starter

[normeller]

How long of time ahead should the starter be made prior to pitching? If doing an all grain, could I start the starter before the mashing and pitch when boil is over?

 

[JMSetzler]

A starter needs to go for about 48 hours or so to be effective.

 

[Doc Robinson]

A starter needs to go for about 48 hours or so to be effective.

Completely false. With proper aeration and preparation, a 1-2L starter should ferment out in less than 24 hours. That being said, if I am brewing on a Saturday, I will prepare my starter on a Thursday night, refrigerate it on Friday night, decant it on Saturday morning, and pitch it early afternoon. I don't like to pitch the starter beer which is why I crash the yeast out and decant. If you are pitching the whole starter, you will be fine preparing the starter 18-24 hours before you plan on pitching it.

 

[Blender]

I tend to think that 24 hours is sufficient for starters especially if you have a stir plate.

 

[Montanaandy]

"Completely false. With proper aeration and preparation, a 1-2L starter should ferment out in less than 24 hours."

Well I would add that it also depends on the type/strain of yeast that you are adding to the starter, & the age of the yeast at the time you add it to the starter. I just pitched a Wyeast American Ale II Dated 12/09 that I had on the stir plate for 48 hours (also my usual course of action) into a Pliny clone. No real krausen or activity while it was on the stir plate but 6 hours after pitching it is going strong in the carboy. When I put Pac Man and Irish Ale yeast on the stir plate there is a great deal of activity particularly when the yeast is fresher. Montanaandy

 

[JMSetzler]

Oh well... Everything I had read indicated that 48 hours was a good point of reference for a starter. I guess I stand corrected.

 

[Montanaandy]

"Oh well... Everything I had read indicated that 48 hours was a good point of reference for a starter."

I go by personal experience and I normally get my best fermentation results after 48 hours on the stir plate (1800ml starter). Montanaandy

 

[Shoemaker]

Completely false. With proper aeration and preparation, a 1-2L starter should ferment out in less than 24 hours. That being said, if I am brewing on a Saturday, I will prepare my starter on a Thursday night, refrigerate it on Friday night, decant it on Saturday morning, and pitch it early afternoon. I don't like to pitch the starter beer which is why I crash the yeast out and decant. If you are pitching the whole starter, you will be fine preparing the starter 18-24 hours before you plan on pitching it.

So what is the procedure with a lager starter, if I want to make a big one? (Like 4L).

 

[Montanaandy]

So what is the procedure with a lager starter, if I want to make a big one? (Like 4L).

Well I use 2 qts water to 1 cup LME per 1800-2000ml so for 4L I would use 4 qts and 2 cups LME. I like to leave my starter on the stir plate for 2 days/48 hours is possible. I don't cool it down but pitch directly into the wort unless I am preparing a lager in which case I will cool it down. As I mentioned before this works very well for me - different methods may work well for others. Montanaandy