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# Best practice is that starters should not be aerated, although there may be an exception to this for ''L. brevis'' <ref name="brevis_aeration"></ref>. Some people prefer to stir their starter with an airlock in order to keep the bacteria in suspension, others do not use a stir plate and keep the starter still. Agitation might improve growth rates by dispersing waste and nutrients equally <ref name="bryan_agitation" />. One advantage to not using a stir plate at least until the brewer is more familiar with their culture is that the top of the starter will begin to clear when the starter is done if the starter was kept still.
# The starter should be held at the temperature best suited for the culture as shown in the [[Lactobacillus#Culture_Charts|Culture Charts]].
# Reference the above [[Lactobacillus#Culture_Charts|Culture Charts]] for how long the starter should be incubated for before pitching(24-48 hours is a general rule of thumb). If a stir plate is not used, one indication that the starter is done will be when the top of the starter begins to clear (turbidity is an indication that the culture is growing, and once the top portion of the starter starts to clear then that is a sign that growth has stopped) <ref name="Sam_starter2">[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1131778916850321/?comment_id=1131806746847538&offset=0&total_comments=6&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R2%22%7D Conversation with Sam Aeschlimann of Eureka Brewing Blog on MTF. 08/20/2015.]</ref>.
# The chalk is not desirable to pitch into the beer because of its buffering effect. The chalk will sediment within hours of being added to the starter, or if a stir plate is used, a couple of hours after the stir plate is turned off <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stokes%27_law Stokes' law. Wikipedia. retrieved 09/24/2015.]</ref><ref name="Sam_starter2"></ref>. The ''Lactobacillus'' should stay in suspension for at least a day or two after the starter is done, so swirling the starter isn't necessary, although it is certainly an option. If the starter is swirled, allow a couple of hours for the chalk to sediment out again. After the chalk sediments to the bottom of the flask, pour all of the liquid from the top of the starter into the wort/beer, and leave the chalk sediment behind. Avoid cold crashing the starter because it can have an adverse effect on the bacteria's health <ref name="bryan_lacto_starters">[http://suigenerisbrewing.blogspot.ca/2015/05/lacto-starters.html "Lacto Starters." Bryan from Sui Generis Blog. Retrieved 6/15/2015.]</ref><ref name="sam_starter"></ref>.