Made my first starter... not impressed?

I made my first starter (2qt water, 1cup DME, & a smackpack) for my last brew... and I guess I had built up the effect too much in my mind.

It was 24hrs old when I pitched it, and I was expecting rapid results, a bubbling blowoff within 2 hours or something... It just took off as usual, vigorous activity the next morning...

Why did I do this again?

Starter doesn't necessarily mean zero lag time. There's still a growth phase once it hits the main wort. You did this because more yeast cells (which is what starters do, they grow yeast cells) generally means a healthier fermentation, and thus a better finished product. Underpitching (starting with a low cell count) can result in off-flavors, unwanted esters, stalled fermentation, etc.

In other words, don't judge a starter by its lag time.

Evan! said:

In other words, don't judge a starter by its lag time.

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Exactly, lag time is not necessarily an indication of the yeasts health, there is many other factors involved as well. If you did the starter right you built more healthy yeast, which is never a bad thing. Some beers need starters more than others and will have a more dramatic effect on the overall fermentation. Once that beer is carbonated in your glass let us know if you are happy with it or not...then decide whether the starter was worth you time.

Any starter is better than direct pitch, but i prefer a ratio of 1cup DME to 1qt water. So I think 1 cup in 2quarts created a fairly low OG, but like I said, better than nothing. I also tend to prepare 48 hours in advance. Just my opinion, I'm sure there are many differing ones....

I usually make 1 liter starters on Thursday evenings for Saturday afternoon brew sessions. I pitch the entire starter and usually have airlock activity in just a few hours.

This past weekend I made an Oktoberfest Ale with a higher-than-normal (for me) OG, so I made a 1.5L starter that I decanted. Started it on Tuesday as 0.5L, fed it again on Thursday, then brewed on Saturday.

Starters are good, but not THAT good... I mean if you rack a beer onto a YEAST CAKE you may not see activity in 2 hours. That requires a lot of yeast.

8 -12 hours, that is what Id be looking for.

VTBrewer said:

Any starter is better than direct pitch, but i prefer a ratio of 1cup DME to 1qt water. So I think 1 cup in 2quarts created a fairly low OG, but like I said, better than nothing. I also tend to prepare 48 hours in advance. Just my opinion, I'm sure there are many differing ones....

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You want a relatively low OG. ~1.040. The old myth that higher-OG beers need higher-OG starters is bunk. I don't know what the grav of 1 cup dme in 2 qts of water comes out to, but a low OG doesn't really hurt ya.

Thanks all for the reassurances...

It's funny. I had come to the decision to do 1cup in 2qts as being round 1.040 from reading this forum... Just further proof that you can ask the same question 10 times here and get 10 answers...

1 cup in 1 quart should give ~ 1.040

Boondoggie said:

Just further proof that you can ask the same question 10 times here and get 10 answers...

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Yeah, but just because you got 10 different answers doesn't mean you got 10 right answers. Keep your starters between 1.020 and 1.040, anything less doesn't give them enough sugar and anything more will stress them.

I think your starter gravity was about right. What was the size of your starter vessel? Using a vessel at least twice the size of the starter liquid allows for better aeration, and makes it much easier to continue swirling and aerating for the first few hours. A half gallon growler that's full of wort can't get as much dissolved oxygen as one that's half full, and lots of oxygen is what you need for maximum yeast growth - that's why using stirplates produce higher cell counts. Also loosely covering the vessel with foil instead of using an airlock allows more oxygen back in and allows further aeration the wort once it's going.

Reduced lag time is only one benefit of a good starter. You also usually get better average attenuation and less risk of a stuck fermentation.

ericm said:

1 cup in 1 quart should give ~ 1.040

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See I was under the impression that that was more like 1.080, and that 1cup in 2qts was around 1.040....

THIS is the sort of starter calculator that would be helpful.

My vessel was a 1gallon jug with a tinfoil topper...

Use a simpler formula that's easier to remember, one based on metric and calculate based on weight, not on volume. (i.e. ounces or grams vs. cups)

100g DME to 1000mL water yields a 1.040 wort.

Boondoggie said:

See I was under the impression that that was more like 1.080, and that 1cup in 2qts was around 1.040....

THIS is the sort of starter calculator that would be helpful.

My vessel was a 1gallon jug with a tinfoil topper...

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Proper Yeast Pitching Rates

it's best to measure DME by weight instead of volume; ~6 oz DME in 2 quarts water gives more-or-less 1.040

edit: yeah, and as flyangler mentioned, in metric it's simpler; 1g DME per 10mL water

Here is a starter calculator that may be helpful:

Homebrew Starter Wort Calculator