Yeast Starter Method...

Ok, i read this when looking up stuff on a yeast starter:

Now put the finished yeast starter somwhere that the temperature will stay at about 70°F (21°C). You can either allow the starter to completely ferment out (usually 2-3 days), decant most of the liquid, and pitch just the slurry; or you can pitch the entire starter into your batch of beer, while it is actively fermenting (typically after a day or so). Both approaches have their advantages. Letting the starter ferment out and decanting means you're not adding a lot of "foreign" wort to your batch of beer. But pitching while it is active will result in a shorter lag time.

What method do you guys use? Do you pitch the whole thing after a day or so? Or do you remove most of the liquid and pitch the rest??

It depends. If the liquid is nice and clear, I pour it off. If there's still a lot of yeast suspended, I pitch the whole thing. Also, if it's a really big starter, I almost always pour some of the liquid off to avoid flavoring my beer with the "foreign wort."

my last batch I pitched while it was in active fermentation. It took off in 1hr 45m

Most of the time I let it go for 3 days then cool and decant

I pretty much base mine on time constraints. If I didn't have a chance to make a starter until the night before, I'll pitch the active yeast. if not, it's the cake.

I've only done 2 so far but I just pitched them both. Of course, they were both under 1 qt, anything bigger and I'd probably ferment out and decant.

It depends on whether the starter has fermented out or not. i can't change brew day just cuz the starter isn't ready, so then you just pitch the whole thing. I prefer to just pitch the slurry, though.

I make big (gallon) starters so I will decant the clear wort before pitching.

I pour off most of the liquid also.

do you guys boil the wort in the flask? or in a seperate pot and then add it to the flask... I've seen both ways, and they said that boiling it in the flask would help to sanitize the flask also... any thoughts?

aekdbbop said:

do you guys boil the wort in the flask? or in a seperate pot and then add it to the flask... I've seen both ways, and they said that boiling it in the flask would help to sanitize the flask also... any thoughts?

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Erly's are designed to handle the heat, so why wouldn't you boil in the flask? The only issue I have had is getting the DME in the flask (it likes to clump up in the funnel) when the water has boiled. Now I add the DME to warm water...no steam, no clumps.

Cheers!

I do the double boil method. Mix 1 cup of DME into 800 ml of water.

can you explain exactly what that is and why you do it?

aekdbbop said:

can you explain exactly what that is and why you do it?

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Its a yeast starter. Im boiling water and DME to sterilize it. Then cool and pitch yeast into it.

Simple answer......It gives you alot more yeast which are healthier and ready to go.

no i meant the double boil thing

Keeps direct heat from contacting the flask. (as in the stove element)

I've read (Papanian and the White Labs web site) that hops should be added to the water/DME starter "wort". They both seem to insinuate that a proportional amount of hops should be added to this volume as compared to the batch of actual wort.

What is the reason for this, and is it recomended? Don't hops have some mild germ-fighting properties.....possibly this is the reason?

BrewStef said:

The only issue I have had is getting the DME in the flask (it likes to clump up in the funnel) when the water has boiled.

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I definitely learned that the hard way. Also had the flask tip over into the ice bath during cooling. My first starter had so many problems that it took 3 attempts before pitching the yeast. Learned a lot from that first one though.