BillTheSlink
Well-Known Member
I decided to brew up Jamil's Christmas Ale, which is his English Old Ale Recipe with the spices for his pumpkin ale in "Brewing Classic Styles". I had planned on doing it today so I made the starter last night about 1:00am. This brew has an OG of 1.090 so I made a starter for my WhiteLabs English Ale yeast per Mr. Malty. When I pulled it out of the fridge yesterday at 4:00pm I was scared because the slurry appeared to be frozen. As it turned out I guess it was just compacted.
Anyway, I made a 2L starter and put it on my new stir plate from the StirStarter fellow. I must have done something wrong with the DME as it was almost red. Perhaps it got scorched as I put it in the flask before the water and then boiled. I had never made my starters in the flask before. Anyway, I overslept this morning and brewing was probably out of the question, but I was going to try, until I smelled the starter; it was just sweet wort. Thinking all was lost and I would just have to use my pack of Nottingham tomorrow I just decided to let it stay on the stir plate. About an hour later I came back and the color had turned tan. Humm?? I took off the tin foil and gave it another whiff. Alcohol! One hour later and it looks like a drunk's snow globe in a blizzard in there. Now I am going to go out and cut the grass, bring up all my stuff so it will be ready to go tomorrow, and just leave my starter on the stir plate until then.
I highly recommend the StirStarter guy. I think he is a sponsor here. Sure you can make your own, but why go through all the trouble to save a couple of dollars when he's so cheap, unless it's your thing to build things. Me I'll make and drink beer.
Anyway, I made a 2L starter and put it on my new stir plate from the StirStarter fellow. I must have done something wrong with the DME as it was almost red. Perhaps it got scorched as I put it in the flask before the water and then boiled. I had never made my starters in the flask before. Anyway, I overslept this morning and brewing was probably out of the question, but I was going to try, until I smelled the starter; it was just sweet wort. Thinking all was lost and I would just have to use my pack of Nottingham tomorrow I just decided to let it stay on the stir plate. About an hour later I came back and the color had turned tan. Humm?? I took off the tin foil and gave it another whiff. Alcohol! One hour later and it looks like a drunk's snow globe in a blizzard in there. Now I am going to go out and cut the grass, bring up all my stuff so it will be ready to go tomorrow, and just leave my starter on the stir plate until then.
I highly recommend the StirStarter guy. I think he is a sponsor here. Sure you can make your own, but why go through all the trouble to save a couple of dollars when he's so cheap, unless it's your thing to build things. Me I'll make and drink beer.
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