When to pitch starter

[daveooph131]

I am brewing an IPA with an expected OG of 1.067. I made a 3L simple starter last night that I can see kressin on. Should I...

A) Pitch full 3L starter tonight
B) Decant and Pitch tomorrow morning.

I finished brewing this afternoon, and the beer is in the fridge cooling off so infection should not be an issue.

 

[just2brew]

I would recommend pitching the starter as soon as the wort cools. Decanting will not make any difference. Just plan ahead for next brew day if you'd like to decant. IMO it is better to get the yeast to the wort and minimize anything else infecting it.

 

[superjunior]

I'd pitch it tonight

 

[Kaz]

Normally I'd be a fan of pitching the full starter right into the wort, but 3L is a pretty big starter. With one that large, I'd try to decant off to about .5L and pitch that. If you do pitch the whole 3L, remember to leave room when you rack to your carboy.

 

[daveooph131]

I've got plenty of head room in the carboy so that is not an issue. My only reason for decanting would be to avoid off flavors from such a large starter, and the starter was left at room temp so probably high 70's.

Does this change anything?

 

[PseudoChef]

I'll play the Devil's advocate and say you should decant and pitch later. Your beer is in a fridge, so I'm led to believe it's more than fine, like you assume. I hate, hate, hate pitching warm, and ferment on the colder side of things for ales (low 60s) so a lot of the time, I'm pitching the next morning waiting for the wort temp to come down.

The only thing you want to do, however, is match the yeast temp to wort temp after you decant (assuming you're cold crashing the yeast at refrigeration temps) or else you may shock the yeast and stall fermentation.

 

[daveooph131]

I'll play the Devil's advocate and say you should decant and pitch later. Your beer is in a fridge, so I'm led to believe it's more than fine, like you assume. I hate, hate, hate pitching warm, and ferment on the colder side of things for ales (low 60s) so a lot of the time, I'm pitching the next morning waiting for the wort temp to come down.

The only thing you want to do, however, is match the yeast temp to wort temp after you decant (assuming you're cold crashing the yeast at refrigeration temps) or else you may shock the yeast and stall fermentation.

That's good advice. So would there be any problem throwing the starter into the fridge now?

The starter was made last night, and is showing active signs of a mini-fermentation. I've decanted before, but usually after the starter had been going for 48 hours so I wasn't sure what effects dropping the starter temps down in the fridge would have this early if any.

 

[PseudoChef]

Sorry I'm late. Once the starter has fermented out, I place it in the fridge overnight to flocculate the yeast. Then, on brew day, I'll decant the clear wort on top and keep the yeast at room temp for a couple hours.

If I am thinking clear enough on brew day, I'll take a portion of the wort after 5-10 minutes in the boil, cool it down separately, and add it back to the starter to give the yeast a little head start on getting back into propagation phase.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

sorry i'm late. Once the starter has fermented out, i place it in the fridge overnight to flocculate the yeast. Then, on brew day, i'll decant the clear wort on top and keep the yeast at room temp for a couple hours.

If i am thinking clear enough on brew day, i'll take a portion of the wort after 5-10 minutes in the boil, cool it down separately, and add it back to the starter to give the yeast a little head start on getting back into propagation phase.

+1