# how to keep your yeast starter warm in winter



## browndog (1/7/13)

Brewers,

With horrible weather up here ATM, I'm wondering how I am going to keep a yeast starter warm enough to stop the yeast from going to sleep. THe best I can come up with is have the starter and stir plate in a fermentation fridge with a lamp in there to keep it warm. What do you guys in the colder climes do?

cheers

Browndog


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## Phoney (1/7/13)

Keep it inside the house and have adequate heating.


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## emnpaul (1/7/13)

Use lager yeast in winter that is generally quite happy in a starter inside the house with a towel wrapped around it at night time. Or, as suggested, put it in the fermenting fridge which can be heated if needed.


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## jlm (1/7/13)

Back in QLD I used to sit the flask over the back of a bar fridge which lived in the kitchen......The heat from the compressor used to keep it a bit warm. Now I'm down here I bring the flask and stirplate into the bedroom which is heated, until it becomes an issue then I loosley drape some reptile heating cord around the flask.


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## beachy (1/7/13)

I keep them inside too . It is between 0 and 5C here over night in winter.
Wouldn't most peoples houses be at least 20C whether that is from heating or natural in some places?


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## WarmBeer (1/7/13)

I keep the starter and stir plate in a fermentation fridge with a lamp in there to keep it warm. YMMV.


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## nathan_madness (1/7/13)

Get your self a old bar fridge that is not working a fish tank heater and a 3L juice bottle. Fit the heater through the cap on the bottle make sure it's a tight fit so you don't loose water out of it set the heater to the desired temp. Place it all inside the fridge with stir plate and yeast an bingo you got your self a yeast culturing chamber.


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## felten (3/7/13)

I put my stirplate in a large cardboard box together with a heatpad hooked up to a temp controller.


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## manticle (3/7/13)

Fermentation fridge. I only ever have starters at ferment temps anyway as I pitch the whole lot so it sits on the top shelf at around 18 degrees while beer ferments on the bottom.

Failing that, we have a big campfire and all cuddle up under blankets with a whisky.


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## Malted (4/7/13)

manticle said:


> Failing that, we have a big campfire and all cuddle up under blankets with a whisky.


So I would assume you wouldn't put ice in your whisky.


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## manticle (4/7/13)

Not a chance


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