Start of a Starter FAQ

I have a wyeast propagator pack. Do i have to "smack" it before I make a starter or simply smack it then pitch it into the starter-wort?

You don't have to smack it at all really but imo it is best to. The yeast is outside the little internal burst pack...it's the wort/nutrient that's in the internal burst pack. So just pouring the liquid from the pack without smacking it will get you your yeast. Smacking it and letting it swell validates it's viability and also will speed the start of fermentation in your starter.

Why is light DME recommended? I've made two starters from wyeast smackpacks using amber DME (1 cup DME to 1 qt filtered water, 15 min boil and cool before pitching). Both times the starters never really took off, just patches of foam floating on the top after 48 hours. I went ahead and brewed anyway and both times, I got great fermentation activity in my primary within a few hours.

I'm not sure if my starter problem is with the amber dme or it's something else that's going on. Too much dme, the phase of the moon is all wrong...

Apparently, there might not even be a problem.

Rumblebelly said:

Why is light DME recommended? I've made two starters from wyeast smackpacks using amber DME (1 cup DME to 1 qt filtered water, 15 min boil and cool before pitching). Both times the starters never really took off, just patches of foam floating on the top after 48 hours. I went ahead and brewed anyway and both times, I got great fermentation activity in my primary within a few hours.

I'm not sure if my starter problem is with the amber dme or it's something else that's going on. Too much dme, the phase of the moon is all wrong...

Apparently, there might not even be a problem.

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I don't think there is. I have read in many other posts that you frequently don't get krausen with a starter.

I think people recommend the light dme just because it will have the smallest impact on the color of the widest range of beers.

Starters on a stirplate rock!




This is a 1900ml starter for a lager on Saturday.

Cookiebaggs said:

Starters on a stirplate rock!

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I agree. I use a stir plate as well. I never get a krausen; mine look just like your pic. I use the same DME base that I plan to brew with, start 1-2 days ahead, and by the time I'm ready to brew, the starter looks a little frothy but REALLY creamy.

Yup, I never get krausen either. I judge activity by the number of tiny bubbles rising up the side of the flask.

I just wanted to add to the FAQ that you don't want to put a long temperature into a beaker that just got done boiling and put it into icy water.

Basically when the metal of the thermometer touches the bottom glass it conducts a whole lot and immediately boils over. My hand was in the way when I found this out and I have some dead skin now and some burn marks. I also lost about 300ml of wort

DeRoux's Broux said:

... the carbonation stone attached to one of the BurnZomatic bottles from Lowe's or Home Depot can produce the small, gentle oxygen bubbles that the yeast will utilize much better.

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Aren't those filled with propane though? Unless you fill an empty with oxygen at a welding shop or something? Just curious ...

BurnZomatic makes these.

My rookie question involves washed yeast. I have four pint jars 1/4 full of washed yeast previously used for a Citra MO SmaSH followed by a Mirror Pond PA pitched on the cake.
Will I just pour off the beer on top and add to the starter wort?
How much starter wort should be used for 1/4 pint of yeast?
How much of the 1/4 pint sediment is actually yeast?

Yep pour that liquid off, but leave a tiny amount to shake and stir up the yeast. Then add the rest to your starter. As far as how big of a starter, that depends on how viable the yeast is. If you washed your yeast properly, it should be all yeast or at least 75%!

Make sure to check out Mr. Malty.

I washed according to the fine tutorial floating around here but it seemed like an awful lot of regular ole trub...
We'll see what happens.

Great thread!
I see now it is because I just switched to All Grain brewing.

WLP 400 was introduced to my Killer Bee Belgian Wit, It was slow to take off. I used a starter, but I believe that it is too cool in the house. Took almost 48 hours to bubble. Had to blow off tube it, moved to secondary (didn't realize that krausen was still there). Had to blow off secondary. Oh, and I used one vial for ten gallons.

Now I am doing a starter for WLP005 (New Castle Clone) and I can't get the starters to bubble, been 48 hours. This time two starters, two vials. I have moved them to the warmest parts of the house (70 degrees). I now have them on top of the stove with the oven on. They are in wine bottles with locks.

After this thread, I am loooking into Stir Plating, with heater. Also going with two liter bottles, Will be getting the Burnzomatic O2 setup. Any suggestions?

Stupid question but is a 1 gallon glass jug to big to make a small starter in?

Not at all, wish I had one. 2 Liter plastic bottle is easier for me to get hold of. I like glass though. I do ten gallon batches it would be perfect for me.

Getting ready to put together a brew, and I noticed that I am currently out of DME to make a starter. I have loads of Dextrose, so I am wondering if anyone advises against the use of Dextrose for a starter. (Will there be off-flavors?)

C2H5OH said:

Getting ready to put together a brew, and I noticed that I am currently out of DME to make a starter. I have loads of Dextrose, so I am wondering if anyone advises against the use of Dextrose for a starter. (Will there be off-flavors?)

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You can take a spoon full of extract or do a small AG boil. I don't have any experience in using Dextrose. Good luck

Since dextrose is a simple sugar and easily fermentable, and since we want yeast growth, I would think dextrose would be OK for a starter. Just make it a 1.040 solution. No nutrients in a water and dextrose mixture, so not sure how exactly that affects yeast growth. You could always add a pinch of nutrients.

Though, I'd be interested in people's experiences in using dextrose and nutrients for a starter. It always seems like I always have too much corn sugar laying around...

Hello. I am pretty new to homebrewing. I am making a beer that is going to be about 1.110 OG. I calculated that I'll need about 360 Billion yeast cells from the 1 billion cell pack, about 8-9 doublings. I have a stir plate and a 2L flask. How do you figure out the size of the starter you need and how many times/how often do I need to decant and then refill with more DME wort?

I could find calculators for yeast cells total but nothing for how to get to that total.

dongemus said:

Hello. I am pretty new to homebrewing. I am making a beer that is going to be about 1.110 OG. I calculated that I'll need about 360 Billion yeast cells from the 1 billion cell pack, about 8-9 doublings. I have a stir plate and a 2L flask. How do you figure out the size of the starter you need and how many times/how often do I need to decant and then refill with more DME wort?

I could find calculators for yeast cells total but nothing for how to get to that total.

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First of all, wyeast packs are 100 billion and white labs vials range from 70-140 billion so averaging about 100 billion (with some rounding) That means you're looking at 3.6 doublings if you use one pack.

However, using Mr. Malty's calculator (http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html) it looks like you should pitch two packs into a 1.21 liter starter (assuming you have a stir plate) and you'll be good to go!

Thanks, I don't know why I was thinking 1 billion instead of 100 billion. N00bs will be n00bs

I was trying to find out how to get away with just one pack/vial... I just stumbled onto this post and it really makes it easy. I guess it's called "Stepping up"

dongemus said:

Thanks, I don't know why I was thinking 1 billion instead of 100 billion. N00bs will be n00bs

I was trying to find out how to get away with just one pack/vial... I just stumbled onto this post and it really makes it easy. I guess it's called "Stepping up"

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That is another option. If you have the time (you're basically making two starters, so it takes twice as long) I'd do that to keep your costs down.