# when to make a yeast starter?



## time01 (4/7/15)

I am looking at making some bigger beers, say 6% and just after some advice on when to make yeast starters etc.? ive read a little on how to make them just want to know how to find out when I need to make them?


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## slcmorro (4/7/15)

24 hrs before you're ready to pitch is usually a good option.


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## time01 (4/7/15)

Apologies, I was in a bit of a rush when I wrote that. What I meant is how do you know if you need to make a starter? Is it determined by beer style, %, or yeast or anything else?


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## danestead (4/7/15)

Yeast starters can be as simple or as complicated as you would like.

There are 2 different 'types' or methods you can do. 1 of them you will be pitching the whole starter into your fermenter and the other you will be allowing the yeast to settle to the bottom of the starter flask and then decanting off the 'beer' on top of that yeast so that you are only pitching the yeast portion. Some starters may be 5L or greater depending on the size of your batch so it is obvious that you would not want to pour that whole amount into your fermenter.

If you want to pitch the whole starter in, this is generally referred to as pitching at 'high krausen'. This is when the yeast is at its most active stage. Most yeast growth occurs in the first 12-18hrs so when I am doing a high krausen starter I usually pitch it into my fermenter at about 18hrs. It is best that your starter is within 3-6 degrees of the temperature of your wort in the fermenter when done this way. This avoids shocking your yeast. It is also advisable that a starter done this way is no more than about 5% of your total volume of beer.

If you want to do a starter where you decant all bar the yeast, you let that starter completely ferment out (little co2 bubbles stop rising up the flask). You then allow the yeast to flocculate to the bottom of the flask. You can put your flask in the fridge to speed this up and get a more compact layer of yeast. Dont put it in the freezer. If it freezes you will have killed the yeast and the rapid reduction in temperature of the yeast isnt great for their health. When you decant the beer off the top of the yeast, leave enough so you can swirl it around to more easily pour the yeast into your fermenter. Doing a starter this way can take from about 2-4 days roughly depending on your strain of yeast, the size of your starter and the quantity of yeast you pitched to begin with.

Hope that helps with timing and hasnt been and info. overload.

PS. Starters are usually done at about 18-24 degrees rather than typical fermentation temps. This grows healthier yeast as opposed to trying to create nice tasting beer at this point.

PSS. http://www.yeastcalc.co/pitchratecalculator.php is what I use to determine how much yeast I need


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## Ducatiboy stu (4/7/15)

Ideally you want to pitch your starter at high krausen...when it is most active


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## danestead (4/7/15)

Sorry I got a little side tracked above and now realise I probably didnt answer your question. You may need to clarify exactly what you were asking.

Each beer will have an ideal quantity of yeast to be pitched, this is a number in the billions. You will want to make a starter when you do not have enough yeast as yet. The link I posted above allows you to determine that ideal quantity and also allows you to calculate what size starter to make to achieve that.


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## Danscraftbeer (4/7/15)

Or, I only make starters to basically prove the yeast and kick it into action. Eg. For a 20lt brew I boil around 500ml some saved wort at approximate gravity 1.030 to 1.040. Chill to pitch temp and add the yeast. Stir plate if you have one otherwise agitate often. I make a starter sometime early in the all grain brew day. Usually around 6 hours and you will see a healthy krausen forming proving the yeast is activated. With a non stir plate starter you will see the yeast firing like miniature skyrockets. Starters are like a sure way to a successful brew of any kind. You should never get a stuck ferment with proven activated yeast when temps and pitch rates are close to correct.


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## time01 (6/7/15)

Thanks for the replies lads, basically want to refine and improve my brewing. Next stop is the Brisy water profile


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