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Author Topic: What quantities for starters? Kinda confused.  (Read 1631 times)

Offline cableguy

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What quantities for starters? Kinda confused.
« on: February 27, 2010, 03:48:39 pm »
Hi all first time posting on this forum.  I normally bounce between here and NB for reference and I'm looking for a little help if possible.  Okay, going to make my first starter and I'm a little confused.   I went to mr.malty to find the correct volume of starter and It tells me that I need 1.77 liters of starter for my 1.048 OG.  So I looked up info on how to make a starter and everyone uses different combinations of DME to water so I don't really know how to arrive at the 1.77 liters that malty tells me.  Is the 1.77 the volume I need before cooling and decanting and just pitching the slurry?  Can I be over the 1.77?  Is there just a general formula that you can follow to put me in the ballpark.  I know I'm throwing alot of questions around I just want to make sure I'm getting it right.  Thanks much!

Offline denny

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Re: What quantities for starters? Kinda confused.
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2010, 04:46:31 pm »
Hi all first time posting on this forum.  I normally bounce between here and NB for reference and I'm looking for a little help if possible.  Okay, going to make my first starter and I'm a little confused.   I went to mr.malty to find the correct volume of starter and It tells me that I need 1.77 liters of starter for my 1.048 OG.  So I looked up info on how to make a starter and everyone uses different combinations of DME to water so I don't really know how to arrive at the 1.77 liters that malty tells me.  Is the 1.77 the volume I need before cooling and decanting and just pitching the slurry?  Can I be over the 1.77?  Is there just a general formula that you can follow to put me in the ballpark.  I know I'm throwing alot of questions around I just want to make sure I'm getting it right.  Thanks much!

Welcome to the forum!

Yeah, the 1.77 liters is the amount of wort you pitch your yeast into.  You want the starter gravity in the 1.030-35 range.  I use .75 oz. of DME for every cup of water and that gets me right there.  If you're a bit over or under 1.77 (hey, let's call it 1.75) it's not a huge deal.  And let's also call it 1.75 qt. instead of liters (just the way my mind works).  So, 1.75 qt. is 7 cups.  Multiply that 7 * .75 and you need 5.25 oz. of DME.  My preferred method method is to wait for the starter to ferment out, then put it in the fridge overnight to drop out the yeast.  Then I decant almost all the starter wort, leaving just enough to swirl up the yeast so I can pour it into the fermenter.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline hankus

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Re: What quantities for starters? Kinda confused.
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2010, 04:53:37 pm »
Here's an over view from someone who was once a newbie..try seeking any brewing answer on your own first.Not only will U get the answer (and if not,PLEASE post a question) but U will discover a lot of useful sites and often a tangential subject will come up and U will learn something which U never even thought about. :)

Offline cableguy

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Re: What quantities for starters? Kinda confused.
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2010, 09:21:31 am »
Thanks Denny you are the man!  That is perhaps the clearest interpretation I have read and I have been to ALOT of  sites.   I understood the basic premise all I was getting stuck on was the calculations.  Thanks Again!