Yeast Starter Timing

I make mine about 5 days before with the last day spent cold crashing. I decant then pitch

 

I cold crash and decant my starters before pitching. I start them (on a stirplate) more or less according to this...
Slow Floccing Strains: 4 evenings before Brew Day
Medium Floccing Strains: 3 evenings before Brew Day
Fast Floccing Strains: 2 evenings before Brew Day

After about 24 hours, or whenever I thing they are done, I start the cold crash.

Sure. I'd do a week. Not sure I'd do three though without making a new starter. YMMV.

 

I usually make mine 5 days or so before brew day that way I can cold crash it 2 days before brew day and decant off the oxidized starter beer and pitch mainly the slurry. If I'm brewing a big strong beer or a lager I do it at least a week in advance so I can step up the starter.

IMO, 12 hours is not enough to answer your question. Starters need about 24 hours to finish. If you only waited 12 hours you could certainly use it but you would not have produced the intended quantity of yeast. And yes you can store a starter in the fridge for a week or two. For anything longer than 2 weeks you're best off making a mini starter to get them going again.

 

My ideal schedule is to make a starter a full 72 hours before I'm going to be pitching. That time gets split half and half between fermenting on my stir plate, and cold crashing in my fridge.

 

Maybe I need to read YEAST but curious why you use flocculation as a determining factor in your starters? Most yeast are still in their growth/reproduction phase the time you mentioned, no?

 

The difference in time is in how long I cold crash. Some of the fast floccers are already starting to drop when I take the flask off the stirplate. Slower floccers need more time, gravity, and cold.

In a starter, the whole thing happens faster than in a batch of wort/beer. And a stirplate starter is faster than other starters.

 

I've always given 24-36 hours on the stir plate unless I am stepping up for a big 2L starter or from questionable yeast and pitch the whole shebang. Wrong?

 

If making a low-tech starter (no stir-plate) and not decanting, 18-36 hrs seems to be the sweet spot.

 

Brew Saturday - 2L Starter Make Wednesday night and let ferment for Thursday and Friday. Fridge Friday night so you can decant and pitch on Saturday brew day.

Step up plan: 2L Starter Sunday night, let ferment Monday and Tuesday, fridge Wednesday AM. Decant and step up w/ another 2L starter Wednesday night. Ferment Thursday and Friday. Fridge Friday night so you can decant and pitch Saturday brew day.

 

Well, 24-36 should generally be enough time on a stirplate. As I said, I do 24 hours, or until I think it's done. I have let some go longer, depending on what the yeast have decided for me.

 

A week or more before brewday. Takes a while to step those lager yeasts up for a 11 gallon batch and crash. Had to say that.

 

The timeframe of 24-36 hours is sufficient time but you state “on the stir plate”. In my opinion a starter that is produced using a stir plate has highly oxidized beer in it. I personally would not pitch the “whole shebang” of oxidized beer; I would cold crash and decant the oxidized beer. Read below what Jamil Zainasheff discusses about this in his article Making a Starter:

“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.

Of course, if you have a large starter volume in relation to your batch of beer or a starter that was continuously aerated, then you probably don’t want to pitch the entire starter into your wort. Adding a large starter or a heavily oxidized starter to your wort can alter the flavor of the finished beer.”

Cheers!

 

"a starter that was continuously aerated, then you probably don’t want to pitch the entire starter into your wort. Adding a large starter or a heavily oxidized starter to your wort can alter the flavor of the finished beer.”

I realize you are talking about stir plate starters, but for normal starters...they shouldn't be any more oxidized than a beer at that beginning time frame. If your starter is oxidized...time to turn the stir plate off (if you see the need to use one in the first place). Aeration and oxidation are not the same things...as you well know I am sure. Stir plates speed things up, but really are overkill for homebrewed med/small ales and can potentially do harm if not properly utilized in conjunction with decanting...IMHO Cheers

 

Stirplates are used to knock the CO2 off of the yeast cells. If ones does the common practice of using tin foil, then I think that the beer would be oxidized. Then again the WL presentation at NHC last year said that air-locks are okay. I use tin-foil. I also when decanted taste my starter, not fowl of anything - but not that good either.

 

I would not recommend this technique. Here is where you really want to see (and smell) what's going on. Nothing is better than a 2L flask, but all brewers improvise when required:



The two jars are from spaghetti sauce and instant coffee and contain the same yeast (lids are not tight). The combined quantity is the same as the flask (with another strain).

You really want to see the krausen and the yeast cake growing on the bottom (barely visible above). One of the benefits of the starter is you know the yeast is good, but you have to see what's going on. I also like to smell the starter after a good swirl, there should be aroma similar to your primary airlock. Gravity reading will better tell you what's going on. You will be starting around 1.040 and ideally drive it down close to 1.000.

Palmer advises to add wort after the krausen drops, roughly 24-36 hours (here's where you need clear glass). Typically each addition is about 0.5L and can be repeated a couple of times. This is what is referred to as pitching a 1.0L or 1.5L starter. The "mr malty" calculator will give you some parameters to shoot for.

Most of the yeast above is suspended in the liquid. Some people pitch the entire starter, some recommend chilling, letting the yeast fall, and de-canting the liquid. At best the liquid is bland, at worst it will be oxidized. I've done it both ways but am leaning to the de-cant method.

I place starters on my water heater which is a constant 80F. If you have oxygen, here's the time to use it. Sanitation is as critical as any part of your brew process.

Finally, if you really do sleep with your yeast pack it may be best to keep that private to your non-brew friends.