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Ken1010 · 08-10-2011, 11:58 PM

I am brewing Hefeweizen Ale. It is an extract kit with all LME and liquid Yeast(White Labs 300). Was planning on making a starter but no DME
in kit. Can you make a starter using LME.
This is my 4th brew ever and I have never made a starter.

**kapbrew13** · 08-11-2011, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken1010

I am brewing Hefeweizen Ale. It is an extract kit with all LME and liquid Yeast(White Labs 300). Was planning on making a starter but no DME
in kit. Can you make a starter using LME.
This is my 4th brew ever and I have never made a starter.

Sure. Just make your starter wort 1.040.

Ken1010 · 08-11-2011, 04:54 AM

Thank you. Proportions:

4 to 1). 2 cups water to 1/2 cup LME. Does that sound close? I appreciate the info.

Bierliebhaber · 08-11-2011, 05:44 AM

I was going to say 4oz by weight to a quart. I dont know what that works out to in volume. It's best to measure you malt by weight. But I think you would be fine with a pint starter: 2oz of LME to a pint. I can't be sure and it's rather rough, but I think that works out to be 1/4 cup LME to 2 cups water. For a hefe, you just want to ensure the viability of your yeast. A small starter and you're good to go. Wlp 300 is a vigorous fermenter and a little underpitch will help bring out the hefe flavors, as well as a warm ferment (68-70F)...that means pitching at 65F.

pola0502ds · 08-12-2011, 11:59 AM

Does it REALLY matter how soon make or how long you let your start sit before you use it?

I hear people say make and use within 36-48? I don't get it, making a starter is just like making beer. All your doing is "harvesting" the yeast from your starter. I would like to make my starters a week a head of time.

Any problem with that?

**Aschecte** · 08-12-2011, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pola0502ds

Does it REALLY matter how soon make or how long you let your start sit before you use it?

I hear people say make and use within 36-48? I don't get it, making a starter is just like making beer. All your doing is "harvesting" the yeast from your starter. I would like to make my starters a week a head of time.

Any problem with that?

Could be wrong but if you wait a week the yeast will process all sugars in that time then they will go dormant after all energy is used up. I believe you still want the yeast to be active so they don't go back into the adaptive stage if they're active they will just go straight into using the sugars in your wort which is what you want.

pola0502ds · 08-12-2011, 12:19 PM

See, thats my point. Say you brewed a batch a beer and fermented it out. After you rack you wash the yeast and use that for the next batch. At that point the yeast is still dormant? People wash and use yeast from previous batches all the time.

**Aschecte** · 08-12-2011, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pola0502ds

See, thats my point. Say you brewed a batch a beer and fermented it out. After you rack you wash the yeast and use that for the next batch. At that point the yeast is still dormant? People wash and use yeast from previous batches all the time.

yes they do but you need to make a starter from the washed yeast .... hence you are bringing it back up to speed you shouldn't just pitch washed yeast it's not as viable.

bmock79 · 08-12-2011, 01:49 PM

Fwiw, the searches I did on the same subject I found there was no problem doing a starter ahead of time.

There are a ton of threads on this site answering that very question.

koerd85 · 08-13-2011, 11:36 AM

has any bunny tried making a yeast starter with wort? I have and alls i did was: take out one cup of wort after it came to boil, then let it cool, add the yeast to that cup and finally after the wort did its full boil and cooled i added the starter. Fermentation was vigorous
after just 8 hours.

Making a starter with hops included can help the yeast "acclimate"