Starter Flask

Does anyone know if the conical flask that Austin Hombrew Supply sells is the kind that you can heat directly on the stove, then put in to an ice bath with no ill effects. I'm getting ready to attempt doing a yeast starter for my next brew. Also, what size should I go with. The 1000 or 2000 ml size. I brew 5 gal. batches and not to concerned with the price difference.

thanks

That flask looks like borosilicate, which will take quick cooling. I never go directly to ice though - I take about 2 hours to cool, but I am using a 5 litre flask that I can't quickly replace. If you're not too concerned with price, get the 5 litre flask from Morebeer. 2 litre is the minimum AFAIAC, but it depends on your O.G.'s.

Most people who get the 1l quickly wish they had the 2l. Borosilicate will take a lot, but I wouldn't go from heat to ice that quickly.

Get a 2L - you'll wish you had one if you don't. I don't go DIRECTLY from fire to ice, but pretty close. I go from heat to running it under luke-warm water. Once I take the edge off, it goes in the ice.

No problems with that method what-so-ever.

Anyone here use a stove without gas to heat up their flasks. I have a flat top stove where the heating elements are underneath, and want to know it it will work

thanks

Yeah it will work fine. I you have old style coil elements you will need a metal spacer.

I don't know what others use, but the first time I made a starter with my flask when the bubbles formed from boiling, they just huge and were almost exploding making it almost impossible to boil without a boilover. This is due to the flask being so smooth that the bubbles have no place to originate from. I got some little glass beads from a lab designed for this exact reason and it makes boiling much easier.

mykayel said:

I don't know what others use, but the first time I made a starter with my flask when the bubbles formed from boiling, they just huge and were almost exploding making it almost impossible to boil without a boilover.

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I had the same problem, until I started putting a tiny drop of Ferm-cap in the starter wort. Now I can just set it to a steady boil, set the timer and walk away. Great stuff!