Starters

Ok for when Im not using dry yeast I got a 2L flask to make starters.

Is there a good rule of thumb for DME/water ratio and how long you should wait?

1 gram of DME per 10m liters will get you where you want to go. Example 2000ml starter would need 200 grams of DME. I wait until it is completely fermented out on the stir plate, chill decant and then pitch.

I am pretty sure Brew-Boy meant "10g DME per 100ml water"

Not being picky, thought that might lead to some confusion.

Yeah sorry I did make a mistake, I fixed the previous post.

No problem!

I woulda chipped in with something a bit more useful, but all I know is you want the gravity of your starter to be in the 1.040-1.045 range. I just use beersmith to figgure it out from there.....

Since I'm mathematically challenged, and can't come close to figuring grams, I use 1/2 cup DME per pint of water. That gives me a starter of 1.040. For a bigger starter, I just double the ingredients.

thats 1/2 cup DME per ~480-500ml water for all you metric folk out there

I just remember "a cup to a quart." That's one cup of DME to one quart of water (obviously, the same proportions as Yoop). A quart is close enough to a liter.


TL

I have heard that some will pitch while the starter is active. In this case, I assume that you wouldn't decant?

If I do chill, how long does it take to chill? A few hours?

If my starter is still very active, with little sediment, I will pitch the whole thing. That usually is the case when I start my starter less than or around 24 hours before pitching. I will only do that if I have some fresh yeast, and I will keep the starter size to one quart. Those starters usually get rolling in a couple hours (VERY fresh yeast).

If I know I will brew and I have my yeast, I will start the starter a couple days earlier so that it finishes up in time for an overnight rest in the fridge. I like to cool it overnight to get better flocculation and also to give it time to warm back up for pitching. I will take the starter back out when I start heating my strike water.


TL

TexLaw said:

If I know I will brew and I have my yeast, I will start the starter a couple days earlier so that it finishes up in time for an overnight rest in the fridge. I like to cool it overnight to get better flocculation and also to give it time to warm back up for pitching. I will take the starter back out when I start heating my strike water.


TL

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Do you decant before or after you let it warm up?

Usually before. Then just let the yeast slurry warm back up to pitching temp while you brew.

Most of the time, I decant right before I pitch. I have no reasoning behind that choice, but it's what I do.


TL