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Author Topic: To starter or not to starter  (Read 1702 times)

Offline morticaixavier

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To starter or not to starter
« on: February 19, 2011, 07:29:47 pm »
I have, in my refrigerator, about 1.5 quarts of thick yeast slurry from an IPA that I am about (Tomorrow to the next day) to pitch into a 1.111 or there abouts barley wine. It has been in my fridge for about 2 weeks. I have a one gallon jug and I was thinking I could take about a pint of the wort, before or after boiling, and diluting it with water to an appropriate O.G. This would be chilled to pitching temp the night I do my boil. The bulk of the wort would be chilled to and put in the carboy to cool the rest of the way overnight. (I have trouble getting to pitching temp with my IC but that is another post) So the night of the boil I would chill my 'starter' wort and pitch the slurry into it before pitching the whole thing into the total wort the next day.

What do you think of this plan? am I wasting my time and 1.5 quarts of slurry is enough all by itself?
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Offline Hokerer

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Re: To starter or not to starter
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2011, 07:42:28 pm »
According to MrMalty, you only need about half a liter of thick slurry.  1.5 quarts would be overpitching by about a factor of three.  In any case, sounds like a starter in not necessary
Joe

Offline a10t2

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Re: To starter or not to starter
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2011, 07:43:14 pm »
Assuming this is a 5-6 gal batch, a quart and a half would be far more than you need. Even being very conservative, half a quart would be plenty. Assuming the slurry is mostly yeast, more like a cup. After two weeks, I wouldn't worry about needing to do a starter.
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: To starter or not to starter
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2011, 08:11:37 pm »
I have never been to concerned with keeping hot and cold break out of my fermenter so I suspect that there is not a lot of yeast in the slurry. My thinking is that it wouldn't be unusual to just chuck the new wort on top of the whole yeast cake (Which is what I have in my fridge) so I am not really overpitching no matter what Mr Malty says. but it sounds like you guys don't think I would have to do anything like a start after just two weeks. Would you change your answer if you knew the IPA had been in primary for three weeks? I am leaning towards not worrying about it but thought I would put the question out there just in case.

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Offline tygo

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Re: To starter or not to starter
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2011, 08:15:41 pm »
With a beer that big I agree with you that over pitching isn't a concern.  Given the right timing I'd throw the beer right on top of that in the fermenter so pitching the whole slurry (without a starter) you have should be fine.
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Offline tom

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Re: To starter or not to starter
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2011, 11:22:01 pm »
And remember, lots of sugar with lots of yeast make lots of heat, so keep a close eye on the fermentation temperature.
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: To starter or not to starter
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2011, 11:25:44 pm »
Thanks all. I feel better. This is gonna be fun.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce