Stupid Newbie Question - How to make a starter?

As part of my impending BOMM Flight, (5-6 different BOMM recipes started at the same time), I want to make a 2 liter yeast starter so as to not need to buy so many "Smack Packs" of the 1388.

Problem is, I'm not sure what constitutes making a yeast starter for mead. Care to help the noob out?

Speaking of BOMM's, loveofrose just posted about this on his site a few days ago:

https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Start/

I don't know about specifically for mead, but I would assume that it just requires a higher cell count than beer.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=532452

Here's the basic process though!

Would you still use DME for mead since DME is for beer? Anybody have an alternative to DME? Perhaps DAP or Fermaid K would be an adequate replacement?

braidenlowe15 said:

Would you still use DME for mead since DME is for beer? Anybody have an alternative to DME? Perhaps DAP or Fermaid K would be an adequate replacement?

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couldn't you just use a 1.040 SG honey solution?

When you make the starter, decant the liquid, add some of your must to the starter, swirl it up, and pitch. Unless you're worried about "contaminating" your mead with a tiny bit of beer, just go with the DME.

Would DME work well with wine yeast since the starter is supposed to make an ideal growing environment for the yeast and there are slight differences between beer and wine yeasts

For mead, you need to use honey in your starter to prime the yeast for mead fermentation. Using DME primes yeast for maltose fermentation, which is useless for mead. In fact, pitching a DME based starter into mead will stress the yeast out leading to off flavors. Here is how I do it for BOMMs:

2 Liter Starter for Mead

1. Sanitize 2 liter flask with cross shaped stir bar.
>To sanitize, use StarSan, OneStep, or cook it on the stove burner (let it cool before Step 2). I avoid iodine based cleaner due to staining.
2. Add 1 tsp GoFerm.
3. Add 1/2 cup honey (6 oz by weight).
4. Add sterile spring water to 1.8 liters.
5. Pitch smacked pack of yeast or rehydrated yeast
>Final volume close to 2 liters with smack pack volume added.
>I generally do break the internal packet for the nutrients, but you don't have to wait to pitch.
6. Allow to stir on stir plate for 3 days.
>Stir plate is best, but if you don't have one, just swirl it when you can and go an extra day.
7. Pitch in your mead. Don't forget that the starter will add 2 liters of volume!

For larger batches (>5 gallons), I just make a starter that is 1/10th of final volume and pitch after the yeast are obviously boiling.

LoR, I would casually suggest that someone WILL boil(cook and kill) their yeast as a result of the use of the term "obviously boiling".

Perhaps the use of "working" or "showing signs of being active" or some such. I know it's as clear as anything to those that already understand, but it's those that don't, that will find a way....

TeeJo

TeeJo said:

LoR, I would casually suggest that someone WILL boil(cook and kill) their yeast as a result of the use of the term "obviously boiling".

Perhaps the use of "working" or "showing signs of being active" or some such. I know it's as clear as anything to those that already understand, but it's those that don't, that will find a way....

TeeJo

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Hahaha! You are absolutely correct! Signs of active fermentation is of course what I meant.