Yeast starter... How long?
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Barley_Bob
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^^ Seconded
EDIT - Make sure you let the starter reach room temperature before you do pitch.
EDIT - Make sure you let the starter reach room temperature before you do pitch.
WoodlandBrew
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Generally speaking 50% of the yeast growth occurs in the first 24 hours and 90% of the yeast growth is achieved by 48 hours. (see: http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2014/05/fermentation-model.html) Warm temperatures (70-80°F) and plenty of available oxygen (stir plate) typically double the growth rate.
If the starter is allowed to run to completion (typically 5-7 days) then the yeast will prepare for dormancy, building their glycogen reserves, and absorbing compounds from the broth that they may have expelled during fermentation. When the yeast are transferred to a new environment glycogen and these compounds can aid in their adaption.
In my experience, allowing the starter to run to completion before cold crashing leads to a faster, more vigorous and complete fermentation that pitching yeast directly from an active starter. (see: http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2013/02/side-by-side-starters-3-of-4.html)
If the starter is allowed to run to completion (typically 5-7 days) then the yeast will prepare for dormancy, building their glycogen reserves, and absorbing compounds from the broth that they may have expelled during fermentation. When the yeast are transferred to a new environment glycogen and these compounds can aid in their adaption.
In my experience, allowing the starter to run to completion before cold crashing leads to a faster, more vigorous and complete fermentation that pitching yeast directly from an active starter. (see: http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2013/02/side-by-side-starters-3-of-4.html)
You should watch the Wyeast video on starters. Anything over 24 hours
is not good for the yeast. Most new growth is done after about 18 hours.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng0Ib7n4DIA[/youtube]
Chill the starter so the yeast drops out of suspension and then dump most of the wort off the top. You can add cooled DME at this point if you're doing a two stage starter. Otherwise allow it to warm to room temp after decanting, mix, and add to your wort.
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Assuming you made a properly sized starter to begin with.
If the starter has not been shaken for a while, most of the yeast should be settled on the bottom. Pour the liquid off the top carefully.
Make 3/4 to 1 liter of starter wort and add it (cooled) to the growler, shake it up every time you pass by. Cover with foil not plastic wrap. The yeast need oxygen to reproduce. Let it run 18-24 hours then pitch.
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If the starter has not been shaken for a while, most of the yeast should be settled on the bottom. Pour the liquid off the top carefully.
Make 3/4 to 1 liter of starter wort and add it (cooled) to the growler, shake it up every time you pass by. Cover with foil not plastic wrap. The yeast need oxygen to reproduce. Let it run 18-24 hours then pitch.
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Yeast can bud once in as little as a few hours. A small starter that you wont be decanting can be made just before you start brewing. I've been making them with the same wort after brewing. In the summer I can only get wort to 80-85 so it chills to pitching temps in my chest frezzer. The starter is easy to chill to 70F. By the time the rest of the batch is in the mid to low sixties my starter is making lots of C02 and ready to pitch. My last one was with Denny's favorite 50. I made the starter in a quart jar (about 1.5L) and shook it ever few minutes until the CO2 makes it blow off. The whole batch was happily bubbling away by the next morning. That batch was the starter for my 1.118 RIS. I used about 600 billion cells in the RIS and 200 billion in the second runnings beer.
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