Fast pitch starter rookie question

Hello. My first brew was planned for today. However I think Im stuck. I started a starter yesterday with Wyeast . brewing the beginner irish red ale that comes with the deluxe starter kit. Been reading and wanted to start off with a starter.

Well followed directions.
been going for roughly 16 hrs and not much activity.
Had a small white head on it this morning. When not being agitated looks dead to me, cloudy not much settles to the bottom

wanted to brew today… Should I brew today? or wait until it takes off.

thanks
I have attempted to post pics, will continue to try.

greg

[quote=“livefreeordiebrew”]Hello. My first brew was planned for today. However I think Im stuck. I started a starter yesterday with Wyeast . brewing the beginner irish red ale that comes with the deluxe starter kit. Been reading and wanted to start off with a starter.

Well followed directions.
been going for roughly 16 hrs and not much activity.
Had a small white head on it this morning. When not being agitated looks dead to me, cloudy not much settles to the bottom

wanted to brew today… Should I brew today? or wait until it takes off.

thanks
I have attempted to post pics, will continue to try.

greg[/quote]

Sounds like your starter is doing fine. Swirl it as often as you can and it will finish up a bit faster. Don’t expect to see the yeast settling to the bottom for another day or 2.

You have 2 options.

  1. Let the starter finish out, cold crash it, decant and pitch. Which means another day or 2 at least before you can brew.
  2. Brew today and pitch the entire starter while it’s active.

Either option will result in good fermentation. Remember to try and control your fermentation temperature to make the best beer possible. Temperature should be held near the low end of the yeast’s optimal range.

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you so much Danny.

Its in my kitchen now, 70 degrees and steady.

1 liter flask, foil topped.

When I agitate it forma thick head then over the next 30minutes drops to nothing.

so it would be safe to pitch today?
sorry trying to upload photos now.

Great site guys and Gals!!

greg

Looks good to me. Wouldn’t be enough yeast for a high-gravity beer or a lager but for your irish red, you’re good to go.

Yea you could brew today and just swirl up and pitch the entire starter. You’ve got the yeasties awake and reproducing so they’ll get right to work on your wort when you pitch.

WIth regard to temperature I was referring more to your actualy beer fermentation not the starter.

A starter is fine at room temp. Remember if abient(room) temp is 70 your beer could be as much as 5-6 degrees warmer during fermentation. This can lead to a really fast fermentation and some off flavors in the finished beer.

WIthout knowing what yeast you’re using I can’t be too specific but I’d say you’ll want to keep the fermenter stick on thermometer in the low to mid 60s for that beer for at least the first 3-4 days, then allow it to rise to room temp until you’re ready to package it.

Google swamp cooler for ideas on how to control fermentation temperatures.

THanks!

I have decided to hold off brewing. Your right… my temps in house are a bit high. Basement temps (walkout) hangs at 70-72. Lovely NH living. People up here feel you don’t need central AC…

I do have a chest freezer ready to go and a Johnson controller being delivered Tuesday vs wed. Plan to brew friday.

Should I let that starter go over night then refrigerate?
thanks again
greg

[quote=“livefreeordiebrew”]THanks!

I have decided to hold off brewing. Your right… my temps in house are a bit high. Basement temps (walkout) hangs at 70-72. Lovely NH living. People up here feel you don’t need central AC…

I do have a chest freezer ready to go and a Johnson controller being delivered Tuesday vs wed. Plan to brew friday.

Should I let that starter go over night then refrigerate?
thanks again
greg[/quote]
Just keep swirling it whenever you have the opportunity for the next day or 2. Once the starter wort begins to clear, the yeast starts to settle to the bottom, and there’s no more foam when you swirl it, you can refrigerate it to help it settle out. Then when you’re ready to pitch just decant leaving enough liquid to swirl up the yeast cake and pitch it to your chilled wort.

Danny’s got you cover well. You could also wake up your yeast a day head of yer brew day by having some more starter wort ready at room temp, decant the liquid blanket off existing and add the new starter, swirl often my friend…… It will help to get yer ferment off quicker having more yeast to pitch! Enjoy your hobby! Sneezles61

thanks Sneezles61

Question on the starter. Should I let starter yeast warm to room temp before pitching to new starter wort or wort?

No need to warm it up. Going warm to cold isn’t good, but the yeast don’t seem to mind going from cold to warm.

Hey all. Brewed yesterday. Was a blast. Was paranoid about sanitization. Pitch the yeast out of fridge. Placed in freezer with johnson controller at 62 degrees. Taped the temp probe to bucket with thick foam insulating it. Set at 63.

My 7 yr old son ran up to me this morning "dad dad you have to check the beer it’s crazy ".

Checked it and was fermenting quite hard and already clogging the air lock. Changed out the air lock system with the bucket thingy and starsan.

Good right? Just wanted to run this by you all.

Was cool to science at work
G

It all sounds well, usually I like the use a blow off tube, which I think you described using bucket thingy…. I don’t use air locks much now, just what I’ve gotten to, blow off tube all the way. I tend to leave my ales at 65*, check gravity in 3 days, You can warm up to 70 if you are close to yer final gravity, let it finish, either cool off in primary, or keg and cool off. Sneezles61