Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Starters?  (Read 7262 times)

Offline andrew000141

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 118
Starters?
« on: May 18, 2012, 08:02:24 pm »
So I know I'm a fool for never doing this but I've never made a starter. Basically I just want to know how to make one, do you hop it? Do you just mix DME with water? And while I have a thread up I gotta ask, what is a flameout? >.<
Fermenting:
Cherry melomel

In Kegs:
Saison
Irish Red
Thanksgiving Cider
Rye Pale Ale
IIPA
Ayinger Maibock clone
Moose drool clone

Bottles:
Mead

Keep your nose out of trouble and no trouble will come to you

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: Starters?
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2012, 09:05:48 pm »
Flameout is when you turn off the heat to the boil kettle. So sometimes people will say "at flameout" for a hop addition or whatnot.

You build a starter by pitching a quantity of yeast into a sterile low-gravity wort. This is to encourage multiplication of yeast primarily, and to ensure good yeast health before pitching into the fermenter. That's when wort becomes beer.

No need to hop the starter IMO.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Starters?
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2012, 10:59:08 pm »
Yup, euge has go tit more or less, I do 100 grams in 1 liter of water. boil for 10 minutes or so, chill to 70ish and pitch. I use a half gallon mason jar unless I am doing more than 1.5 liters, then I pull out the gallon jug. Either way I just cover the opening with sanitized foil.  I don't have a stir plate so I just make a point of swirling every time I walk by it. When using the mason jar I can screw down the ring over the foil and really shake it up good a couple times a day.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline pyrite

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 443
  • Davis, CA
Re: Starters?
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2012, 11:29:22 pm »
Don't forget, you could also add yeast nutrients to the starter. 
If you don't get in over your head, how are you ever going to know how tall you are.

Offline dzlater

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 525
  • Dan S. New Jersey
Re: Starters?
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2012, 04:18:38 am »
Dan S. from NJ

Offline weithman5

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1681
  • naperville, il
Re: Starters?
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2012, 07:26:31 am »
Yup, euge has go tit more or less,
giggle giggle. 8)

i do about the same thing about 3 onces dme in 1 quart water after boiling and allowing to cool.  just leave lid on mason jar loose (just the flat piece)

making a starter now. doing something i never have done (i don't have a stir plate and usually swirl) but now every hour or so i have been using the aquarium pump to agitate and add air.  see what happens
« Last Edit: May 19, 2012, 11:03:13 am by weithman5 »
Don AHA member

Offline tom

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1109
  • Denver, CO
Re: Starters?
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2012, 09:39:58 am »
For big beers or lagers you'll want to make bigger starters.  Jamil has a yeast starter calculator at his website www.mrmalty.com
Brew on

Offline petey

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 5
  • Lawton, OK
Re: Starters?
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2012, 06:11:25 pm »
I used jamil's yeast starter page for  a while but later found www.yeastcalc.com and it really helped me with stepping up to a larger starter for larger batch sizes.  Also it will tell you how much dry extract for the starter size you desire

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11336
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Starters?
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2012, 09:38:46 pm »
I used jamil's yeast starter page for  a while but later found www.yeastcalc.com and it really helped me with stepping up to a larger starter for larger batch sizes.  Also it will tell you how much dry extract for the starter size you desire

Nice! Never saw that but looks great - thanks!

Offline summy

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 72
  • Roanoke, VA
    • Star City Brewers Guild
Re: Starters?
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2012, 04:43:47 am »
I use the pressure cooker to make my starters well in advance.  I can usually make 5 quart-sized jars at a time.  They keep fairly indefinitely.  I put in 3.2 ounces DME, a pinch of yeast nutrient and fill to the neck with water.  Shake well and then cook at 15psi for 15 minutes.  Thanks to Drew for the info.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Fementing:
  *Primary -
  *Lagering -

On Tap
 *BPA
 *Denny's BVIP
 *Brunch Stout
 

In Bottles
 *IIPA
 *RyeIPA
 *Black IPA
 *Red IPA
 *White IPA (entered an all-IPA competition)
  *Kolsch

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: Starters?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2012, 05:52:12 am »
I used jamil's yeast starter page for  a while but later found www.yeastcalc.com and it really helped me with stepping up to a larger starter for larger batch sizes.  Also it will tell you how much dry extract for the starter size you desire

Nice post, thanks!

+1 to all the advice above.  When you want to make lagers, starters are paramount to your success.

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline andrew000141

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 118
Re: Starters?
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2012, 06:48:23 am »
is yeast nutrient just an item i could buy at my LHBS? Is that the actual name of the product?
Fermenting:
Cherry melomel

In Kegs:
Saison
Irish Red
Thanksgiving Cider
Rye Pale Ale
IIPA
Ayinger Maibock clone
Moose drool clone

Bottles:
Mead

Keep your nose out of trouble and no trouble will come to you

Offline ccfoo242

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 808
  • I drank what? - Socrates
Re: Starters?
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2012, 07:05:03 am »
is yeast nutrient just an item i could buy at my LHBS? Is that the actual name of the product?

Its just called yeast nutrient at mine. I think there's some brand names, though.

Reminds me of the movie Repo Man where food was called "Food" and drink was called "Drink".
Intra cervisiam est deus.

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11336
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Starters?
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2012, 08:00:08 am »
You will want to get a yeast nutrient hat is fortified with zinc. The white labs and wyeast nutrients are both good, i wouldnt waste my money of the servo from White Labs though, just the regular nutrient. You also want to aerate the starter well, and if you can,mourns the starter fermentation.

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Starters?
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2012, 08:20:21 am »
and if you can,mourns the starter fermentation.
come again?
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified