I just made my first starter last night. It is 3 quarts. When I pitch my yeast, do I pitch the whole starter or do I just dump the beer out of the starter and pitch the yeast that is left behind?

Thanks!

Happy Brewing!

Dave

That's a big enough starter that it is probably best to decant off most of the starter beer. Just leave enough liquid to swirl up the yeast and pitch.

You may be okay dumping in the whole thing depending on the beer, but that volume will likely affect the flavor and/or dilute the flavor of your beer.

That is what I thought. Every time I did a search online about pitching yeast from a starter, all I got was how to make one. Decanting it is!

Thanks!

Dave

It depends. Are you doing an 'open' starter (no airlock, covered with foil)? Are you doing a stirplate? If you are incorporating lots of O2 during the starter's activity, you will want to decant, after letting it ferment to completion and giving it a day or so in the fridge. If you are brewing sooner, and the starter is still active, you may consider pitching straight, as long as it isn't going to throw off the flavor of the beer. That being said, my preference is to ferment it all the way out and decant, you just need to figure on this as it will add at least a few days on to your starter prep.