Yeast Nutrient in a starter??

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bgough

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Has anyone used the White Labs WLN1000 Yeast Nutrient? It says to add 1/2 tsp per 5 gallons, but if I add it to a starter, do I add a full 1/2 tsp based on the overall beer volume, or do I scale back based on the starter size?
 
I've not used the White Labs stuff, but I assume the Wyeast product is similar. I'm not terribly precise about it, but you want to scale it to yeast growth, not to total volume. In other words, I'd put less than I would in 5 gallons, but not twenty times less. Put a quarter teaspoon. I can't imagine that it would hurt the yeast if there were more than it needed in there (within a reasonable degree).
 
Ive been adding about 1/3 tsp of yeast extract from wyeast per 2L , I use oxygen injection via a stone and disposble tank. I get excelent results even with the mason jars of washed yeast that I have stored in my fridge.
 
let me try that again.... i only add yeast starter into a wort where i just pitched yeast. i pitch yeast, dump in yeast starter, and let it go
 
I always toss in a pinch of nutrient (Wyeast) when boiling the starter wort. This is the amount I use for a for a 2 liter starter. a couple of pinches for a gallon starter. I always get excellent results.
 
I scale the amount of yeast nutrient to the starter size. For a 1 liter starter I use 0.2 grams. The actual calculated amount is 0.12 grams but I can't get that accurate so I just round up to 0.2 grams.
 
If you add nutrient to your starter, do you add more nutrient to your wort at pitching time? I haven't been doing this. I figure the yeast get their nutrients from the starter, then get a big dose of oxygen at pitching time, and they've got everything they need to start fermenting, but maybe I'm wrong.
 
kanzimonson said:
If you add nutrient to your starter, do you add more nutrient to your wort at pitching time? I haven't been doing this. I figure the yeast get their nutrients from the starter, then get a big dose of oxygen at pitching time, and they've got everything they need to start fermenting, but maybe I'm wrong.

I add more, just because the stuff is cheap. I've not seen anything to suggest that too much is detrimental (though I'm interested if anyone thinks otherwise), and you want to make sure that your yeast has access to the necessary micro-nutrients. Malt has a lot of what's necessary for reproduction and fermentation, but not everything. That said, I doubt it is absolutely necessary.
 
I'd also be interested to learn if there were any ill effects from adding more nutrients at pitching. Currently I do not add more at pitching time but I don't really have a reason to justify it. I may have to experiment to see if there are any differences at all.

In response to the initial question, I typically add the full 1/2 tsp when making a starter...haven't seen any negative results so far.
 
Goosta said:
I'd also be interested to learn if there were any ill effects from adding more nutrients at pitching. Currently I do not add more at pitching time but I don't really have a reason to justify it. I may have to experiment to see if there are any differences at all.

In response to the initial question, I typically add the full 1/2 tsp when making a starter...haven't seen any negative results so far.

To be honest, I think effects would be hard to trace in a single experiment. I suspect this is nuance we're talking about. That said, I'd certainly encourage you to give it a shot.
 
It could be like the over-oxygenation thing, long believed to be a myth but definitely a reality.

Yeast are the Americans of the microbiological world - they eat everything, as much as possible, even when they don't need to, and know they shouldn't.
 
Yeast are the Americans of the microbiological world - they eat everything, as much as possible, even when they don't need to, and know they shouldn't.

Good way to put it. I think I read in the yeast book that too much nitrogen or something is bad for the yeast, but I don't have the book infront of me right now to double check it.
 
I always add a quarter tsp to my starters and a half tsp to my wort about half the time when I remember, I can't tell a difference but I always make big starters usually half gallon starters for a 5.5 gallon batch
 
It could be like the over-oxygenation thing, long believed to be a myth but definitely a reality.

Yeast are the Americans of the microbiological world - they eat everything, as much as possible, even when they don't need to, and know they shouldn't.

Hmm...interesting thought. I hadn't really conceptualized yeast nutrient like that. I've always imagined the nutrient as being there for micronutrients and trace minerals, rather than larger scale building blocks. But, I really have no idea what is in the stuff I use now that I think about it. A quick search suggests that it might actually be in large part nitrogen phosphates, which is definitely not something I'd want to over-indulge the yeast with. I think you might be right...I'd still like to know a lot more.
 
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