Low Gravity Starter

Let me start off by saying, this is my first attempt to make a yeast starter.

The facts:

Midwest, Octane IPA Extract Kit (S.G. 1.064-1.068)
British Ale Wyeast Activator 1098 (Manf. Date: 1/27/09)

I've had this kit for quite a bit (early January). Considering the age of the smack pack, and starting gravity I decided to make a 1 gallon starter with 12oz (by weight) extra light DME. I planned on weighing out two containers of 6oz DME, but forgot about the second container. So I ended up with 6oz DME to about 1 gallon water. Unfortunately, I didn't realize my mistake until after I had cooled the wort and pitched the yeast. Oops!

According to this calculator: Homebrew Starter Wort Calculator. The gravity is about 1.017 and I was aiming for about 1.040. I've been shaking my container about every hour or so, and had planned on letting it ferment out, decanting the liquid and pitching the new slurry.

Should I just dump the low gravity starter and find some dry yeast. Or is my starter fixable/usable?

Thanks!

norie (first time poster, long time lurker)

If you let it ferment out then chill it and decant it you should be fine. It may not multiply up like you want but you can just redo it through another starter.

FWIW I use 1 pint of water and a half cup of DME. Gives a 1.040 gravity wort although I usually do a second starter after the first one. I would guess using your current starter then redoing it would be enough.

OTOH dry Nottingham would be fine for an IPA, and it's only $3.

Hang in there with the starters; once you get your technique "down", it'll be routine.

Try this next time for a starter wort: 1L of water and about 3/4 cup dried malt extract. You'll hit very close to 1.040 every time and won't have to bother with a gravity reading.

I've started using Jamil's recommendation for starters. It couldn't be easier. It also makes it a snap to make any size starter you want. The only catch is that your scale has to be able to switch to metric.

It is a 10:1 ratio of water to DME. So a 1L starter (1000mL) would use 100g of DME.

I'll probably go with a smaller starter next time. I figured I would make a larger starter, because the yeast was a bit old.

Are there any ballpark ways of measuring how much yeast output I got from my starter? Is the volume of slurry any indication?

Thanks!

The great thing about that method is that changing sizes is no problem. Want a 2L starter? Use 2 liters of water to 200 grams of DME. On and on.

I use Jamil's pitching rate calculator. Not sure it actually tells you how much you produced though.

From the looks of it, you needed approximately 225 billion cells for your ~1.065 OG ale. Your pack (manufactured on 1/27/09 needed a 2 gallon starter to produce 225 billion cells. Good thing you made a starter. You would have needed 22 packs if you didn't!

Your fermentation might be a little bit slow. If you haven't pitched the starter yet, you could always step it up. Just make another liter or two of wort with DME. Aim for the right gravity this time.. When its cool, add it to the starter. It will have to go for another few days.