OVHA Chat

I've never done a starter and I have a vile of WL Kolsch.Well,the problem is that I don't have any kind of extract(except for that can of Munton's Amber that's been around for 'bout a year )so I'm gonna have to do a mini mash to get some wort.What I would like to know is...since I"m not going to hop it...do I need to boil it for an hour,or should 15-20 min.be long enough?

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If you want to be safe, boil it as it as long as can toward the 60 and follow with a cold break. It will just promote better fermentation with the starter. Shoot for 1.040.

I make up pre-made starters by making a 1040 "beer" and just canning the wort in a pressure canner. Pop a couple open when it's starter time and you're good to go. There is some initial time investment but it pays out in the long run. I only have to can about once a year.

60- 90 minutes is the preferred boil length to allow the normal driving off DMS, allow proteins to assemble in longer strands for coagulation, etc. But for a starter of 1 qt or less, you're fine with the simple 10-15 minute boil. After all your going to pour off the lightest wort from the starter, and dilute it into gallons of good liquor. If no one else knows but you, I'd be sure you wouldn't get any comments back about off flavors. Certainly there is enough going on in normal mashes and boils to give the same flavors, but amplified by the volume involved.
Go for the short boil and let us know how things went. Worst case...you bring the beer to a meeting for disposal...err, I mean feedback.