Starter from corn sugar?

I have an AHS Texas Blonde Ale kit, partial-mash, partial-boil that I am brewing tomorrow. I also have White Labs liquid Kolsch ale yeast to use with it. I was wondering if it would be beneficial to make a starter for this as it is a relatively low gravity beer (4.5%?).

However, all I have is corn sugar and no extra DME on hand to make it. Would this work and is it even necessary for what I'm making?

Any help is appreciated!

Making a starter when using white labs is not necessary to make beer but it is recommended - you will make better beer if you don't under pitch.

But making a starter with sugar is not recommended. I don't know why precisely, but it has to do with the yeast's health - making a starter with sugar leads to yeast who are not ready to tackle wort.

In your situation, I would pitch without making a starter - on the theory it's the lesser of two evils.

Using sugar for a starter will get the yeast use to eating simple sugars and will later prevent the yeast from intaking more complex sugars contained in wort. Definatly a no no.

If you have DME/LME for your partial, why not use some of it to make a starter with and pitch all of the starter? A little starter is better than none.

boo boo said:

If you have DME/LME for your partial, why not use some of it to make a starter with and pitch all of the starter? A little starter is better than none.

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+1 to this notion. It's not much DME that you need for the starter - and it'll get into the wort nonetheless.

boo boo said:

If you have DME/LME for your partial, why not use some of it to make a starter with and pitch all of the starter? A little starter is better than none.

Click to expand...

No, no no! There is too much logic in that. Well, that and I didn't think of it.

1liter water 100g DME
I keep DME on hand simply for making my starters.

I only use dextrose for my starters if i am making a meade, as the yeast will be working with simple sugars anyways.