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SavageSteve · 09-06-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfmaze

noone else boils there starter? i usually boil the dme/water in a pot, cool, pitch, and pour into flask. am i doing it wrong?

If you have a borosilicate flask, you can boil and cool in it. We all boil our starters, we just don't use a separate pot.

-Steve

tokolosh · 09-06-2009, 04:17 PM

after originally reading this thread I have made 3 starters using the cold water + whisk method then pouring into a flask and just boiling in the flask. Works flawlessly. HIGHLY recommend using some foam control.

**isleofman** · 09-09-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokolosh

HIGHLY recommend using some foam control.

+100

I certainly made this mistake. 0 to boil over in the blink of an eye in an erlenmeyer. (my first boil over home brewing)

eddiemeddiem · 09-09-2009, 09:37 PM

I just use a piece of scrap paper to make a funnel. The DME just slides right down, and any little bit that sticks to the paper just gets thrown away. I figure that I'm going to boil it anyways, so it should be sanitary enough.

It's worked perfectly fine everytime so far...

**HenryHill** · 09-09-2009, 09:49 PM

I make up the proportions and put it into a saucepan with a copper clad bottom. I boil it to sterilize, then draw a shallow sink of hot tap water from the faucet. I star san the flask and funnel, set it into the sink of hot tap water, and pour the sauce pan starter into the flask. it is instantly cooling, transferring heat to the sink of water, and I drain some slowly as it gets hot and replace with more hot tap water, gradually going to room temp using ever cooler tap water. This happens in just a few minutes.

I do this to lessen the heat stress on the flask, even though it IS borosilicate/pyrex.

I then can pitch and walkaway, after putting it on the stirplate.

I would rather any breakage happens in the sink of water, than on the stove...

**Picobrew** · 09-09-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddiemeddiem

I just use a piece of scrap paper to make a funnel. The DME just slides right down, and any little bit that sticks to the paper just gets thrown away. I figure that I'm going to boil it anyways, so it should be sanitary enough.

It's worked perfectly fine everytime so far...

I do this too, it's fine. I use an envelope or some junk mail or something. I also fill it while it is on the scale. This method is nice because: no dirty funnel, no dirty whisk, no dirty secondary mixing vessel, no dirty pot. Just the flask!

A canning funnel would also work well if you are inclined to go that route:

canning funnel - Google Images

KayaBrew · 09-10-2009, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan!

Um, not to sound too douchey here, but since you always end up adding that 500mL of water at the end, couldn't you just go 500mL short on the liquid, so after you add the 500mL, you're straight?

Sorry to douche it up here, but I love the word "douchey"!

BrokenBrew · 09-10-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfmaze

noone else boils there starter? i usually boil the dme/water in a pot, cool, pitch, and pour into flask. am i doing it wrong?

I do the same thing, but don't cool first. Pyrex can handle the change in temperature, and the hot wort sterilizes the flask. I put a piece of foil over the top, cool, pitch, then pop it on my stirplate for a couple days.

Evan! · 09-10-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrokenBrew

I do the same thing, but don't cool first. Pyrex can handle the change in temperature, and the hot wort sterilizes the flask. I put a piece of foil over the top, cool, pitch, then pop it on my stirplate for a couple days.

Pyrex/borosilicate might be able to take the stress now, but every time you do it, you put stress on it...

And if you put boiling wort into a cool flask too many times, and you're going to be sorry...

But hey, it's your flask...