Starter Ingredients

My last two batches I have made a yeast starter for the first time use 2 oz of DME. I must say that I am going to continue this trend.

My question is, what do I use for the starter. I know I can use DME but is there anything else? Could I use the Powdered Sugar I have left over for carbonating??

TD

No sugar. Needs to me malt based either DME, LME, or left over wort. You want the cells to be used to the malt rich environment (they start making the specific enzymes).

Thank You!!!

WHen I'm making belgian ales I use belgian candi sugar for the starter. Some people have talked of mashing a bunch of two row and saving the wort in the freezer, then boiling it and using small amounts of it as a starter.... I"m actually gonna try this.

I'm planning to try out my grain mill by crushing a couple pounds, dough-in, then collect and freeze it. I won't dilute it, just thaw, boil to sanitize, then cool and pitch my starter.

I use 1/2 cup DME with 2 cups water. Boil 10 minutes and aerate for 5 minutes. Areation makes a huge difference.

Ó Flannagáin said:

WHen I'm making belgian ales I use belgian candi sugar for the starter. Some people have talked of mashing a bunch of two row and saving the wort in the freezer, then boiling it and using small amounts of it as a starter.... I"m actually gonna try this.

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I've thought about doing this with a pressure canner and canning the wort and just putting it on the shelf in my pantry. I know some of the guys in my brew club have done this as well. I think if I did a small 3 gallon batch, that would give me enough quart size starters to last me quite a while.

Just pull it off the shelf, add some yeast nutrient, pitch and put it on the stir plate.

jdoiv said:

I've thought about doing this with a pressure canner and canning the wort and just putting it on the shelf in my pantry. I know some of the guys in my brew club have done this as well.

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Could this be done in capped beer bottles? I've canned but only in jars.

Ó Flannagáin said:

WHen I'm making belgian ales I use belgian candi sugar for the starter.

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I still use DME on my Belgian yeast starters so the yeast metabolize the maltose, which still makes up the major % of my wort that it's going to be pitched into.

rohanski said:

Could this be done in capped beer bottles? I've canned but only in jars.

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No, you would have to use mason type jars.

Ok so I am going to brew a huge batch this weekend of Wheat Wine. It will have an OG (if I hit 80%) 1.105.

I have SafAle's WB-06 - American Wheat - Dry.

Do I make a starter the same way as a liquid yeast?

- WW

Willie3 said:

Ok so I am going to brew a huge batch this weekend of Wheat Wine. It will have an OG (if I hit 80%) 1.105.

I have SafAle's WB-06 - American Wheat - Dry.

Do I make a starter the same way as a liquid yeast?

- WW

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Nope...just rehydrate.


Rehydrate using either sterile water or wort at a ratio of 10 times the weight of yeast to be used. Mix gently to form a cream and allow to stand for 15-30 minutes. Then mix vigorously and stand for a further 30 minutes prior to pitching into the wort. The temperature of re-hydration is important (27C ± 3C for Safbrew and Safale, 23C ± 3C for Saflager).

An alternative method is to sprinkle dry yeast direct into the wort and allow to stand for 30 minutes before mixing to distribute and aerate the wort.

To achieve the correct pitching rate use one sachet per 20 litres of wort for ales. Use one sachet for lager when fermenting at room temperature and two sachets for lager when fermenting cold e.g. 12C (due to the lower temperature and slower growth of lager strains).
http://www.fermentis.com/FO/EN/06-Ales/40-10_directions_hb.asp

Can I make a starter?

- WW

I might be tempted to try two packs of dry yeast. I used one pack of Nottingham for a high gravity beer, and the taste from the primary to the secondary had a apple/sour taste to it. I'm thinking maybe from underpitching. MrMalty suggested 2 packs of dry...

Willie3 said:

Can I make a starter?

- WW

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You're better off not making a starter for dry yeast since they are prepared specifically to be used with out one. If you have an overwhelming desire to do so, let the yeast ferment out fully and floc, then decant and pitch the slurry.

I second the two pack recommendation. You might want to look up the alch tollerance of that strain too.

I wonder what the specific reason is to not. I know that they are "ready made" but will it affect the performance and or flavor is they are pitched into a starter or not?

- WW

Willie3 said:

I wonder what the specific reason is to not. I know that they are "ready made" but will it affect the performance and or flavor is they are pitched into a starter or not?

- WW

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It is related to how dry yeast is prepared for use..they are designed to go right into the wort. A clue to this is given on Danstar's page:

http://www.danstaryeast.com/library/pitching_temp.html

The factory builds into each yeast cell an abundance of the stress factor; trehalose. Our recommendations is to rehydrate the yeast in warm water and pitch into the wort (or must) within 30 minutes, because the yeast will begin to metabolize its carbohydrate reserve including trehalose immediately upon reactivation and weaken the yeast if it is not in the presence of a new supply of energy. It will have also used up the stress factor that would have assisted it in adapting to the new osmotic environment. I am sure that there is more to the explanation than I have given.