[bendbrew]

Last night I made two starters (1600 ml water. 160 gm DME).  I boiled for 15/20 mins with aluminum foil on flasks.  I cooled and pitched at 70 degrees and promptly placed them on my stir plates.  I forgot to add yeast nutrient or oxygen.  This morning, things look good-active fermentation underway. Should I be concerned?  Also, do you cover the flasks to protect for sunlight or does it not matter with a starter?

[tumarkin]

You should be just fine. The yeast nutrient is a plus, but not a necessity. Add when you pitch to your wort. Your stir plate is mixing in enough oxygen. Again, if you have the capability of adding oxygen, do so when you pitch the yeast to the wort. Covering the starter isn't really necessary. Most brewers decant their starters before pitching so that you're adding just the yeast with as little of the starter 'beer' as possible. You're making yeast, not beer, with the starter and can get off flavors that are best not added to your wort. If you can keep the stir plate with starter away from light that would be good, but not critical.

[wingnut]

+1 on Tumarkin's comments. 

Also, unless there is hops in your starter, exposure to light is not an issue.  Hops + Light = Skunk. If there are no Hops, then there is no potential issue.

[Hokerer]

+1 on Tumarkin's comments. 

Also, unless there is hops in your starter, exposure to light is not an issue.  Hops + Light = Skunk. If there are no Hops, then there is no potential issue.

Correct, no hops means light is not an issue

[bluesman]

Starter wort just like beer wort should both be aerated prior to pitching.
If for nothing else, this will be a test for you to see if it really makes a noticeable difference.
I tend to think it won't make a significant difference in your beer because the new generation of yeast will
hopefully have a healthy environment to grow, that's assuming you aerate the beer wort of course.

[punatic]

Your stir plate stirring the starter wort will cause plenty of oxygen to dissolve into the starter.  Yeast nutrients are not necessary in beer wort starter. The malt extract will provide all the nutrients needed.  I doubt that you will see any difference between this starter and one made following your usual method.

You must have been a bit distracted while starter making this time, ay?...

[bendbrew]

Thanks all for your input.  The starters are very active and look great.  Yes, you are correct, I was distracted-not the way to approach any project that's for sure.  Will be focused for tomorrow's brew day though...