22 replies to this topic

[Mya]

Dang, it's been too long since i made a starter :coverseyes:I had to look up the proper amounts of water to DME on another website :spank:I tried to make a 1.5 L starter with 50 grams of DME, brewday is gonna be rough .Didn't there used to be a starter tutorial in the FAQ?

Edited by miccullen, 24 April 2012 - 08:10 PM.

[MtnBrewer]

I've made hundreds and still have to look up the amounts. I use this calculator: https://brew.stderr.net/starter_wort_calc.htmlThere's a canning starter wort FAQ but not one on just making starters. There might be one at Jamil's. Here's my procedure:

• Determine starter size. For a normal gravity ale, this is 1.5-2 liters. For a lager or a big ale, 4-5 liters.
• Calculate DME needed.
• Add DME, yeast nutrient, stir bar, water and two drops of Fermcap to appropriately sized Erlenmeyer flask.
• Heat on stove until just boiling then remove from heat.
• Fill sink with cold water.
• After 15 minutes, put flask in sink.
• When wort is chilled, pitch yeast and put on stir plate.
• Fashion a foil cover for the flask that will allow air in.
• Turn on stir plate and adjust speed to the maximum that will not cause the stir bar to drop off.
• When fermentation is finished, place in fridge until needed.
• Decant spent wort and then pitch.

[Mya]

I've made hundreds and still have to look up the amounts. I use this calculator: https://brew.stderr...._wort_calc.htmlThere's a canning starter wort FAQ but not one on just making starters. There might be one at Jamil's. Here's my procedure:

• Determine starter size. For a normal gravity ale, this is 1.5-2 liters. For a lager or a big ale, 4-5 liters.
• Calculate DME needed.
• Add DME, yeast nutrient, stir bar, water and two drops of Fermcap to appropriately sized Erlenmeyer flask.
• Heat on stove until just boiling then remove from heat.
• Fill sink with cold water.
• After 15 minutes, put flask in sink.
• When wort is chilled, pitch yeast and put on stir plate.
• Fashion a foil cover for the flask that will allow air in.
• Turn on stir plate and adjust speed to the maximum that will not cause the stir bar to drop off.
• When fermentation is finished, place in fridge until needed.
• Decant spent wort and then pitch.

that's my procedure as well, but I had it in my head that 1.5L needed 50 grams of DME derp!I have now bookmarked that calculator

[al_bob]

Weird, but that's one I have to always go look up. I don't use DME as much as I used to so I always forget.I normally take what's left in the mash tun and freeze it to use for starters. Just take it out and boil it, chill it, and pitch.

[djinkc]

100gm/L

[Mya]

100gm/L

yeah, I remember now, thanks

[Mya]

Weird, but that's one I have to always go look up. I don't use DME as much as I used to so I always forget.I normally take what's left in the mash tun and freeze it to use for starters. Just take it out and boil it, chill it, and pitch.

doing that this time around, boil it separately I assume? freeze in double ziplocs?

[JMcG]

I've made hundreds and still have to look up the amounts. I use this calculator: https://brew.stderr...._wort_calc.htmlThere's a canning starter wort FAQ but not one on just making starters. There might be one at Jamil's. Here's my procedure:

• Determine starter size. For a normal gravity ale, this is 1.5-2 liters. For a lager or a big ale, 4-5 liters.
• Calculate DME needed.
• Add DME, yeast nutrient, stir bar, water and two drops of Fermcap to appropriately sized Erlenmeyer flask.
• Heat on stove until just boiling then remove from heat.
• Fill sink with cold water.
• After 15 minutes, put flask in sink.
• When wort is chilled, pitch yeast and put on stir plate.
• Fashion a foil cover for the flask that will allow air in.
• Turn on stir plate and adjust speed to the maximum that will not cause the stir bar to drop off.
• When fermentation is finished, place in fridge until needed.
• Decant spent wort and then pitch.

I've always boiled for 15 min to get hot break and sanitize. Not needed?

[al_bob]

doing that this time around, boil it separately I assume? freeze in double ziplocs?

Yeah, I don't boil it after I drain it out of the mash tun. I just put it in anything to freeze it. Then Take it out and boil ~12 min. and add yeast nutrient. Chill and pitch. I just hate to waste good wort. Saves buying DME. I figure on an average 1.070 beer my wort at the end of the sparges is considerably less making it good for starters. I never test it though.

[Mya]

Yeah, I don't boil it after I drain it out of the mash tun. I just put it in anything to freeze it. Then Take it out and boil ~12 min. and add yeast nutrient. Chill and pitch.I just hate to waste good wort. Saves buying DME.I figure on an average 1.070 beer my wort at the end of the sparges is considerably less making it good for starters. I never test it though.

my first beer coming p this year should be @1.080 so it should have good tailings for starters

[MtnBrewer]

I've always boiled for 15 min to get hot break and sanitize. Not needed?

The hot break is why I don't boil. I let it sit for 15 minutes after it boils and that's enough to sanitize.

[Mya]

wonder if I used adequate Fermaid K I used 1.5 grams

[MtnBrewer]

wonder if I used adequate Fermaid K I used 1.5 grams

Seems like that would be about right for a starter. I think Fermaid K has DAP in it so you definitely don't want to use too much. I use 1/8 tsp of Wyeast nutrient, which appears to be similar to Fermaid.

[klickcue]

The hot break is why I don't boil. I let it sit for 15 minutes after it boils and that's enough to sanitize.

ThisUsing Fermcap, get steam out of covered container, turn heat off under container, mess around getting water in sink to cool wort and settle pot in cool water. Sanitize gallon jug, funnel and stir bar, then cover with aluminum foil. Pour cooled wort into jug and add yeast slurry plus stir bar. Cover jug mouth with the aluminum foil and on to the stir plate.Use 100 grams of DME per 1 liter of water.Use https://www.yeastcalc.com/ to figure my growth for the SG of the beer to be brewed as a stepped growth since I am cheap with DME.

[JMcG]

The hot break is why I don't boil. I let it sit for 15 minutes after it boils and that's enough to sanitize.

You think the hot break is a bad thing? I thought the yeast would consume all the nutrients in the starter wort and produce the same amount of trub material either way.I'm just a little skittish about not boiling for longer. Some organisms can survive boiling for short periods.Probably not a major problem, as pitching a large enough amount of yeast will overwhelm most other organisms. Probably. Almost every time. Probably.

[djinkc]

You think the hot break is a bad thing? I thought the yeast would consume all the nutrients in the starter wort and produce the same amount of trub material either way.I'm just a little skittish about not boiling for longer. Some organisms can survive boiling for short periods.Probably not a major problem, as pitching a large enough amount of yeast will overwhelm most other organisms. Probably. Almost every time. Probably.

I've been doing 7 minutes of rolling boil for probably the last 5 years. Then chill with a mini IC I made from tubing laying around. Probably 20 minutes from start to cleanup.

[Mya]

to continue this saga:this was my first brew since October 2010 :crazy:almost 18 months of brewlessness will build up some rust, and how!found my IC had split from ice in it, made a new one :blush:got my primary sanitized and my HLT cleaned out without incident, and my mashtun all cleaned out.heated up my boil kettle with some water and pseudo PBW to clean it, which I did without incident, then I picked it up and hauled over to dump it, and then I grabbed the bottom rim to tip out the water :stabby:Now I have first/second degree burn on my right hand, not severe been there done that it hurts, I'll live managed to hit my mash temp, within 1 degree, and 1 point off my OG.Got 6 gallons into the fermentor, aerated for 60 seconds with pure O2 decanted and pitched my starter with had a very nice layer of yeast in it.I am gonna have to rename this brew Dumb Guy Ale

[djinkc]

to continue this saga:this was my first brew since October 2010 :crazy:almost 18 months of brewlessness will build up some rust, and how!found my IC had split from ice in it, made a new one :blush:got my primary sanitized and my HLT cleaned out without incident, and my mashtun all cleaned out.heated up my boil kettle with some water and pseudo PBW to clean it, which I did without incident, then I picked it up and hauled over to dump it, and then I grabbed the bottom rim to tip out the water :stabby:Now I have first/second degree burn on my right hand, not severe been there done that it hurts, I'll live managed to hit my mash temp, within 1 degree, and 1 point off my OG.Got 6 gallons into the fermentor, aerated for 60 seconds with pure O2 decanted and pitched my starter with had a very nice layer of yeast in it.I am gonna have to rename this brew Dumb Guy Ale

I hope you saved it, just cut out the split and sweat a connector - mine has a couple from rebending it about 10 timesI can't believe I have never named one that............. should have

[Mya]

Burning Fistina Ale