Yeast Starter

[batfishdog37]

I started my yeast starter on tues. I am brewing tomorrow(fri). I checked it last night and it was bubbling away nicely. I am on my way to check it as I write this. My question is, if it has calmed down should I boil up more DME to kick start it? Will there be increased lag time if I pitch yeast which has slowed down as opposed to actively fermenting yeasties?

 

[Clonefarmer]

I started my yeast starter on tues. I am brewing tomorrow(fri). I checked it last night and it was bubbling away nicely. I am on my way to check it as I write this. My question is, if it has calmed down should I boil up more DME to kick start it? Will there be increased lag time if I pitch yeast which has slowed down as opposed to actively fermenting yeasties?

If you have the quantity of yeast you were shooting for pop it in the fridge overnight. Than let it warm up a few hours before you're ready to pitch.

If you need more yeast to pitch step it up and let it go till you are ready to pitch.

Mr Malty will help determine pitching rate for you.

 

[ericm]

I prefer to chill overnight, decant the spent starter wort and just pitch the thick slurry. If you've let the starter ferment out and chilled it, there's no need to let it warm back up. (actually it can be detrimental to let them warm up - any time they're warm and have O2, they're going to start using up their energy reserves)

And from what I understand, you don't really want to chill it unless it's done fermenting - the yeast build up their glycogen reserves at the end of fermentation, and if you chill it while they're still going you can interfere with that so they won't be as ready to go when you pitch them into your beer.

 

[batfishdog37]

cool, thanks. also, I have heard about corn sugar/dextrose being pitched with the yeast as a kick starter also. Does this help the yeast attentuate out more fully? If so, how much is a decent amount for a 5 gallon batch? Predicted OG of 1.048.

 

[giligson]

I like to pitch them at rip roaring log phase if I can. So I don't chill, I might trade out some of the beer that they have produced for some new wort. - I tend to do this on the day of brew rather than night before since the brewday takes at least 5 hr.