stir-plate question.

[Jay1]

This is my first time using a stir-plate. I started my yeast on Sunday with the intention of using it today. Now I wont be able to brew until Thursday.

Any harm in just leaving it alone on the stir-plate, or should I stick it in the fridge? My theory is, the more I mess with stuff the greater chance of messing it up.

 

[BradleyBrew]

I would just put it in the fridge after about 24 hours after fermentation started. That way you can decant the spent beer off the cake that forms.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I would just put it in the fridge after about 24 hours after fermentation started. That way you can decant the spent beer off the cake that forms.

+1

As a general rule, 24 hours is all that is needed when using a stir plate. Going beyond that can actually be stressful to the yeasties. Refrigerate until brew day, decant, pitch.

 

[Biobrewer]

Personally, I get the best results just pitching the entire starter 24 hours after starting it, and not cold crashing. When you pitch the starter at 24 hours, the yeast are rearing to go and ready for wort. When you cold crash, the yeast are not going to be as metabolically active, and will take a little longer to start up.

I like a short lag phase. When I pitch the whole thing at 24 hours, even into 1.100+ wort, my lag time is usually incredibly short (given the appropriate pitch rate of ~1 million cells/mL/degree Plato), which is one of many things that prevents infection.

Here, it sounds like you have no choice. You are probably better off putting it in the fridge than leaving it out until late Thursday. But if you can, try making a starter the night before, and then pitching all of it at ~12-24 hours. You'll be amazed at how fast fermentation gets going.

Good luck.

 

[BradleyBrew]

I've never noticed a difference between pitching after 24 hours, decanting then pitching, or decanting, making an additional starter and pitching at high krausen. In his situation he should chill the starter because it will be days before he brews.

 

[Jay1]

Here, it sounds like you have no choice. You are probably better off putting it in the fridge than leaving it out until late Thursday. But if you can, try making a starter the night before, and then pitching all of it at ~12-24 hours. You'll be amazed at how fast fermentation gets going.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice everybody! This is what I'm gonna do. Last time I pitched at high krausen it worked great!

Thanks again

 

[wolverinebrewer]

Thanks for the advice everybody! This is what I'm gonna do. Last time I pitched at high krausen it worked great!

Thanks again

But why would you dilute your carefully planned recipe with 1000-1500 ml. of spent 1.040 crappy wort just to gain a few hours of lag time? That's a 5% change in your recipe. If you are going to primary for 3 weeks or so, does it really matter whether it gets going in 3 hours or 10 hours?