stratslinger
Well-Known Member
I keep reading references to stepping up a yeast starter, but I can't find any posts that explicitly spell out the process.
Let's assume I'm planning a brew, and Mr Malty tells me I need a 2L starter. Let's also assume I currently have a 1L container available to me.
Would the following be possible:
- Prepare a 1L starter
- Let the yeast do their thing for 18-24 hours on the 1L starter
- Chill the starter for 24 hours, decant
- Prepare another 1L (well, a little less I guess) of starter wort
- Add the new wort to the yeast slurry and let it rip again
(- Possibly repeat)
Would that work, or would the space contraints in the 1L vessel cause stress on the yeast? Is this basically what people mean by "stepping up" a starter, or is that more like doing a 2L starter in a 2L flask, then pitching the slurry to a larger starter (4L, 5L, etc) afterward?
Primarily, I'm trying to decide if I can do a starter with equipment I already have on hand, of if I should be investing in a 2L vessel of some sort (yes, likely an erlenmeyer flask).
Let's assume I'm planning a brew, and Mr Malty tells me I need a 2L starter. Let's also assume I currently have a 1L container available to me.
Would the following be possible:
- Prepare a 1L starter
- Let the yeast do their thing for 18-24 hours on the 1L starter
- Chill the starter for 24 hours, decant
- Prepare another 1L (well, a little less I guess) of starter wort
- Add the new wort to the yeast slurry and let it rip again
(- Possibly repeat)
Would that work, or would the space contraints in the 1L vessel cause stress on the yeast? Is this basically what people mean by "stepping up" a starter, or is that more like doing a 2L starter in a 2L flask, then pitching the slurry to a larger starter (4L, 5L, etc) afterward?
Primarily, I'm trying to decide if I can do a starter with equipment I already have on hand, of if I should be investing in a 2L vessel of some sort (yes, likely an erlenmeyer flask).