Two Questions re: Yeast Starter

[DuPuma]

(1) Do you pitch the whole volume of liquid (including yeast) OR do you decant the "beer" and pitch only the yeast cake?

(2) How many days before brew day do you make your starter?

 

[bradsul]

I usually decant the liquid. I make mine 24 hours before I think I'll be pitching, that way you get the growth phase completed but the yeast are still active after eating the sugars.

 

[riored4v]

good questions.. i'd like to hear about this as well.

For my first batch, i decanted about half of the liquid and pitched the rest.

i made my starter about 1.5 days in advance. was at high krausen at the time when it came to pitch.

 

[Yooper]

If you can pitch at high krausen, you should pitch the whole thing. There are yeaast in suspension in that liquid. Depending on what I'm making, I either pitch the whole thing (ales) or chill and decant after it's finished and then pitch cold(lagers). Either way is really fine.

 

[Joker]

With extract brewing I have used whatever extract goes into the recipe and pitch the whole thing. I make them 24hrs in advance.

 

[riored4v]

If you can pitch at high krausen, you should pitch the whole thing. There are yeaast in suspension in that liquid. Depending on what I'm making, I either pitch the whole thing (ales) or chill and decant after it's finished and then pitch cold(lagers). Either way is really fine.

Didn't even think of that..oops. Guess this next time I'll probably pitch the whole thing. Don't want to end up with a weak fermentation, although this last one took off pretty good.

 

[bradsul]

If you can pitch at high krausen, you should pitch the whole thing. There are yeaast in suspension in that liquid. Depending on what I'm making, I either pitch the whole thing (ales) or chill and decant after it's finished and then pitch cold(lagers). Either way is really fine.

I toss mine in the fridge for 30 minutes before pitching to drop out the yeast. I aerate my starter a lot (don't have a stirplate but I use an aeration stone) and I don't want that funky tasting liquid in my batch.