Yeast starter: how long until it's ready?

For a standard ale and a single vial or smak pak, I make about a 1.5-2.0 liter starter (1.040 wort, obviously). I run that puppy for a day on a stir plate, then cold crash it for a day. Someone else can do the theoretical calculations on it if they wish, but it's worked for me, and I'm one who tends to not fix it if it ain't broken.

For my one lager so far, I made a much, much bigger starter. Six days of stepping up, cold crashing, stepping up etc, so three cycles. It also worked like a champ. Again, feel free to point out the numerical intricacies if you wish.

 

It depends on the yeast, but I make starters by weekends. Starter on Saturday, cold crash Sunday - next weekend, brew Saturday/Sunday, decant and pitch. The more floculant yeasts get selected for if you are stepping up too fast. You risk above target FGs. It is too a lesser extent, but still an issue if you are just doing a single pitch step. I allow for 6 days so I get as many of the low floculant yeast as possible. I could not take a guess what the minimum is bc it is yeast strain dependent. Consider the extremes such as 1968 and 3068.

 

If I brew Sat, I make it no later than Wed.

Get it going Wed evening, let it stir all day until Thursday evening. Usually done by then, so I remove, and crash it in the fridge.

On the occasion I need it bigger, I start one day earlier for a step up. Or I step up on Friday afternoon, let it spin until Saturday afternoon, crash it for a couple hours really fast, and pitch it that evening before bed in whatever I've brewed that day.

Depends on yeast though. If I know they won't settle as fast, I give it another day. Kind of need to know what you working with.

1968, I know it'll turn into a brick in no time. Conan.. ehh, needs an extra bit of time.

 

I no longer crash cool any of my starters, as I feel it stresses the yeast.

If my starter is 1L or smaller (per 5 gallon batch size) I make it the day before brew day and don't decant or crash cool.

If its larger, I like to make it 4-5 days prior to brew day. I'll leave it stirring on the stir plate for the first of those days, then turn off the stir plate and let it hopefully ferment out and flocculate completely at room temperature for the remaining days. I then decant just before pitching.

When using a poor flocculating yeast strain with the larger starter method, I will make the starter a bit bigger than necessary just in case I pour cells down the drain while decanting.

 

If I'm well prepared, I start on Monday. I put it on a stir plate until the end of Wednesday and let it sit in the fridge until I'm ready to use it on Saturday. I'll decant the beer off of the top of my flask.

If you're going to use a starter without decanting, I'd go with about a liter and 24-36 hours in advance.

 

Well consider this the newest tweak to the brew procedures. It makes sense. It also allows me to put the middle shelf of my kitchen fridge permanently back where it needs to be. That 5L flask takes up so much height. Thanks.

 

Sure thing. Let me know how it works out for you!

 

If I brew on Saturday, I do the yeast starter on Friday night about midnight or so. I brew late night Saturday. The yeast is still rockin' when I'm about to pitch it. How much do I pitch/make? I usually make about 3/4 litre. for ales. It always works out. I believe its ready to work!! Try it.

 

18-24 hrs prior and pitch it all at high krausen. I step up lager starters a few days prior.