What temperature for a Pilsner Yeast starter?

[Runwell-Steve]

I have some WLP800 pilsner yeast. What temperature should I make the starter at. Should it be at lager fermenting temp, which I may struggle to maintain unless I put the stir plate in the fridge, or can I make the starter at normal room temp.

Thanks

 

[Mark1964]

we did a pilsner a while back started it at 16 deg c added to wort kept at 16 deg c for 2 days dropped to 11 deg c for 2 weeks then back to 16 for a diecetyl rest then back to 11 till fermentation finishes. Maybe its best though to check with white labs as we used brew labs pilsner yeast

 

[shocker]

I think I did a Mauribrew 497 lager yeast at 18* for the starter and pitched when both starter and wort were 16*. If I read the notes right.....

 

[zgoda]

I don't know if i'm right or wrong, but i always keep starters at ~24*C until they start fermenting sugars. Then cold crash and decant off slurry.

 

[adomant]

I use saflager-23 and make the starter at room temp but leave to cool a bit when foaming in order to pitch at 12c

 

[Runwell-Steve]

I usually keep my starters reasonably warm when on the stir plate, but I'm just not so sure with a lager yeast, I don't want to kill it off by letting it get too warm, when I should be propogating it.

I need to grow it a reasonable amount as I need to step it up enough for a 45 litre batch.

 

[adomant]

It will be happy at 20c, it just ferments with cleaner flavour at lower temps

 

[shocker]

What does the yeast list as top end of its range Steve ? I suppose if you knew that you wouldnt be asking ! The only lager experience I have is the few I have just done recently and while I propagated the starters warmer than the working temp , I was more concerned about getting the pitching temperatures even to lessen shock .

I know that a lot of top working yeasts that ferment at 20*-25* say to make starters at 30*-35*.....maybe that gives some indication . Start the yeast at 25* ish to work at 15* ? Maybe ?

Sorry mate , not a lot of good but all I have done is the Brewferm Lager and Mauribrew 497 Lager yeasts .

 

[Runwell-Steve]

Cheers all,

The WhiteLabs site doesn't say much about the yeast apart from the fact it's optimum fermentation temp is between 10 and 13 degrees C. It does say that if you are pitching cold to make quite a big starter which suggests it doesn't grow well at cold temperatures so a warmer starter may be required then.

I'll try and keep it at about 20 degrees and see what happens. I'll put the stir plate in the garage, which is currently at about 10 degrees, with the heat from the stir plate the wort should be at about 20 degrees.

I'll be steping the vial up to a 1 litre starter initially, then upping it to 2 litres after a few days, which should hopefully give me enough for a 45 Litre batch.

 

[Aleman]

It really matters not what temperature you ferment your starter at . . .after all at this point you are making yeast not beer.

Yeast do not 'acclimate' to temperature the way they do to other environmental conditions they are exposed to. . . therefore whatever temp you normally do you starters at will be fine . . . . I normally use around 20C for all my starters.

Once the starter has worked out, it goes into the fridge for a day or two before brewing . . .then on brew day, I pour off the liquid, and allow the slurry to gradually come up to room temperature. I take a litre or so of wort off from the boil after about 45 minutes and cool that . . .before adding it to the slurry . . .by the time I'm ready to pitch everything is awake and working well.

I do take some wort from the FV and gradually bring the yeast slurry down to pitching temp rather than pour 20C yeast into 8C wort . . . That will shock the yeasties and it will take time for them to wake up again.

 

[Runwell-Steve]

Thanks Aleman.

I am just starting on the 1 litre starter now. I'm thinking I may need to go bigger than 2 Litres for a 45 Litre batch, so I might step this up to 4 Litres, in a few days time. I'm planning to brew on the 2nd January so need to get some yeasties growing.