Starter question

[dpinette2]

Made a starter last night, Dry hop Imperial A24

Temp range is 64-74...It’s hot here in boston, I pitched at 72, but woke up and it’s at 78....should i be concerned? I know I’m only worried about making yeast, and I will crash/decant before I pitch, but I also don’t want bad yeast? Any insight is appreciated. Thanks

 

[dpinette2]

Could actually be closer to 80.

It’s on a stir plate in my kitchen, (no ac) Am I better off taking it off stir plate into one of the rooms colder rooms of the house?

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Exceeded the recommended yeast temp range, but are you measuring the air temp? This isn't the same as the temp of the starter.

 

[dpinette2]

It’s actually the temp of the starter...Air temp is 72, the flask is 78/80(have a stick on thermometer on flask)

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

4 degrees isn't much. Maybe not enough to stress the yeast, cause off flavors or make rocket fuel. However, it's best to stay within the yeast's temp range. The range is given for a reason.

Also, remember fermentation, even in a starter, raises the temp.

 

[dpinette2]

So I have 3 options I guess

1.Leave as is
2. Take off starter and bring to room that is much cooler(is damage already done as it’s gone go high?)
3.Dump and get new yeast

I don’t want to set myself up to fail before my brew day starts

 

[balrog]

I'm not a yeast guy
I am fairly certain warmer temp is actually good for yeast propagation however
Since you are decanting prior to pitch I think you will be fine.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Normally desire yeast temp same temp as what it's going into.

As I previously wrote, 4 degrees probably isn't enough to worry. However, just be aware next time.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

What Balrog said. Making a starter at warmer temps is recommended. You aren't making beer at this point, you're just trying to grow as much yeast as possible. Your concern should be growing as many healthy cells as possible.

I would cold crash the starter when ready, decant, then pitch

 

[RM-MN]

What Balrog said. Making a starter at warmer temps is recommended. You aren't making beer at this point, you're just trying to grow as much yeast as possible. Your concern should be growing as many healthy cells as possible.

I would cold crash the starter, decant, then pitch

For growing more yeast, temperature up to 100 to maybe 110F speed this up. You only need to keep the fermenting beer in the recommended temperature range if you are going to drink the beer. Being a starter, you will likely cold crash and decant but even if you do pitch the whole starter, it will have minimal effect on the beer you make to drink being diluted so much. Just keep your fermenting beer in the proper range and don't drink the "starter beer" if you choose to decant it..

 

[IslandLizard]

As said before, your higher starter temps are fine. Speeds things up. Now strains may grow at different rates, so the balance in the end may be somewhat different.

Imperial Yeast packs are 200 billion cells at manufacture, keep that in mind.

Did you use a yeast calculator? How big of a starter volume are you making?

 

[Jag75]

Are you gonna be able to keep the fermentation temp good and steady once you pitch?

 

[dpinette2]

Are you gonna be able to keep the fermentation temp good and steady once you pitch?

Yup, have a conical with temp control!

 

[dpinette2]

As said before, your higher starter temps are fine. Speeds things up. Now strains may grow at different rates, so the balance in the end may be somewhat different.

Imperial Yeast packs are 200 billion cells at manufacture, keep that in mind.

Did you use a yeast calculator? How big of a starter volume are you making?

I did use a calculator. I added 200ml to that total and will store that 200 to make a starter in a week or two.

 

[IslandLizard]

I did use a calculator. I added 200ml to that total and will store that 200 to make a starter in a week or two.

That's more like a vitality starter, not much of a cell building starter, especially with 150-200 billion cells already there.

BrewUnited's Yeast Calc.

 

[dpinette2]

That's more like a vitality starter, not much of a cell building starter, especially with 150-200 billion cells already there.

BrewUnited's Yeast Calc.

Sorry, the calculator said i needed 1400ml, i made 1600...so before i decant i’ll pour 200 into a mason jar for storage, and use the 1400 to pitch....does that not work?

 

[sibelman]

Silly thought: Maybe you can, in future, find a way to fit your stir plate and starter inside your temperature-controlled conical... if the previous batch is out of the way.

 

[dpinette2]

Silly thought: Maybe you can, in future, find a way to fit your stir plate and starter inside your temperature-controlled conical... if the previous batch is out of the way.

Unfortunately that won’t work, conical is 7 gallons with a cooling element located at the 4 gallon mark, the starter wouldn’t be high enough to get cooled

 

[IslandLizard]

Sorry, the calculator said i needed 1400ml, i made 1600...so before i decant i’ll pour 200 into a mason jar for storage, and use the 1400 to pitch....does that not work?

Ah, OK, that makes sense.
Yes, that's a common way to save out some yeast, by overbuilding your starter, with 200 ml in this case.

 

[IslandLizard]

so before i decant i’ll pour 200 into a mason jar for storage

Make sure to do things in the right order, though.

"Decanting" is usually referred to as pouring off the clear starter beer on top of the yeast slurry after cold crashing. There's very little yeast left in that clear beer, the bulk of the yeast is in the cake on the bottom. So you would homogenize the content of the vessel (flask), pour 200 ml in another jar for keeps, before you cold crash.

Or just pour some of the slurry into a small jar for keeps, after cold crashing.

 

[Gregory T]

What Balrog said. Making a starter at warmer temps is recommended. You aren't making beer at this point, you're just trying to grow as much yeast as possible. Your concern should be growing as many healthy cells as possible.

I would cold crash the starter when ready, decant, then pitch

this