I’m curious how you all time your yeast starters. I have had a recent batch where I had a 24 hour starter and did not leave enough time to cold crash the yeast and decant the wort. Ended up pitching the yeast with a lot of light DME wort as a result.
I am considering using a 24 hr yeast starter on a stir plate followed by 48 hrs of cold crash in the frig and decanting as my routine for future batches. Anyone have opinions about this?
thanks
Kent
I will do a starter for a smaller batch about 24 hours ahead… Get it going and and even if its not roiling along the next day when you pitch, it will get going very quickly… 1 quart boiled water, and then remove from the burner and add 3/4 cup DME… cover and let it dissolve… cool, put in your flask add yeast and shake the living bejesus into it… Your looking for foam… For a big start, do the same, but 3-4 days ahead, and repeat… Sneezles61
Me most the time do make a starter about 4 days before brew session. 26 hours. On plate. Than cold crash. But have been doing a starter with out cold crash. Seems to work as well.
Denny had a post a couple years ago, based on some research by a yeast microbiologist. Can’t remember the details, but what you can take from the research is that pitching an actively fermenting starter gives better results than building up a big starter, crashing and decanting before pitch. My procedure now, is to skip the stirplate (which never worked well for me anyways), and do the ‘shaken not stirred’ method. Make the starter 24-36 hours before planned pitch and pitch the whole thing at high krausen stage. If it’s a lager pitch, I do build it up a step or two before doing the active starter. I know Denny is on this forum occasionally, maybe he will pitch in with the link.
Exactly. I feel guilty not using my fancy pants stir plate but the SNSYS works so well and is so comparably easy I haven’t used it in over 2 years. That link gives a great back and forth between Denny and the protagonist of the method, and is a great example of the evolution of the hobby.
I use a gallon plastic milk jug and I can make that sucker shake . I haven’t tried stepping up with SNSYS yet…I’ve simply increased the size of the starter somewhat for lagers.
I used to chill and decant my starters, but now I opt for the “vitality starter” method. Similar to shaken not stirred method.
I guess that is what I do, often, as I have almost inevitably waited too long for a straight repitch from my yeast bank. I do a Vitality/ SNSYS, using about 3 tablespoons give or take based on age(more if older) of yeast slurry from storage.
Thank you for everyones input.
Kent
