So I did my first starter today about 3pm. I plan on pitching it tomorrow around noon or so.
It’s a 2 liter starter for a black IPA.
I hope I did it right, boiled 1300ml of water, 1 cup of light DME and boil for 15 minutes, then cooled it down and dropped in the smack pack into the milk jug 
It’s sitting in the basement now and I go down every now and then to swirl it a little…
What should I look for to see if it’s ready?
It seems a bit rushed at 21 hours for a 2L starter. I usually let mine go for a full 24 hours on a stir plate and then cold-crash overnight so I can decant the liquid. I would expect that without a stir plate, you’re looking at closer to 48 hours.
Without a stir plate, you can expect it to look very much like your previous brews. You should see krausen grow and drop off.
I read up on this and for the yeast I have it’s 12-18 hours peak. I’m now just waiting for the wort to get to 75 and then I’m pitching !
In the future, give your starters a solid 24hrs to ferment out. With older yeast, they can take longer to get started and longer to finish.
Also, I do pitch entire starters into the wort if they’re small, say 1L or so. Anything bigger and I cold crash for 24-48hrs in the fridge, decant the spent wort and just pitch the yeast with as little wort as possible.
I am contemplating getting into the realm of starters vs, buying two yeast packs, etc.
Wher folks speak of a 1L starter, 2L, half gallong etc…Does that include the wort that is added to get them going?
When someone says, “I’d make a 2L starter and pitch that…” do they mean 2L of total liquid goes in, or that is the gross volume of the mixture used to culture the yeast and propogate them, get them toned up and ready for action…?
You might want to wait about 10* cooler before pitching.
[quote=“HaleBrewer”]I am contemplating getting into the realm of starters vs, buying two yeast packs, etc.
Wher folks speak of a 1L starter, 2L, half gallong etc…Does that include the wort that is added to get them going?
When someone says, “I’d make a 2L starter and pitch that…” do they mean 2L of total liquid goes in, or that is the gross volume of the mixture used to culture the yeast and propogate them, get them toned up and ready for action…?[/quote]
A 2L starter would be 2L of wort. The volume of yeast is minimal. A common practice is to cold crash for 24 hrs to drop the yeast, then discard the liquid (young beer) and pitch the yeast off the bottom.
You might want to wait about 10* cooler before pitching.[/quote]
I pitch at 75 because my basement cools the wort down to 58-62( my ferm temps) within hours and the get the yeast going.
DOnt pitch at that high of temps, unless your making a saison or something
[quote=“GarretD”]I pitch at 75 because my basement cools the wort down to 58-62( my ferm temps) within hours and the get the yeast going.[/quote]Just let the wort cool to the ambient temp and then aerate and pitch - you’ll make better beer.
I’ll try this on my next one…it’s just so hard to wait
[quote=“Gruneun”]It seems a bit rushed at 21 hours for a 2L starter. I usually let mine go for a full 24 hours on a stir plate and then cold-crash overnight so I can decant the liquid. I would expect that without a stir plate, you’re looking at closer to 48 hours.
Without a stir plate, you can expect it to look very much like your previous brews. You should see krausen grow and drop off.[/quote]
A starter should be done within 18 hours. Takes longer if you want the yeast to floc.
A starter should be done within 18 hours. Takes longer if you want the yeast to floc.[/quote]
Or, somewhere between
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_makingastarter.cfm
From MrMalty.com info on yeast starters
"Doss says a starter made from an XL pack of yeast into 2 liters of wort will reach its maximum cell density within 12-18 hours. If you’re starting with a very small amount of yeast in a large starter, it can take 24 hours or more to reach maximum cell densities. For the average starter, let’s just say that the bulk of the yeast growth is done by 12-18 hours.
I like to pitch starters while they’re still very active and as soon as the bulk of reproduction is finished, usually within 12 to 18 hours. This is really convenient, because I can make a starter the morning of the brew day or the night before and it is ready to go by the time the batch of wort is ready."
