First starter....what a mess!!!

After all the reading and video watching I made my first starter. Everything was going well until I tried to add the DME to my eryenmyer flask. I know DME turns into paste when wet but it just made a huge mess. After getting it in and it finished boiling I had a mess to clean up.

Anyone have tips for getting the DME into the flask without making a mess? Can the DME go in before I put it on the heat?

Besides that it looked good this morning. No stir plate yet so I'm shaking it every chance I get!

Heat water only in the flask.
Measure out DME and nutrient in a mixing bowl.
Pour now hot flask water into bowl and mix with a whisk.
Pour mixing bowl contents back into flask through a funnel.
Add anti-foam drops.
Boil.

How the hell did I not think of that!!!

Thanks dstar.

dstar26t said:

Heat water only in the flask.
Measure out DME and nutrient in a mixing bowl.
Pour now hot flask water into bowl and mix with a whisk.
Pour mixing bowl contents back into flask through a funnel.
Add anti-foam drops.
Boil.

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If you have a kitchen scale that measures in grams, it's even easier:

1) calculate starter size at mrmalty.com
2) put size/10 grams of DME in flask
3) add water until you are at <size>
4) add fermcap / anti-foam drops
5) heat and boil

Place flask on digital scale and zero out
Add DME by weight
Add water to reach desired volume
Shake like hell to dissolve DME
Boil on stove top.

Don't tell Mark! Mess with starters and he'll kick you out of NBHS!

Make starter wort in pot
Use funnel to put in sanitized flask
Chill
Pitch
Cover
Shake n' wait

Airborneguy said:

Don't tell Mark! Mess with starters and he'll kick you out of NBHS!

Click to expand...

Haha thanks Sonny.

I went from that mess to my airlock busting and krausen all over.