Gotta Be A Better Way of Getting DME Into a Flask...

So I bought 2 five Liter Erlamyer Flasks about 3 weeks ago and have done 2 staters with them. Damned nice to have a step eliminated as far as transeferring the Wort from a Pot into a 1 Gallon Plastic Jug. But, I am at a bit of a cross Roads here. I can not find a way to get the DME into the Flask with out using something. And whatever I use, I always wind up with wet DME on the item I use to pour the DME into the Flask with (Funnel, Paper Tube, Aluminum Foil). Then I wind up adding about another 1/2 liter of water into the flask to get the rest of the DME that is stuck to the Funnel (what I have chosen) into the flask. Hence, my staqrter is not where I want it to be as I am now 1/2 liter over in the water department. What am I missing here? How do you add your DME to your Erlamyer Flask?


BTW, yes I do take the Flask off the heat prior to adding the DME.

Try mixing the DME and water in an open container with a whisk and then pouring it into the flask.

+1 on the simplicity of using an Erlenmeyer flask for starters.

I just pour the DME through a funnel into the flask while it sits on a scale so I'm measuring at the same time. Then I pour water through the funnel into the flask to pick up the DME still clinging to the funnel until I'm close to my target volume. Shake, shake, shake until it's dissolved (more or less), then top off to my target volume.

Sometimes I need to poke the DME through the funnel to get it to flow through, but other than that, it's pretty straightforward.

-Steve

Bokonon said:

Try mixing the DME and water in an open container with a whisk and then pouring it into the flask.

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I mix DME and cold water in a pitcher, then pour into the flask.

Bokonon said:

Try mixing the DME and water in an open container with a whisk and then pouring it into the flask.

Click to expand...

...and that is exactly what I will do next time. Thanks!!!

Um, not to sound too *****ey here, but since you always end up adding that 500mL of water at the end, couldn't you just go 500mL short on the liquid, so after you add the 500mL, you're straight?

+1 on the cold water whisk method

I make sure the opening to the flask is bone dry and then pour the DME onto a paper towel, fold the paper towel in half so that you can use it like a funnel and slowly pour the DME into the flask. Add the water to the flask and swirl it up a bit. If your not using foam control I highly recommend it to prevent boil over.

I found the same problem too, and found a quick solution. Fill a plastic cup with 1/2 to 3/4 of your total water, put it in the microwave for 1:30 min, and then mix in the DME. The hotter water will dissolve the DME faster, pour the mixture in the flask, and then you can just add the leftover water to the flask. That easy.

noone else boils there starter? i usually boil the dme/water in a pot, cool, pitch, and pour into flask. am i doing it wrong?

Elfmaze said:

noone else boils there starter? i usually boil the dme/water in a pot, cool, pitch, and pour into flask. am i doing it wrong?

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If you have a borosilicate flask, you can boil and cool in it. We all boil our starters, we just don't use a separate pot.

-Steve

after originally reading this thread I have made 3 starters using the cold water + whisk method then pouring into a flask and just boiling in the flask. Works flawlessly. HIGHLY recommend using some foam control.

tokolosh said:

HIGHLY recommend using some foam control.

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+100

I certainly made this mistake. 0 to boil over in the blink of an eye in an erlenmeyer. (my first boil over home brewing)

I just use a piece of scrap paper to make a funnel. The DME just slides right down, and any little bit that sticks to the paper just gets thrown away. I figure that I'm going to boil it anyways, so it should be sanitary enough.

It's worked perfectly fine everytime so far...

I make up the proportions and put it into a saucepan with a copper clad bottom. I boil it to sterilize, then draw a shallow sink of hot tap water from the faucet. I star san the flask and funnel, set it into the sink of hot tap water, and pour the sauce pan starter into the flask. it is instantly cooling, transferring heat to the sink of water, and I drain some slowly as it gets hot and replace with more hot tap water, gradually going to room temp using ever cooler tap water. This happens in just a few minutes.

I do this to lessen the heat stress on the flask, even though it IS borosilicate/pyrex.

I then can pitch and walkaway, after putting it on the stirplate.

I would rather any breakage happens in the sink of water, than on the stove...

eddiemeddiem said:

I just use a piece of scrap paper to make a funnel. The DME just slides right down, and any little bit that sticks to the paper just gets thrown away. I figure that I'm going to boil it anyways, so it should be sanitary enough.

It's worked perfectly fine everytime so far...

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I do this too, it's fine. I use an envelope or some junk mail or something. I also fill it while it is on the scale. This method is nice because: no dirty funnel, no dirty whisk, no dirty secondary mixing vessel, no dirty pot. Just the flask!

A canning funnel would also work well if you are inclined to go that route:

canning funnel - Google Images

Evan! said:

Um, not to sound too *****ey here, but since you always end up adding that 500mL of water at the end, couldn't you just go 500mL short on the liquid, so after you add the 500mL, you're straight?

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Sorry to ****** it up here, but I love the word "*****ey"!

Elfmaze said:

noone else boils there starter? i usually boil the dme/water in a pot, cool, pitch, and pour into flask. am i doing it wrong?

Click to expand...

I do the same thing, but don't cool first. Pyrex can handle the change in temperature, and the hot wort sterilizes the flask. I put a piece of foil over the top, cool, pitch, then pop it on my stirplate for a couple days.

BrokenBrew said:

I do the same thing, but don't cool first. Pyrex can handle the change in temperature, and the hot wort sterilizes the flask. I put a piece of foil over the top, cool, pitch, then pop it on my stirplate for a couple days.

Click to expand...

Pyrex/borosilicate might be able to take the stress now, but every time you do it, you put stress on it...

And if you put boiling wort into a cool flask too many times, and you're going to be sorry...:cross: But hey, it's your flask...