Yeast starter temperature

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guypettigrew
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Yeast starter temperature

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:38 pm

Today is supposed to be my day for making a yeast starter up ready to brew later in the week. Except I can't find anywhere indoors which is cooler than about 23-25°C. The other option is to make the starter up and put in my beer cupboard, which is at about 12°C.

Neither option seems good. What do you reckon? Should the brewday be put off until the temperature drops?

Thanks.

Guy

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by IPA » Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:55 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:38 pm
Today is supposed to be my day for making a yeast starter up ready to brew later in the week. Except I can't find anywhere indoors which is cooler than about 23-25°C. The other option is to make the starter up and put in my beer cupboard, which is at about 12°C.

Neither option seems good. What do you reckon? Should the brewday be put off until the temperature drops?

Thanks.

Guy
Lallemand reccommend 30-35° for rehydrating dry yeast. Best to remember that you are multiplying yeast cells not brewing beer where high temperatures can cause unwanted tastes( or in the case of our transatlatic cousins any taste)
So your maximum 25° should not be a problem
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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by Cobnut » Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:00 pm

I've read that starters (except perhaps for lagers?) ideally ferment at around 22-24C.

So get that starter going and brew your beer later this week.

Incidentally, I have a lager brewing at present. Just pushed the temperature up to 24C for the last couple of days before I cold crash (and dry hop). Started at 18C 3 days ago.

Brewing under pressure at c. 15psi, y'know!
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guypettigrew
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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:13 pm

Thanks gents.

Should have said, it's WLP 001 harvested from a brew about 5 weeks ago using IPA's method (Thanks!) and kept in the 'fridge. Still OK to grow it at 25°C?

Guy

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by MashBag » Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:33 pm

I was just about to ask what yeast...
so about about 23-25°C. would work BUT where are you going to beer the beer ????????????????

guypettigrew
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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:07 pm

MashBag wrote:
Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:33 pm
I was just about to ask what yeast...
so about about 23-25°C. would work BUT where are you going to beer the beer ????????????????
Beer the beer??????

Guy

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by IPA » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:12 pm

I'm sure it will be fine at that temperature.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
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( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

guypettigrew
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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:18 pm

Thanks. Just about to start weighing out the DME.

Guy

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by Rookie » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:20 pm

Yeast will happily reproduce at temperatures higher than the best range for fermenting beer.
I'm just here for the beer.

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by Eric » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:28 pm

20 to 30C. As said, you are growing yeast, not making beer and most yeasts are happy at all this range.
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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:54 pm

Thanks again everyone. Need to get my head round why growing yeast is different to fermenting yeast.

1 Litre of DME starter cooling down now. The beer on top of the stored yeast will be poured into a glass for drinking and then we're away!

Guy

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by Eric » Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:00 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:54 pm
Thanks again everyone. Need to get my head round why growing yeast is different to fermenting yeast.

1 Litre of DME starter cooling down now. The beer on top of the stored yeast will be poured into a glass for drinking and then we're away!

Guy
https://brewlab.co.uk/home-brew-yeast/

See advice in sections on starter cultures and fermentation.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by MashBag » Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:36 am

Guy.

About 23-25°C would work for the starter BUT where are you going to brew the beer.

Can you maintain a steady 20c for fermentation?

guypettigrew
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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by guypettigrew » Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:35 am

Mashbag; yes, no problem. SS Brewtech fermenter with cooling and heating to keep it at +/- 0.5°C of the set temperature. Cooling from a Maxi 110.

Guy

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Re: Yeast starter temperature

Post by McMullan » Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:36 am

30*C is used generally for culturing yeast (S. cerevisiae) in labs, although the optimum for growth is 32*C. (About 25*C for lager strains.) Much above 42*C for more than 10 minutes or so promotes a stress (heat shock) response generally. Some strains tolerate up to 45*C comfortably. It’s not unusual for wild yeasts to get exposed to these relatively high temperatures on a hot sunny day, in the sunlight, of course.

Guy, if you’re going to take over the world by fermentation you’ll first need to build an army :wink:

Edit: That should have read 'take over the wort'. I'll leave it as it is, though. Surprisingly comparable - wort and the world - from a yeast's point of view.
Last edited by McMullan on Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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