Hey guys, I need to make 2 starters for a brew day coming up but only have the equipment to make one starter. I have a buddy coming into town to brew at my place we both need a starter for our brew. What is the best method to store a starter? I was planning on making one 5-6 days before storing it and than starting the other 2-3 days before brew day. We are using two different types of yeast. Would it just be better to buy extra yeast? wyeast 1214 It's gonna be huge og yeast calc says I will need about 300b cells wyeast 1318 og around 1.054 calc is saying ill need around 200b cells Any advice is much appreciated thanks guys
I have done this plenty of times. I normally build up to the amount of cells I need, cover and put it in the fridge. However, I sit it out at room temperature the morning of or night before brew day and agitate it often. I think the trick is to leave some fermentables left behind in your starter for the yeast to be stimulated to after cold storage. This probably isn't the best process, but it has yielded me fine fermentations. Also label your storage vessel... Easy to confuse.
I just 2 starters last night for a 10 gal batch, but I only have 1 stir plate. I made all the wort at once and put half in one 2L flask (pitched one pack of yeast and put on stir plate like I normally world for a 5 gallon batch). The other half of the wort I put in a second 2L flask (a jar or some other sealable container will be fine if you don't have 2 flasks), but didn't pitch the 2nd pack of yeast since the stir plate was being used by the other starter - I put this wort-filled flask in the fridge until the other one is done stirring. When the 1st is done stirring (24-36 hrs to get cell count) I'll put that flask in the fridge, take the wort-filled flask out, pitch 2nd pack of yeast in this flask and put on stir plate. When the second one is done stirring it will join the 1st in the fridge. Yeast will settle to the bottom and you can decant the liquid off the settled yeast on brewday.
Even if you bought extra yeast you would still need two starters . . . I say stick with your original plan. For a couple of days yeast will do well in a normal fridge. I believe 33-36F is optimum but I regularly use my food fridge (40'ish) with good results. Try and store in glass and treat sanitation like your yeast's life depended on it. If you don't have a big enough glass container you can use two, although you're doubling the sanitizing requirements. It's best to not seal completely tight as there's a possibility of a bubble or two still forming. From a practical standpoint, I suggest you make the largest starter first, this will give it extra time to settle. On brew day, I try and keep my yeast slurry at or slight below the wort temp before pitching. I broke down and got some extra flasks from Amazon.
Hopefully it was a good mistake Thanks for the quick responses I plan on just making the larger starter first than putting it a sanitized growler in the fridge as I make the second. Sanitized aluminum foil or loosely tightened lid?
Your call with the covering. I personally use sani'd aluminum. But... I have a fridge that doesn't get used often/messed with. Also I use mason jars often, but I have a few Erlys that I have picked up over time.
+1 to storing in jars. A 1 quart mason jar takes of less space than a 2l Erlenmeyer flask. When I store in a flask I use sanitized foil on top. I have stored a starter for a month with no issues.
Unfortunately no he doesnt have the equip to do a yeast starter not to mention transporting said starter will be a pain on a 4 hour drive.
