Starter: I don't have DME!
- Thread starter RyanDC
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beergolf
Well-Known Member
Search Goya Malta..
It is often used to make starters. You should be able to buy it at your grocery store.
It is often used to make starters. You should be able to buy it at your grocery store.
HopHoarder
Well-Known Member
With DME I generally shoot for a starting gravity of 1.04. Just add dextrose (corn sugar) to your water til you get that gravity and you should be fine.
mjohnson
Well-Known Member
Just use some of the wort from the mash, dilute to appropriate strength, bring to a boil on stove, chill and start your starter. Run the rest of your brew day and pitch your yeast the next day. Unless you're making a giant beer that requires more than one step up, I'd think that would be fine. Most of the yeast growth is done after 8-12 hours anyway. At least thats my understanding.
I'd think using simple sugar as opposed to malt is a very bad idea. It's going to provide zero of the nutrients that yeast need for healthy growth. Would probably run into problems with fermentation after you pitch the starter.
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
You can also boil potatoes or rice and use the water. again you'll need to check your gravity. I've never done it but I read it in one of my books.
beergolf said:
Huh, never would have thought to use Malta but it makes sense. I was looking for an actual conversion ratio of maltose to dextrose but if not, I might take a shot at that. Or just hoof it over to Virginia to my closest LHBS for some DME. it's too late tonight to get anything started so I might just make the trip for the real deal tm and buy enough to last me a while.
winning answer.
I was just watching a video the other day on this, and then said the exact same thing. Now if you have yeast nutrient handy to add in, then "maybe" you could try it.
Bamsdealer
Well-Known Member
This. Make a 1 to 2 liter starter with the real wort, ferment at 65 and toss it in at hIgh krausen. I've done it several times and it works great... Plus you don't have to hover over the beer while it cools. Just drop the temp of your beer to the low 100s, transfer to your fermenter and seal it up for ten hours before pitching. It will be close to room temp by the time your starter is ready
Even then, based on the way that yeast would metabolize dextrose compared to maltose, I still don't think it'd be a good idea. I'd be worried that the yeast would wear themselves out on dextrose and have a problem fermenting maltose in the full batch.
So I ended up just driving to my LHBS and getting the DME. Initially boiled two cups of water and added half cup of DME but when I got it in my flask it just didn't look like very much volume. Also when I opened the yeast vial it foamed up and went everywhere and I probably only got half of it in the flask. After about an hour or two I boiled up another 2c water, .5c DME to add to bulk it up. That was probably at 8pm last night. This morning I got up and saw that it was a little foamy on top so I guess that's good. I've never made a starter or used a stir plate before so this is all new to me. Temp is right about 70-72 in my apt. If its ready tonight ill brew but if not ill wait until tm after work. There isn't any sedimentation yet, but maybe there wouldn't be while the stir bar is spinning I guess. Later I'll turn the plate off and see if anything settles.
beergolf
Well-Known Member
Starter looks good. With a stir plate you usually will not see any , or very little krausen. You can tell by the color change. When it gets that light colored, it tells you that the yeast has multiplied.
You are good to go.
You are good to go.
next time open the (white labs) vial real slow. crack the seal, stop, turn a tiny bit until you hear a hiss, stop, turn a bit...hissss, stop, at some point it will equalize and you are good to go. if you just crank it open sometimes you get a gusher.
