I'm making a 3 gallon batch of an American IPA with an OG of 1.070-1.074 on Saturday morning. Today is Wednesday and my Wyeast 1056 pack was activated last night. I want to begin my yeast starter today, but I'm unsure about the ratio of water to DME for this particular beer. I have a 1000ml glass beaker so the starter should fit that vessel.
I heard the starter should have an OG of 1.040. I'm also getting conflicting advice about the time the starter needs to "ferment" before brew day. Some say I smacked the pack too early, others say the yeast starter benefits from 2-4 days in a 65 F dark room. In closing, I do not have a stirplate but I was thinking about shaking the starter about two to three times a day to get things going. Is this a good practice?
I heard the starter should have an OG of 1.040. I'm also getting conflicting advice about the time the starter needs to "ferment" before brew day. Some say I smacked the pack too early, others say the yeast starter benefits from 2-4 days in a 65 F dark room. In closing, I do not have a stirplate but I was thinking about shaking the starter about two to three times a day to get things going. Is this a good practice?