Funny story.. now that it's over....

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slykwilli

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So ya.. got my 5L flask yesterday and decided to make a starter so that I could brew on Sat. I had read that people like to just put their flask directly on their gas stove and boil the water directly in it... so I thought.. why not? I got the water to a boil and then started to spoon in the DME and yeast nutrient ( not a good idea ). See, I had thought if I had all of that in the water to begin with it would burn on the bottom or something... so anyhow.. as I put the second spoon of DME into the flask a geyser erupted on top of my stove... so after a long clean up session I got all of the DME into the flask and got it to a boil.

After the boil I cooled it down and pitched the yeast and set it on my home-made stir plate(that had worked up till now with a smaller flask). So I set the flask on and turned the speed all the way down and it kept throwing the stir bar... no matter what I did. I tried adding another magnet to the stir plate to give it more power.. but no dice. I finally just left the yeast to do their thing on their own in the flask.

Still not sure what the geyser thing was all about.. but ya...fun night... :(
 
that's just a mini-boilover... same deal with a full boil. i've had the same thing happen with putting a flask directly on the heat. lovely to clean up!
 
I use Fermcap-S in my flask when I boil the starter. It's an anti-foaming agent that will prevent boil overs.

- Steve
 
mix it first then just heat it to a simmer not a violent boil just want to get rid if the nasties . next time start the stir plate off on slow get the starter moving then turn it up. What happens is the wort isn't spinning and the magnets on the fan are, causing the bar to get thrown.
 
mix it all first -

FLASKS -with the narrow neck- are hugely prone to a boil over - I couldn't stop them until I used the Fermcap-S. one drop - no boil overs, Great for starters, full boils; I hear it's good for krausen during fermentation, but that's never bothered me.
 
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