Decided it was time to start trying out yeast starters, especially since I'm about to brew a relatively big OG beer. Until now I have always directly pitched primarily white labs (but also wyeast smack packs) and have had good results.
Anyway, I haven't bought a flask for growing starters in, so I'm trying this time with a growler: bought a stopper that fits one of my two liter growlers, boiled up 100grams DME in 1 liter of water, put the lid in near the end of the oil to sanitize it, sanitized the growler, sooner, airlock, spoon, funnel, thermometer,etc.
Here's the fail: the all clad pan I used to boil the DME/water was absolutely awful at pouring from -- some percentage of the wort dripped down the side of the pan -- which was sitting in ice water in my sink to chill -- on its way into the funnel and growler. I pitched the yeast into the growler and then realized that the wort was potentially unsanitary.
I'm brewing tomorrow and its an IPA with lots of Simcoe and Nelson Sauvin that were both expensive And very hard to get -- so I'd hate to get an infection. But I don't have time to make a new starter.
Trying to figure out if I should pitch this starter or pitch it down the sink and just go buy a new vial of yeast. Any way to tell? It's not hard to grab another vial of yeast... I live about 2 mlles from white labs.
Advice appreciated. Definitely going to buy a flask before I do another starter.
Anyway, I haven't bought a flask for growing starters in, so I'm trying this time with a growler: bought a stopper that fits one of my two liter growlers, boiled up 100grams DME in 1 liter of water, put the lid in near the end of the oil to sanitize it, sanitized the growler, sooner, airlock, spoon, funnel, thermometer,etc.
Here's the fail: the all clad pan I used to boil the DME/water was absolutely awful at pouring from -- some percentage of the wort dripped down the side of the pan -- which was sitting in ice water in my sink to chill -- on its way into the funnel and growler. I pitched the yeast into the growler and then realized that the wort was potentially unsanitary.
I'm brewing tomorrow and its an IPA with lots of Simcoe and Nelson Sauvin that were both expensive And very hard to get -- so I'd hate to get an infection. But I don't have time to make a new starter.
Trying to figure out if I should pitch this starter or pitch it down the sink and just go buy a new vial of yeast. Any way to tell? It's not hard to grab another vial of yeast... I live about 2 mlles from white labs.
Advice appreciated. Definitely going to buy a flask before I do another starter.