to start or not to start...

I'm brewing my first heffe tomorrow and finally breaking away from crap yeast. I'm going to use wheat extract and some specialty grains to come to an og of around 1.058. I plan on using wlp300 and I'm trying decide on if to make a starter. Money is a little tight right now and I really cant afford a. Usr flask at the moment. My only real viable option would be to use a 16 ounce Pyrex measuring cup. Will this be sufficient or do you guys have better ideas? I ran the yeast calc and it said that I would need more cells than what is in the vial. Also, can I just use some of my lme for the starter? I don't have any dme. ...

Use what you have man, a 2 liter pop bottle will work just fine too. The pyrex measuring cup is nice because you can put it on the stove and boil directly in it though. Yes on the LME. That is a pretty high gravity for a hefe, you might want to drop the gravity some and then you won't need as large a starter.

Starters always, even on low gravity beers. If for no other reason than to know my yeast is good before it gets pitched. Even mason jars and tin foil work.

Nuggethead said:

Even mason jars and tin foil work.

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Those are the key components in my starter making operation - I'm high-tech that way.

Blah, got my starter kit.... thought it would be cool to boil in a flask and I got DME all over the rim.... Will this be a major issue if I cover it with sanitized foil?

Yeah, that's the one downfall of the flask. I take a starsanned paper towel and clean up around the neck when that happens. I also put make a little hood with the foil and put it on during the boil to steam sanitize it...just be careful if you do this as it will raise the temp and cause boil overs if you don't adjust your heat down.

Hefes are the only beer I don't use a starter on. I intentionally underpitch because I love that banana ester, and underpitching brings it out.

Pappers_ said:

Those are the key components in my starter making operation - I'm high-tech that way.

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+1 Pappers!!! Before I made my stir plate and finally broke down and bought a flask I used a big sanitized mason jar and foil. Works just fine!

That is one of the things I love about this hobby...you can make great beer with minimal equipment. Just don't let word get out to SWMBO's who put up with our brewing addiction!!!

I use a 1 gallon used wine jug - high-tech as well!

I got a starter kit with a 1L flask, but when I have to do 1.5L starters I use one of my growlers.

Pitched last night and have a great looking 2" Krausen right now. Not sure if its going to get violent, but I have the blow off tube in a bucket of iodophor just in case

been using 1 gal milk jugs for years, cause I do 12 gal batches
in a few days you can have 1/2 gal of starter.

(p.s a bad day starts when you blindly mistake the starter for milk in that first cup of coffee)
pete

So if I want to make say a 2L starter... I could take my 1L starter, and just reproduce the starter sans yeast and add it after a couple of days?

yep,
make sure you sanitize everything and maintain the proper temp for the yeast strain
and remember http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html is your friend