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Author Topic: Yeast starter from table sugar?  (Read 5884 times)

Offline yso191

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Yeast starter from table sugar?
« on: February 02, 2015, 04:16:13 pm »
I just finished testing my hydrometers and refractometer with sugar solutions of specific gravities, which got me to wondering, "If a yeast starter is for making yeast rather than making beer, is there anything wrong with making starter wort with table sugar rather than wort?

I'm sure it would require yeast nutrient.  It would be a lot easier and cheaper.  What am I missing?
Steve
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2015, 05:32:09 pm »
The yeast will become aclimated to simple sugars, and will not do so well on Maltose is the thinking.

You could propagate the yeast with sugar at around 1oP if you add nutrients and continuously feed it. Not for me. That is how you get gluten free yeast as some suppliers advertise.
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2015, 06:34:34 pm »
Yeah, you could grow yeast that don't attenuate well since you start them on a diet of sucrose instead of maltose. Stick to malt.

Offline bengelbrau

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2015, 07:24:17 pm »
Your yeast will also get fat and have cavities if you feed them sugar

Offline majorvices

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2015, 08:34:40 pm »
Your yeast will also get fat and have cavities if you feed them sugar

And there's a greater potential for them to develop diabetes

Offline Stevie

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2015, 09:06:36 pm »

Your yeast will also get fat and have cavities if you feed them sugar

And there's a greater potential for them to develop diabetes
That's an easy fix. Just throw some insulin producing bacteria in there.

Offline Philbrew

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2015, 09:14:21 pm »
Your yeast will also get fat and have cavities if you feed them sugar

And there's a greater potential for them to develop diabetes
No, but there's yeast attention deficit hyperactivity disorder so pitch a little Ritalin with it avoid blow offs.
Many of us would be on a strict liquid diet if it weren't for pretzels.

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2015, 09:15:04 pm »
Dry yeast manufacturers propagate yeast using Molasses as the carbon source.  One has to add a nitrogen source when using molasses as a carbon source. One quarter teaspoon of DAP per liter of 10% (1.040) solution should do the trick.

Molasses contains trace elements and vitamins in addition sucrose, glucose, and fructose.  Sucrose is disaccharide composed of a glucose molecule bound to a fructose molecule.  Yeast cells have to excrete invertase to break the glycosidic bond and free the monosaccharides.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2015, 07:23:08 am »
Dry yeast manufacturers propagate yeast using Molasses as the carbon source.  One has to add a nitrogen source when using molasses as a carbon source. One quarter teaspoon of DAP per liter of 10% (1.040) solution should do the trick.

Molasses contains trace elements and vitamins in addition sucrose, glucose, and fructose.  Sucrose is disaccharide composed of a glucose molecule bound to a fructose molecule.  Yeast cells have to excrete invertase to break the glycosidic bond and free the monosaccharides.

Maolasses also has trace minerals, so along with the vitamins it is popular with the health food crowd. I found the Plantation Unsulfured Blackstrap, not at he grocery store, but at the local health mart. It will be used to make invert 2 and 3 using the dilution method and Golden Syrup as the base.
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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2015, 07:39:29 am »
Maolasses also has trace minerals, so along with the vitamins it is popular with the health food crowd. I found the Plantation Unsulfured Blackstrap, not at he grocery store, but at the local health mart. It will be used to make invert 2 and 3 using the dilution method and Golden Syrup as the base.

trace elements = trace minerals

Offline kylekohlmorgen

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2015, 10:32:10 am »
If you want to make starters cheaper/easier, get a pressure canner and can a bunch of wort in advance.

You can take the final runnings on brewday, or just make an extract batch. It doesn't take long to fill and heat, and it saves HOURS of boiling tiny extract batches on your stove top.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2015, 10:40:21 am »
Maolasses also has trace minerals, so along with the vitamins it is popular with the health food crowd. I found the Plantation Unsulfured Blackstrap, not at he grocery store, but at the local health mart. It will be used to make invert 2 and 3 using the dilution method and Golden Syrup as the base.

trace elements = trace minerals

Poor reading on my part.

Jeff Rankert
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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2015, 10:46:49 am »
Poor reading on my part.

I just experienced my own senior moment, so I fully understand.

Offline bengelbrau

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2015, 12:02:29 pm »
Quote
If you want to make starters cheaper/easier, get a pressure canner and can a bunch of wort in advance.

It's even easier to freeze the last runnings. I keep mine in a 1 gallon ice cream container.

Offline yso191

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Re: Yeast starter from table sugar?
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2015, 01:32:41 pm »
Quote
If you want to make starters cheaper/easier, get a pressure canner and can a bunch of wort in advance.

It's even easier to freeze the last runnings. I keep mine in a 1 gallon ice cream container.

Interesting.  I like easy and time saving.  As long as it boils prior to use, what could be the issue?
Steve
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“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton