Yeast Starter Procedure

[Chris Alvey]

I plan to use a 'proper' yeast starter next time I brew. The goal is, of course, to pitch the greatest number of viable cells into my wort with the resources I have on hand. Based on the fact that I do not have a stir plate ... here is my plan:

1. Mix 1 Cup of DME with ~1000 ml of water in the Flask
2. Cover with foil and boil for 15 min making a wort of S/G 1.035 or so
3. Let cool overnight keeping the now sterile contents and foil intact
4. Add my yeast (White Labs tube) early the morning of the brew with the idea that pitch time will be later that afternoon.
5. Shake the Wort* throughout the day to areate.

*I will add a stir plate later

Does this method seem sound ?

[Justin Rumbach]

Why not add the yeast right after cooling the starter? That would give the yeast extra time to get multiplying. As long as you brew in 24 hours or so, your yeasties should be a rocking.

Some folks also cool and decant the beer off the top of the starter before adding it to their brew. But unless you are brewing a really low gravity or light colored beer I wouldn't worry about it.

Good luck!

[Chris Norrick]

I've been doing 1/2 cup DME to 1 pint of water and putting in a pinch of yeast nutrient. Every time I've tried to boil in the 1L flask I've boiled it over onto the stove. So keep that in mind. I skipped the flask the last batch and used a LARGE SS stock pot for the boil, as I've boiled over the small stock pot before too. I put the lid on the big pot the last two minutes of the boil to sterilize it for the ice bath soak and it boiled over as soon as I put the lid on. I then poured the cooled wort into the flask that I just sterilized by boiling water in it. I use a stopper and air lock. A #8 I think for a 1L flask. What size is your flask, wish I had a 2L...

I'm trying to remember my time table. Seems I change it every time. If I remember correctly, I popped the small size Wyeast smack pack on Thursday, made the starter and pitched it on Saturday, and then added it to a fresh pint starter I made Monday morning brewday for a pitch later that afternoon. This puts them back into active fermentation and ready to pitch. Monday was a holiday so back that up a day or two for a normal saturday or sunday brewday. You can also put the starter in the fridge for a few hours to settle the yeast out and decant off the "beer" before you pitch the slurry. I had over 1/2" of yeast in the fermenter using this method. I was brewing a ale yeast at 55 F so I really figured I needed all the yeast I could get.

I'm no yeast expert but I don't think you'll be growing much yeast in 6 hours. Sounds like you're really just doing a old fashioned yeast "proof" to see if they are alive and kicking and put them into active fermentation mode. As I understand it, that's really all the Wyeast smack pacs do. That's not a bad thing to do, but if you want to increase your cell count, I think you're going to need to make your starter sooner. Don't forget to keep it warm. My house gets cool at night so I put the starter in a kitchen cabinet located above a under-counter florescent light that says on all the time. Keeps that cabinet nice and warm.

My next acquisition is an oxygen injection set up with the little SS airstone and O2 tank regulator. You get the RED O2 cylinders at the hardware store in the welding supply area for about $8. The kit isn't too expensive and it sounds like they are really good for the brew. I'll use it for the yeast starter and the wort instead of shaking that damn 6.5 gallon glass carboy! The one I ordered was on backorder but I think it finally shipped end of last week.

[Chris Alvey]

Thanks for the info guys ... I will increase the growth time so that I have the yeasts going a bit more. Just didn't want to pitch 'tired' yeast.

[Dwayne_Delaney]

I haven't made a starter in a couple of years.(I know, I've read all of the positive benefits; just too lazy I guess.) When I used to make starters, I would cook up enough starter wort for 4 or 5 batches and just bottled it like beer in some 22oz. bottles. I kept it in the fridge until I was ready to use it. I took extra sanitation precautions with the bottles and the caps by boiling them. I used this numerous times without any problems.

[Chris Norrick]

Everything you ever wanted to know about pitching yeast and a nifty calculator: http://www.mrmalty.com/pitching.php This is Jamil Zainasheff's site, who has won LOTS of homebrew awards.

[BREWsmith]

I've been making small yeast starters but I think it might be a good idea to step up the size a bit. To make a 1 liter starter, how much DME would I use?

[john mills]

I believe you would use 3 oz for a liter. Test with hydrometer as some DME's vary a bit, but it should be close enough.

[BREWsmith]

I believe you would use 3 oz for a liter. Test with hydrometer as some DME's vary a bit, but it should be close enough.

What would that be in volume or does it vary by type of DME?

[sirgiovanni]

Try 8 cups water, 14 tablespoons DME, dash of nutrient.