Starter details

[Peterock]

I'd like to start by saying sorry for asking. I've look all over and have read many threads. I just want to make sure I got this right.
I'm brewing Hop Otten IPA 5 gal
OG 1.072-1.074 FG 1.017-1.019
10 oz American 60L crystal malt steeped at 150 for 30 min
8.33lb Munton's extra light DME
24 HBU Yakima Magnum
2oz cascade
1oz Liberty
1 tsp Irish moss
Wyeast 1332 Northwest Ale
1.5oz Cascade dry hop
So I'm going to make a starter. I plan on using
2liters of water (2Qt of which is boiled to disolve DME)
1 cup?? or ? oz of extra light DME (I have a scale)
cool wort to pitching temp cover and shake/swirl to aerate, then pitch. Swirling every hour or so for next 5 hrs or so?

Should I smack the Wyeast pack and let it swell? Or cut package open add yeast only then add nutrient pack at later time?

Whats the maxium number of hours the starter can sit in 70 degree temps for before it needs to be refridgerated?

If I missed something or I'm wrong somewhere please help!
thanks,Pete

 

[Chrisl77]

I usualy do 100 grams of light dme to 1000 ml of water. I use a stir plate and let mine go for 24 hours before putting it into the fridge to decant. If your not using a stir plate i would atleast let it go for 24 hours. I dont use wyeast but i think you want to smack it but i dont think you need to wait for it to swell.

 

[944play]

Whats the maxium number of hours the starter can sit in 70 degree temps for before it needs to be refridgerated?

A large number. Weeks, as long as it's sanitary.

You've got the idea. I put a pinch of Wyeast nutrient in my starters too, but definitely not necessary.

 

[jaycount]

Smack it and shake it to mix the nutrient with the yeast, you don't need to wait for it to swell though.

And +1 to 100g DME to 1000ml of water. That's the commonly accepted ratio.

I've let starters sit for several days, they can sit for weeks (it's just a mini batch of beer really) as long as it's sanitized but most folks agree its best to pitch around high krausen so I pitch within 24-48 hours of making the starter.

 

[billf2112]

I did my first starter using a smack pack. I did smack it and dumped everything into the starter. I ended up with a massive starter, it was awesome, thought I was going to need a blow out tube on it.

Smack away!!!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

The last starter I made was 1332 for a pale ale. 1300ml water, cup of dme, wyeast nutrient. Smacked pack and let swell for a few hours. Pitched and let it go for 24 hours, swirling every time I walked past. Pitched the whole starter and it was off n running in a few hours. Sounds like ya got the right idea. And the right yeast! I love that 1332!

 

[Peterock]

Ok so I made the starter and all went well. I swirled the starter about 8-10 times in a 5 hour period. Woke up this morning and now have this.

I made this starter at 5:00pm yesterday. My plan was to brew today, should be ready to pitch around 7:00pm. Should I keep swirling every so often? How long should it sit to settle yeast cake? Or should I keep swirling up to pitch time and then just pitch entire starter?

Thanks Guys youv'e been great help
Pete

 

[jaycount]

1L starter in a 5gal batch? I'd pitch the whole thing, when you start making bigger starters I'd consider taking the time to cold crash it and decant.

 

[Peterock]

Smack it and shake it to mix the nutrient with the yeast, you don't need to wait for it to swell though.

And +1 to 100g DME to 1000ml of water. That's the commonly accepted ratio.

I've let starters sit for several days, they can sit for weeks (it's just a mini batch of beer really) as long as it's sanitized but most folks agree its best to pitch around high krausen so I pitch within 24-48 hours of making the starter.

Ahh Yea 1L
Should I still be swirling untill pitch?
Still time to crash and decant, Why thou?

 

[Golddiggie]

Ahh Yea 1L
Should I still be swirling untill pitch?
Still time to crash and decant, Why thou?

You crash/decant so that you get less of the starter liquid into the brew. Depending on the size of your fermenter, you could run into space issues otherwise. There's also times (most of the time actually, for me) when you don't want any of the flavors that could be present in the spent starter getting into your brew.

I made a starter late Friday evening, and have had it on my stirplate since. I'm brewing later on today, using it then. I was thinking about chilling it for a few hours before pitching it, but now I'm thinking that I'll just let it rest while I brew. It should separate out well by then.

I need to get some more DME before I need to make another starter. I suspect that I won't have enough to make more than a 1L starter next time. For that batch, I'll need a solid 2L starter (on the stirplate of course)...

 

[Peterock]

As one can see from my pic it looks to me as if the yeast cake has already formed. Putting it into fridge is going to???? what make it cold so that I have to wait for it to reach 70 before pitch. whats the point? How long does it take to settle? Right now it sits as pic shows. Should I still swirl?? I like to think I can decant as is now. If I swirl it 2:00pm will it be settled by 7:00ish for pitching, so that I don't have to pitch entire starter. Does it still need to be arerated (swirled)??

 

[jaycount]

There's still some yeast in suspension. Cold crashing the starter would compact that yeast cake. You're right though, you have to bring the temp back up to 70ish to pitch. That's why I suggested just pitching the whole sha-bang without crashing and decanting. You could decant warm but you'll be giving up some precious yeastie beasties that you worked so hard in raising over the past day Think of it this way, in a 5gal batch when you rack to secondary/bottling bucket/keg, there's a good yeast cake on bottom. You know that theres still tons of yeast in suspension though (assuming you didnt cold crash your primary), because you're able to bottle condition your beer. Even though theres a cake, there are still lots of yeast in suspension.

I don't decant 1L starters in my 5 gallon batches, 1L is approx. 5% of your total batch size, it's insignificant and pitching the wort and all won't affect your final product. It's worthy of the extra time when you're making 2-4L starters (10-20% of your 5 gallon batch size).

Oh and I swirl right up until pitching time. But i'm sure there's many other opinions on this. I am not a yeast wizard

 

[Chrisl77]

Not to mention if you decant without cold crashing for a good amount of time your dumping the better yeast and only using the lazy guys that drop out early.

 

[jpr210]

can some one fill me in on what decanting means exactly?

 

[jaycount]

can some one fill me in on what decanting means exactly?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/decanting-starter-how-112604/

Basically just pouring off the beer from your starter that way you're pitching alot of yeast (and not alot of beer). Pitching alot of starter beer can affect the taste of your final product, although (like most things in homebrewing) there is some argument to that belief.