First time using a yeast starter. White Labs 0001 for Coffee Stout with an OG of 1.070. After I made the starter last night, I covered the growler with foil, swirled it around for a minute, and then I put it in the fridge. It dawned on me this morning that that may have defeated the whole point of the starter by crashing the temperature so quickly. Is putting the starter in the fridge shortly after pitching normal practice, or do you let your starter stay at room temp for awhile? If so, since I'm brewing Saturday morning, is there anything I can do to fix the starter if I screwed it up? Any general advice on starters beyond what I asked would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
You need to take it out of the fridge and let it warm up. The yeast should be fine, though I'm not sure how long it will take to get going. You might need to postpone till Sunday, if that's an option. Usually you want to leave your starter at room temp. It will generally take 24-36 hours for it ferment out. At that point, you can put it in the fridge to cold crash it in order to decant the spent wort and pitch only the yeast cake. If you put in the fridge right away, it won't harm the yeast, but it will make it go inactive, or at least very sluggish.
Thanks MLucky. I just took it out of the fridge. It should be at room temp for a good 25-28 hours before I actually attempt to pitch.
That should work! Generally when I decant I'll take it out of the fridge the morning of the brew day. Next step, stir plate!!
This should be fine, although you won't have time to cold crash. Don't worry about that. In fact, a lot of people think it's best to pitch the whole starter while it's still actively fermenting. Shake the starter often if you can. Then just pitch the whole thing tomorrow. Should work fine. Good luck!
Agreed! When I do starters, I leave the container in a high-traffic area in the house, like kitchen counter. Whenever I walk by, I'll pick it up and swirl it a few seconds, many times a day.
