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**davebstock** · 02-06-2013, 06:30 AM

Vert helpful post. Doing my first all grain soon.

Leppy · 02-06-2013, 12:33 PM

Thanks for this. The next recipe I am looking at calls for a starter and i wasn't really sure how to do it.

**tre9er** · 02-06-2013, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ogri

Dry yeast is packaged and ready to use in peak condition so if you make a starter with it you just end up depleting the yeast's reserves and actually decrease the ability of the yeast to go to work with optimum capabilities on the wort. Rehydrating is the best way to get the most from your package of dry yeast.

Boil some water then let cool down to 95-105*f, into 1 cupful pour the contents of your packet and let it sit on the surface. It'll gradually start dropping to the bottom and eventually start foaming/turning creamy. You can give it a bit of a stir now to make the slurry a nice, even, viscosity. Ideally you want to get the rehydrated yeast slurry and your wort to a temp difference of less than 10*f of each other for pitching, so as not to shock the yeast, and some say that absolute optimum for pitching is within 40 minutes of beginning rehydration, although I've also seen 15 minutes mentioned.

It's possible to get decent results by just sprinkling dry yeast on the surface of your wort but something like a 40% to 60% depletion of the yeast, from instant exposure to the sugars, can result.

I've made a few starters from dry yeast. Sprinkling it into starter wort isn't much different from sprinkling it into a fermenter...it's sugar water for it to multiply and ferment. I would rehydrate it first, yes.

The reason I do this is so I can just buy one packet of US-05 and still use it on 9g of beer. It's worked fantastically for me, using the various calculators to determine the proper starter size, of course.

**Ogri** · 02-07-2013, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tre9er

I've made a few starters from dry yeast. Sprinkling it into starter wort isn't much different from sprinkling it into a fermenter...it's sugar water for it to multiply and ferment. I would rehydrate it first, yes.

The reason I do this is so I can just buy one packet of US-05 and still use it on 9g of beer. It's worked fantastically for me, using the various calculators to determine the proper starter size, of course.

Yeah, I was definitely guilty there of regurgitating what I'd read, believed and taken as gospel regarding dry yeast, here on HBT

What you say there makes sense, right enough. Rehydrate then pitch into your starter wort. If properly rehydrated first they can be introduced into the starter wort without any worries about further depletion from sugar shock (or whatever it is that depletes their viability when pitched powder to wort)and healthy propagation should begin pretty rapidly. Will give it a bash on an upcoming batch.

Wonder if it'd be possible to do that with S-23 or W34/70 to make an effective starter for a lager. They're always quite a bit more expensive than US-05 and S-04 here and when I look at a yeast calculator like Mr malty they usually show that I need about 2 packs.

**tre9er** · 02-07-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ogri

Yeah, I was definitely guilty there of regurgitating what I'd read, believed and taken as gospel regarding dry yeast, here on HBT

What you say there makes sense, right enough. Rehydrate then pitch into your starter wort. If properly rehydrated first they can be introduced into the starter wort without any worries about further depletion from sugar shock (or whatever it is that depletes their viability when pitched powder to wort)and healthy propagation should begin pretty rapidly. Will give it a bash on an upcoming batch.

Wonder if it'd be possible to do that with S-23 or W34/70 to make an effective starter for a lager. They're always quite a bit more expensive than US-05 and S-04 here and when I look at a yeast calculator like Mr malty they usually show that I need about 2 packs.

There's no reason why you can't. Once you rehydrate it, it's just like liquid yeast. I've had no issues thus-far.

**Ogri** · 02-08-2013, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tre9er

There's no reason why you can't. Once you rehydrate it, it's just like liquid yeast. I've had no issues thus-far.

Yes, exactly. In fact, now that I think about it, could it possibly be even better than using liquid yeast purchased through the usual channels, in terms of viability (and definitely in terms of volume), unless you are able to get hold of a pack/vial of LY that was made something like 20 minutes ago?

perrypainter · 02-26-2013, 05:06 PM

H big a role does headspace play in a starter? I've always just boiled 1/4-1/2 c dme in 2 cups water for 15 mins and threw it in a sanitized 2L growler. Is that too big of a vessel? Should I use a 1L growler?

**jethro55** · 02-26-2013, 05:41 PM

Here is an article from one of HBT's experts about yeast starters and yeast harvesting. I really thought it made a lot of sense.

yeast-harvesting-novel-approach

Hat's off to the Brulosopher !

tg123 · 03-24-2013, 05:27 AM

i made a starter and then couldn't get around to brewing so I put it in the fridge for 4 days. Is it still ok and should I make another starter to wake up the yeast? Also, there seems to be a green ring around the growler where the krausen was forming.
smelled it and it smells fine.

Bierliebhaber · 03-24-2013, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tg123

i made a starter and then couldn't get around to brewing so I put it in the fridge for 4 days. Is it still ok and should I make another starter to wake up the yeast? Also, there seems to be a green ring around the growler where the krausen was forming.
smelled it and it smells fine.

You're good. Just pitch it as is.