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

Author Topic: Dark starter for a dark beer?  (Read 2258 times)

Offline jcoxen

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Dark starter for a dark beer?
« on: July 24, 2010, 09:32:46 am »
If I'm making a starter for a Porter or other dark beer should I use dark DME for the starter? 
Time's fun when you're having flies.
   - Kermit the Frog

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: Dark starter for a dark beer?
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2010, 09:41:52 am »
No, use light extract. It's more fermentable, so you'll get the most "bang for your buck".

Sorry if I'm preaching to the choir, but I thought I'd give my 10 second starter lecture: Don't use an airlock. Cover it loosely with foil or use a foam stopper instead. Shake it up as often as possible to get oxygen to the yeast. If time allows, put it in the fridge overnight before brewing, pour off most of the starter "beer", then pitch.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline hopaddicted

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Re: Dark starter for a dark beer?
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2010, 10:11:45 am »
I've always been scared to dump any of the "beer" to isolate the yeast, figuring if it can stay suspended in my fermenter for weeks it must not drop out of my starter overnight. This has also kept me away from large starters since I didn't want to add large quantities of a bland LDME solution.

Is my paranoia unwarranted?
Primary: Lambic
Secondary: Oktoberfest, German Pilsner, Double IPA,
In Bottles: Lucknow IPA clone, Rough Rider Brown Ale clone,
John Harvard Imperial Stout clone, Hoppy Amber, Witch's Brew (Habanero and Smoked Corn Small Ale), Porter, Dunkleweizen, Dry Stout, Irish Red Ale, American Maple Wheat Ale, Black Wit, Belgian style Wit, Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Kegged: IPA, Saison, Hoppy Brown Ale

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Dark starter for a dark beer?
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2010, 10:54:29 am »
Putting it in the fridge overnight will cold crash the yeast.  The liquid on top is clear, layer of yeast on the bottom.   No porblem doing this.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: Dark starter for a dark beer?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2010, 11:27:52 am »
Yeah, what stays in suspension is a pretty trivial amount of yeast. I heard an interview with Chris White, IIRC, in which he said that wort is visibly turbid above about 1 million/mL. So in a 2 L starter you're talking about discarding maybe 10 billion cells, tops, even if it isn't clear.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.