2000ml starter question?? Advise needed!

Quick starter question for some experienced brewers... I recently purchased a 2000ml flask and built a stir plate. This weekend I will be brewing Great Divide's Hibernation Ale clone. I wanted to make a large starter for this old ale monster but I have only made simple starters nothing this big or using a stir plate. Here is my planned schedule.

Wednesday: Make a 1000ml starter with 1 cup of DME, 1/4 tsp yeast energizer (to big?)
Thursday: step up the starter with 1000ml of water & 1 cup of DME
Friday: Chill
Saturday: Decant, Warm, and pitch

Is the initial starter to big?
Do you use the stir plate the entire time?
Do you re-aerate in between the initial starter and the step up?
Do you still just use foil to cover the flask or an air lock?
How do you keep the stir bar from getting pitched into the fermenter? I was thinking about using a magnet to hold the stir bar in place.

Thanks for all your help!

I think 1/4 tsp of nutrient is ok. I would recommend foil rather than an airlock so that oxygen can continue to get in during the fermentation. I would add a step for brew day morning after decanting. Add 650 ml water and 1/2 cup dme. By the time you are ready to pitch the yeast will be actively renting.

I use my spare stir bar as a locking magnet to prevent pitching into the fermenter.

BradleyBrew said:

Is the initial starter to big?
Do you use the stir plate the entire time?
Do you re-aerate in between the initial starter and the step up?
Do you still just use foil to cover the flask or an air lock?
How do you keep the stir bar from getting pitched into the fermenter? I was thinking about using a magnet to hold the stir bar in place.

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• 1000ml with 1cup DME is good for the first starter step when using a full packet or vial of yeast. You would want to start smaller if you are harvesting yeast from just a tiny amount of starter yeast.
• Yes, I use the stir plate for about 24-hours then chill, decant, and pitch into the next step-up
• I aerate each time I step it up to the next larger size
• You want to use tinfoil because you want the gas exchange when making starters. An airlock will prevent O2 from getting into the starter wort.
• Use a magnet like you said to prevent the stir-bar from getting pitched into the fermentor. Keeping extra stir-bars on hand will help too in case you ever to accidentally pitch a stir-bar.

I normally make a 1000ml starter on Monday, leave it on the stir-plate for 24-hours, chill for 24-hours, decant on Wednesday then pitch yeast to a 2000ml starter, let sit on the stir-plate for 24-hours, chill for at least 24-hours then decant and pitch yeast into the wort when needed.

One last thing. If you have a small digital scale measure starter DME by weight instead of by volume. This will give you more accurate results. An easy to remember formula when making starters is 10g of DME per 100ml of water:

500 ml starter = 50 grams of DME
1000 ml starter = 100 grams of DME
2000 ml starter = 200 grams of DME

Seven said:

• 1000ml with 1cup DME is good for the first starter step when using a full packet or vial of yeast. You would want to start smaller if you are harvesting yeast from just a tiny amount of starter yeast.
• Yes, I use the stir plate for about 24-hours then chill, decant, and pitch into the next step-up
• I aerate each time I step it up to the next larger size
• You want to use tinfoil because you want the gas exchange when making starters. An airlock will prevent O2 from getting into the starter wort.
• Use a magnet like you said to prevent the stir-bar from getting pitched into the fermentor. Keeping extra stir-bars on hand will help too in case you ever to accidentally pitch a stir-bar.

I normally make a 1000ml starter on Monday, leave it on the stir-plate for 24-hours, chill for 24-hours, decant on Wednesday then pitch yeast to a 2000ml starter, let sit on the stir-plate for 24-hours, chill for at least 24-hours then decant and pitch yeast into the wort when needed.

One last thing. If you have a small digital scale measure starter DME by weight instead of by volume. This will give you more accurate results. An easy to remember formula when making starters is 10g of DME per 100ml of water:

500 ml starter = 50 grams of DME
1000 ml starter = 100 grams of DME
2000 ml starter = 200 grams of DME

Click to expand...

Awesome! thanks for the advise. It looks like I should get it started tonight then. I have a digital scale and will begin to weigh out my DME.

Seven said:

An easy to remember formula when making starters is 10g of DME per 100ml of water:

Click to expand...

I use this forumula but I do not make a starter 5-7 days ahead of brew day... I wish I had the abilty to plan a brew day that far in advance! IMO almost all washed yeast, smack packs, WLP vials or dry packets are designed to/can ferment 5 gallons or more of average gravity wort. The morning before brew day I make a starter for whatever volume is needed per http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html . Then on brew day morning I chill it and decant it moments before pitching.

I think the "stepping up" is a huge waste of time unless you are growing a yeast culture from minimal viable cells (Wild yeast, bottle harvested yeast or a small 16ml vial from a yeast bank or a really old yeast pack as examples)

Zamial said:

I use this forumula but I do not make a starter 5-7 days ahead of brew day... I wish I had the abilty to plan a brew day that far in advance! IMO almost all washed yeast, smack packs, WLP vials or dry packets are designed to/can ferment 5 gallons or more of average gravity wort. The morning before brew day I make a starter for whatever volume is needed per http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html . Then on brew day morning I chill it and decant it moments before pitching.

I think the "stepping up" is a huge waste of time unless you are growing a yeast culture from minimal viable cells (Wild yeast, bottle harvested yeast or a small 16ml vial from a yeast bank or a really old yeast pack as examples)

Click to expand...

It's true that you don't need to step up to a big starter for average gravity beers (although it would still be beneficial to do so!) but the OP did allude to making a high gravity beer in his post.

I usually make starters the day before but this is a big boy brew lol... its going to be right at 1.090 OG. I want this to finish clean and I'm going to be fermenting in the very low 60's maybe even high 50's using Wyeast Scottish Ale. Plus, I've never stepped up a starter and I'm looking forward to seeing the results with my new 2000ml flask and stir plate. I agree with the starter the day before method for average gravity brews that are brewed in the high 60's.

For a 2000mL starter, I just weigh out 200 grams of DME into my flask, top up to 2000mL with water and drop in my stir bar, cover with Al foil and boil away. Avoid boilover. Drop into ice water bath. Pitch yeast. Spin for a couple of days. Done.

I forgot to mention to use a couple drops of Fermcap when boiling starter wort to help prevent boil-overs. Making starters is easier when you don't have to worry about it boiling over.

I always make my starter the same way:

- .5lb DME
- Fill to 2000ml line
- Pinch of yeast nutrient
- 2 drops of Fermcap

mrgstiffler said:

I always make my starter the same way:

- .5lb DME
- Fill to 2000ml line
- Pinch of yeast nutrient
- 2 drops of Fermcap

Click to expand...

Do you think this process yields the same amount of yeast as the step up process?

BradleyBrew said:

Do you think this process yields the same amount of yeast as the step up process?

Click to expand...

I would only do a step up starter if I had a tiny amount of viable yeast to start out with. That way you don't strain them. If you already have a decent amount (like a Wyeast pack or WL vial) then a single step the night before brewing is much easier and will be just fine.