Should I make a yeast starter for tomorrow?

[fuzzybee]

I screwed up my timing. I'd planned on having a yeast starter already for the two batches I'm brewing tomorrow mid-afternoon. I have two vials of White Labs yeast - German Ale for a Caramel Cream Ale, and British Ale for a Double Chocolate Stout. The German Ale has been cold, so I'm not worried about it. On the other hand, the British Ale was shipped from Austin Homebrew, and, despite having a cold pack, was room-temperature when I got it. I immediately stored it in the fridge.

Does it make sense to make a starter for these tonight if I'm going to brew them tomorrow, or should I just pull them out of the fridge in the morning to warm, and pitch the vials directly?

 

[Beezer94]

yes, I would make a starter now.

 

[fuzzybee]

Will it be ready in 16 hours?

 

[Edcculus]

A starter wouldn't hurt. If you can't don't worry about it.

In the summer, I pitch almost 24 hours after I boil. I cant get my wort down to proper pitching temps with my immersion chiller, so I get it close, rack to a sanitized fermenter and let cool over night.

If you are worried about the starter, you can do something similar and wait until the next day to pitch. That will give your starter time to take off. Just make sure you are impeccable with sanitation.

 

[fuzzybee]

Thanks for the advice. I've had good luck pitching White Labs directly into the fermenter before, so I think I may just do that. I'm only doing a partial boil anyway, so I'm going to be adding cold water to my wort. Should have a problem with temperature.

I did get ont of the "yeast food" packs from AHB, so I guess I can chunk that in the fermenter as well.

 

[ChshreCat]

You should be fine if you want to make a starter tonight. Tomorrow it'll be going full steam when you pitch it and it should take off pretty quick.

 

[Reedwalker]

I did get ont of the "yeast food" packs from AHB, so I guess I can chunk that in the fermenter as well.

I believe that goes into the boil.

 

[Trencher]

Making starters tonight will mean the yeast is at peak activity when you pitch tomorrow evening. The timing should be perfect.

 

[fuzzybee]

Cool. Got the starters, well, started. Hope everything works out well tonight, because my LHBS is closed tomorrow!

 

[Ender]

yeah, all good advice. Make the starter. Jamil states that yeast is at peak knockin boots after 18 hrs, so 16 is close enough for brewing and government work. Pour the whole thing in.

 

[Jewrican]

i would not decant when you do it though. i made that mistake and it was a huge one. just pitch the whole starter