Pointers for first time starter use?

Ok so I have heard both sides of using a starter and not. Up to this point have done alright without one and just compensated by using a second packet of yeast for my higher gravity brews but am curious to see if it makes a difference.
Question is is a 2l starter the best way to go? I am still doing just 5 gallon batches. Is a stir plate a necessity? And is 1 lb dme with 2 quarts of water the best recipe? Checked the internet but have gotten pretty good advice from here so far so thanks in advance.

I do a starter with 4 cups water and 1 cup DME in a 2L flask. I use a stir plate but intermittent shaking is also acceptable. Check the Mr. Malty pitching rate calculator to detrmine how much you need to pitch.

The shaking or stir plate both do the same thing: introduce oxygen into the wort which the yeast needs to reproduce. You need the headspace so the kraused won't overflow the vessel. If you need a bigger starter, do the step as described above, then put it in the frige to precipitate the yeast cells out of suspension (cold crash) decant the starter beer off the top and feed again with 4 cups water ans 1 cup DME.

This is White Labs information on starters. I followed their instructions...I used their yeast, you would think they should know.

I have made a starter both ways. Shaking the vessel worked okay, I guess, the beer came out fine. I then made a stir plate. The stir plate is much easier, just start it up and let it spin.

wagesgt903 said:

Question is is a 2l starter the best way to go? I am still doing just 5 gallon batches.

Click to expand...

the need for, and size of, a starter depends on the size of the batch, the gravity, and the health/viability of the yeast. use the calculator at www.mrmalty.com to work this out. it's a really great tool.

wagesgt903 said:

Is a stir plate a necessity?

Click to expand...

not a necessity, but it does make starters more efficient. on mrmalty there is an option to switch between "simple starter", "intermittent shaking", "stir plate", etc. switching between these shows the impact of these different techniques. for 5 gallons of 1.070 wort, and a 90% viable yeast, you would need a 1.94 liter starter with intermittent shaking, but only 1.26 L if you use a stir plate. the need becomes more pronounced as you get into higher gravity beers.

wagesgt903 said:

And is 1 lb dme with 2 quarts of water the best recipe?

Click to expand...

that's definitely not right. use the calculator at www.yeastcalc.com (on the left) to determine how much DME to add to a give volume of water.

I'll toss yet another calculator at you just for some variety. Also, because I just found this one and I like it more than Mr. Malty. This will also tell you how much DME to add.

http://www.yeastcalc.com/

Starters cut down on cost and make sure your yeast is all healthy. But if money isn't an issue I don't think it really matters much.

https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/StirStarter-%2d-Yeast-Starter-Stir-Plate.html

Any of you had any luck with a cheap stir plate like this?
I think im just gonna go ahead and get it all at once instead of messing around with shaking it.

wagesgt903 said:

https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/StirStarter-%2d-Yeast-Starter-Stir-Plate.html

Any of you had any luck with a cheap stir plate like this?
I think im just gonna go ahead and get it all at once instead of messing around with shaking it.

Click to expand...

i don't have this model but feedback about his particular stir plate has been very positive.

When making a yeast starter can one expect rapid fermentation gas coming out of an airlock on the starter or will it be fairly slow but regular?

do not use an airlock on a starter. airlocks are meant to keep oxygen out of your fermenting beer, because it creates off-flavors. in a starter, we don't care about those off-flavors. what we do care about is yeast reproduction, which takes oxygen. in other words, we want O2 in there.

instead of a airlock, use a sanitized piece of aluminum foil loosely wrapped over the opening of your flask/bottle/etc. LHBS also sell sponge stoppers that allow air to flow in and out, while stopping dust particles and other airborne nasties.

Gonna give it a try tonight so i can brew sunday. First one will be without a stir plate so we will see. Thanks again for the help.

wagesgt903 said:

Gonna give it a try tonight so i can brew sunday. First one will be without a stir plate so we will see. Thanks again for the help.

Click to expand...

shake it as often as you can. before i got a stir plate, i'd set the starter in front of me while watching TV and shook it every commercial break, if not more often.

Damn I shouldve overnighted the stir plate.

Well decided to just build one.