yeast starter question

[glorifiedbusdriver]

Last Saturday I made a .75 gallon starter using washed yeast (1056) from a batch about 4 months ago. It was slow to start (which was expected) but I was hoping it would be done for me to brew on Wednesday (4 days). Well it is Tuesday and it is at high krausen. I don't want to put all of the starter in my beer so I was planning on putting it in the fridge tonight so I can decant the beer and just leave the yeast.
My question is this: Is there any problem placing the starter in the fridge while it is still around high krausen for the purpose of decanting the beer the next morning?
I guess my other options would be to wait until Thursday to brew or just throw the whole thing in my beer and use a blow off tube.

Charlie

 

[jacksonbrown]

I would wait, otherwise you'rer kind of halting the process you made the starter for in the first place.
I think a bigger question for me is why are you making a starter from washed yeast? I thought that stuff was ready to go, like pitching onto a cake. Am I mistaken?

 

[Yooper]

No, you absolutely should do a starter with washed yeast. It may stay in the fridge a long time, dormant, so a starter wakes it up and ensures viability.

I wouldn't put that starter in the fridge tonight- I would pitch the whole thing at brewing tomorrow. Since it's at high krausen now, it'll not have a chance to settle out before tomorrow. If you stick it in the fridge now, you'll just encourage it to go dormant but it probably won't flocculate yet, and you'd have to pitch the whole thing tomorrow anyway. Plus, cooling it, then warming it up to pitch, would probably be detrimental as well.

 

[ajf]

How big a batch are you brewing?
If it's a 5g batch, I would wait till the krausen subsides, then chill, decant the clear beer, and pitch the yeast.
If it's a 10g or greater batch, I'd pitch the whole starter.
Why make such a big starter?

-a.

 

[glorifiedbusdriver]

I decided to brew on Thursday even though it would have worked out better for Wednesday. I made such a big starter because I am making a big beer and I want a quick and easy fermentation. It's for a 5 gallon batch by the way. Thanks for the replies.

Charlie