Never ending lager starter

[wildwest450]

Im a dope. In an effort to try and rush brewing my first lager, I may have screwed the pooch. I started it last Tuesday hoping I could brew on Saturday, no activity until Friday! It still appears to be going on day 6. It started at .048 (yes I know it was high for a starter), it's now down to .022. Is it possible to let it sit the rest of the day then cold crash it tonight? I really need to brew this tomorrow, as my brewing opportunities will be nil the rest of the week. It's 830 lager yeast, sitting at 60f if that helps.

 

[bull8042]

Normally, starters are supposed to be pitched somewhere around "high kreusen", if I am not mistaken. I don't think lager yeast are any different. So, I don't see how it would be a problem if it was still fermenting with the exception that some of the yeast is still in suspension. Cold crashing should precipitate them out though.

 

[wildwest450]

Normally, starters are supposed to be pitched somewhere around "high kreusen", if I am not mistaken. I don't think lager yeast are any different. So, I don't see how it would be a problem if it was still fermenting with the exception that some of the yeast is still in suspension. Cold crashing should precipitate them out though.

Im not to enthused about dumping a gallon plus of oxidized wort into my beer. I read somewhere that lager yeast was tough to get out of suspension, that's my main concern.

 

[bull8042]

Unfortunately, I can't help you much more than what I have already offered. I understand your concerns, but not having experience with lagers, I just don't know.

 

[MNBugeater]

The short answer is that you haven't screwed the proverbial pooch.
The long answer is...

I TRY to do all my starters the same but as you know life gets in the way of the best laid out plans.

Ideally, I like to make my starter 3 days before brew day. Let it build for 2 days, then I crash it the night before I am going to brew. I usually take the starter out of the cold to room temperature about the time I start the boil. This gives the starter about 90-120 minutes to come to pitching temp. I then decant the wort off the starter so that I have just a thin layer left on top of the yeast cake. I swirl this and pitch into fermenter. I like to have my starter temp as close to ideal fermenting temps as possible.

Having said all that...I have pitched the entire starter, wort and all on days when I forget to make my starter long enough in advance. I have pitched anywhere from pre-high krausen to full rolling fermentation to cold crash. I am making the assuming that fermentation may start sooner if your starter is active, but you would be pitching more yeast if you let it ferment or build longer and then crash.

 

[menschmaschine]

Im not to enthused about dumping a gallon plus of oxidized wort into my beer. I read somewhere that lager yeast was tough to get out of suspension, that's my main concern.

That's a valid concern with lager yeast. It takes them longer to come out of suspension than ale yeast. I don't think one night is enough. One option would be to crash it (bigtime... like 30°F), then dump half of it and pitch the whole other half. That's sort of a compromise.

Edit: Also, I've pitched plenty of lager starters... often times 2 full liters of starter. Never noticed a flavor problem from pitching the whole thing. The yeast clean it up in fermentation and lagering.

 

[wildwest450]

Well, I super cold crashed the starter the night before at 30F. I decanted all but a quart, warmed to 48f and pitched into 52-53f wort, it was bubbling within 6 hours and it is going nicely this morning.