Yeast starter question

Hey all! I was gonna make a yeast starter today. This is the first time I have made a starter, and also I don't have a lot of my homebrew equipment here (including scale and hydrometer). I have a couple questions.

1. This starter is for an ESB but I was gonna use dried wheat extract, cause that is all I have around since the mice got in all my other extract (see my previoius post). I assume this won't make a difference though, since it is just a starter.

2. Since I don't have a scale or hydrometer here, how much dried extract would you guess I would use (in cups) for say 1 Liter of starter?

Thanks!

spacebarcowboy,
I use 1/2 cup of malt extract in 900-1000ml. I earate aggressively and keep at room temp. then swirl solution regularly, (several times a day). After a day or so I will step it up again if I have time before the brew session. It is preferable to use malted barley extract when making a starter but the wheat will be o.k. I have used corn sugar as a starter in the past with no ill consiquences. There is some science to support the need for using malted barley in a starter for better yeast attenuation in the wort.

I use 1/2 cup DME in 2 cups water and if I need a bigger starter, I just double it. That gives you a starter wort of about 1.040, perfect for a starter.

I've never used wheat DME in a starter (I HATE wheat beer!) but since wheat DME is about 35% wheat/65% barley anyway, I don't see any problem with it.

Thanks a lot!

As I said...this is my first starter. This morning, I checked on the starter, after about 15 hours, and there is no sign of any activity. The yeast seemed settled on the bottom of the flask. Is this bad? There does not appear to be any activity. Am I just impatient as usual, or is this a bad sign about the yeast?

Starters are so small that you don't typically see much activity. Swirl it around every time you walk by it, to resuspend the yeast, just in case it's not finished up.

YooperBrew said:

I've never used wheat DME in a starter (I HATE wheat beer!)

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That's like saying one hates kittens and rainbows!

I would think that if the OP decants the used starter wort that very little wheat malt nature would make its way into the finished beer.

Once I made a starter for Apfelwein out of wort (it was a 3068 culture that didn't want to ramp up in applejuice for some reason). I decanted off as much wort as possible and there are no beer notes in the finished product.

YooperBrew said:

(I HATE wheat beer!)

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Not meaning to start a fight here, 'cause everybody has their personal preferences, but I agree with Yooper. At least MY number one Man Rule is "no fruit in beer", then "no wheat in beer". I'm an Irish beer kinda guy, so the wheats just don't fit my taste buds.
Beers,
Ken

Yeah, I like wheat in general, but this starter is actually for an ESB, so it's definitely out of place. However, I doubt my taste buds will be able to detect the difference. That said, I will probably try to decant what I can.

The main thing I am concerned about is my yeast...I assume it is viable, even though I still have seen no activity or anything. I was expecting it to behave more like when you proof yeast for bread or something to make sure it is alive.

spacebarcowboy said:

The main thing I am concerned about is my yeast...I assume it is viable, even though I still have seen no activity or anything. I was expecting it to behave more like when you proof yeast for bread or something to make sure it is alive.

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No, you don't typically see much (if any) activity. Occasionally, you may see some krausen, but usually not. When I make a starter that doesn't seem to have "worked", I sometimes check the SG to see if it really fermented. And it always has. If you get very worried, I guess you do that, but it's really not necessary. Just give it time to ferment out, and swirl it around often, and it'll be ok.

Yeah, usually the best indication for me is more yeast on the bottom of the flask then you started with. Normally, the amounts I pitch would leave a very thin layer at the bottom. By the time the starter is done there is a very visible yeast cake.

spacebarcowboy,
if the starter is in a glass jar or flask, you should see a release of co2 when you swirl or agitate the solution. There should be at least some minor out gassing visible after a day or two. This is a sign that all is good.
mark
Beer Diary...

As previous people have posted you will not always see signs of fermentation when doing a starter. As far as using wheat malt for a starter there is nothing wrong with it. Whether it is rice malt, barley malt or wheat malt they are all maltose. The problems occur when you use fructose or sucrose for a starter. Just wait for the starter to finish, crash cool and decant the beer off the top.

Thanks again everyone. This site is so helpful. Cheers all!

I made the starter yesterday. How long before I crash cool it?

I have been shaking the jug every once in awhile, so most of the yeast is still in suspension.

I walked by it a few minutes ago. I have a good 1/2" of yeast cake on the bottom of a half gallon jug. I am guessing its good to go, if I brew in the morning.

Don't forget to figure out how much yeast to pitch! Dumping all the slurry in there isn't the key; building up enough yeast from the tiny amount in the store-bought package is.

The Mr Malty Pitching Calculator is one way to easily determine how many ml of slurry to pitch. Click the "Repitching from Slurry" tab, plug in your OG and volume, go midrange on the sliders, and click "Calculate".

Cheers,

Bob