, I even doubt pitching yeast at super cold temps is even advised. Something to do with sterol reserves, osmosis, and metabolism, all are critical factors when awaking yeast from dormancy.

 

[Rob2010SS]

+1 to what @IslandLizard said. I don't know enough of the science behind it, but you NEVER pitch cold yeast into your beer, so why would you do it in a starter?

Let your yeast sit out on the counter for a couple hours before putting it into your starter. And make sure your starter is room temp.

 

[balrog]

I usually use mason jars, holding about 12oz saved from making about 1.5L starter, but same method with new smack packs.

Pull from fridge and put on counter, decanting from mason jar so only enough to swirl yeast is left, reducing the thermal mass and thus allowing it to come to room temp faster. Make starter 1.5L (typically). By the time it has chilled in sink everything is room temp.

And @IslandLizard beat me to it.

 

[TomBruin]

Alright, that's an easy fix. Thanks for the input! Room temp from now on.

 

[Derp]

I keep my house fairly cold during the winter, so I bought a heat mat and thermostat for my starters. I keep it at 77F.

 

[IslandLizard]

I keep my house fairly cold during the winter, so I bought a heat mat and thermostat for my starters. I keep it at 77F.

Why not containing your starter setup in a small temp controlled chamber, using your heating mat if you want? Like a beverage cooler? Easier to keep warm, and the heat stays exactly where you want it.

A cooler can be cleaned and sanitized. Just open the lid once or twice a day to let fresh air (oxygen) in.

 

[balrog]

I like the seed mat idea, @Derp . OOORRRRR,
Put Highly Calibrated Super Scientific Starter Vessel on WickedAwesomeStirPlate, roll up a piece of reflectrix in a tube to set around it, include a 4watt nightlight bulb, and cover with ISO standard laboratory grade top (tongue firmly in cheek)

 

[TomBruin]

As an update, did a double brew day today.

Using the advice in this thread I made two starters. One for an English mild (1L starter using WL005 British Ale harvested from 2 pint jars of 2ndary trub from a porter) and one for an NEIPA (1L starter from a fresh WL001 California ale pack). They were both pitched after about 30 hours of work.

What awesome, active, bubbly starters. Appears to be a vast improvement on previous starters - time will tell once fermentation really gets going!

Thanks everyone!