Containers for yeast starter

2 liters seems like a lot of extra liquid to add to the wort…so I’m assuming it should be decanted? How long should it stay in the fridge before decanting, and does it need to be brought back up to room temperature before pitching?

Here’s what I typically do with my starters (I’m always making a 5 gallon batch).

Do a 1-2 L yeast starter 3-4 days before I brew. I make the starter in a flask and then leave it on a stir plate during that time.

The night before I brew I take it off the stir plate and leave it at room temperature. I haven’t had any problems with any yeast dropping to the bottom of the flask by the next day.

On brew day I then decant the liquid (or as much as I can without disturbing the yeast cake) and I add 300 mL of fresh starter to the flask, give it a swirl and then let that sit while I brew. Typically, when I’m done brewing the starter is actively bubbling so I know I’m pitching really active yeast.

So I haven’t needed to put it in the fridge. Overnight does a good job of letting the yeast settle. Decant and “wake up” the yeast with a little fresh wort on brew day.

Nope. But I never make a starter smaller than a qt. And rarely that small. Making too small a starter can actually degrade the yeast.

Nope. But I never make a starter smaller than a qt. And rarely that small. Making too small a starter can actually degrade the yeast.[/quote]
Couldn’t agree more. But, it seems like the shoulder on the jug combined with the smaller opening makes decanting less flocculant strains harder without disturbing the yeast. Especially, when doing something like 1.5L in a 1gal jug.