Yes another starter question

I've used MrMalty's calculator to determine that I need 2 vials and 3 liters of wort for 2 different brews I am doing this weekend. Couple problems here.

1. I will be out of town on business until friday and I would like to brew 1 batch (Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout clone OG 1.103) on Saturday and another batch (Southern Tier Pumking Ale clone OG 1.101) on Sunday.
2. I've never done a starter and don't have a stir plate.

I get the concept of the starter and understand the process but how do I go about getting the starter going since I won't be around to babysit it??? I can go by the LHBS and get my yeast tomorrow, the 3 liters is for a simple starter. Can I just boil the wort, cool and add the yeast and it will be ready to go when I get going on saturday?? Do I really need 2 vials of yeast?? Please help the poor newbie :rockin:

if you're not going to be home to shake up the starter, it's not gonna be worth the time, IMO.

If you buy a stir plate (or build one) and you can get a stir bar and flask/beaker from your LHBS, then I'd say go for it. If you don't have the time, or the funds, then you're gonna be SOL.

Plan B: Buy LOTS of tubes of yeast. I'd pitch 4 in each, but that's just my quick math.

Is there any way you could brew the following weekend? If you'd be home to actually shake up the starter, you could do it in a week. But you'd have to shake it as much as possible.

B

Yes you can. Go buy the yeast, one tube put it in 3 litres of boiled and chilled wort and by friday or saturday it will be ready to pitch.

3 litres per batch of simple starter? One package of yeast per 3 Litre starter. Done it many times. I made up 3 litres for 10 gallon batches of under 1.060 wort. You do need bigger starter for 5 gals of 1.101 wort.

Anyone else have any input? So far one thinks I'm screwed, and one says go for it. I may be able to get home late late on thursday.

EuBrew said:

Anyone else have any input? So far one thinks I'm screwed, and one says go for it. I may be able to get home late late on thursday.

Click to expand...

I don't have a stir plate, so I shake up my starter whenever I walk by it. If you're not home to shake it up, I would still do it! Make the starter now- and aerate it well. Then, add the yeast and cover with sanitized foil. It'll ferment out by Saturday. It might not be ideal, but it'll give you the yeast that you need for the brews.

Can you brew it next week too? make a small 1.050 batch this week of some thing light and not too high IBU's, and re-pitch the rinsed yeast cake in to the 1.101 batch next week.

Hey Eubrew,

Could you post your Creme Brulee clone recipe? I love me some Southern Tier and have been trying to research a recipe for creme brulee for some time. No other beer tastes like this one by a lonshot. Thanks

You only need one vial of yeast per starter, as far as I know. Oxygenate it well before pitching, then just leave it. Make sure whatever you grow the starter in is big enough to hold the krausen you might get. I'd use at least a 5 L bottle for a 3 L starter.

Make sure you oxygenate your 1.1xx wort well before pitching too!

WVBeerBaron said:

Hey Eubrew,

Could you post your Creme Brulee clone recipe? I love me some Southern Tier and have been trying to research a recipe for creme brulee for some time. No other beer tastes like this one by a lonshot. Thanks

Click to expand...

Keep in mind this is only my second batch ever, and the first one is still in the primary! Having said that, I actually spoke with someone from the QC Department at Southern Tier (can't remember his name) and he said this was a pretty good shot. Here goes nothin!! I'll be brewin this on sunday so I'll keep ya posted!!

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Clone
Sweet Stout

Type: All Grain
Date: 8/23/2009
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: EuBrew
Boil Size: 6.41 gal Asst Brewer: Erica
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Cooler (48 qt)

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 63.16 %
3 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 15.79 %
3 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 15.79 %
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.0 IBU
0.50 oz Horizon [12.00 %] (10 min) Hops 5.6 IBU
2.00 tsp Vanilla Extract (Bottling 5.0 min) Misc
1 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5.26 %
5.00 gal Columbus, OH Water
2 Pkgs Irish Ale (White Labs #WLP004) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.103 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.027 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.95 %
Bitterness: 23.6 IBU
Est Color: 32.4 SRM Color: Color

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 18.00 lb
Sparge Water: 3.20 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 22.50 qt of water at 167.0 F 152.0 F

Notes

Add high quality vanilla extract in bottling bucket or keg. Start with 1 tsp and add to taste. Add lactose at last 5 minutes of boil.
Created with BeerSmith

+1 on going for it. The yeast will reproduce and be ready to go after your wort. Might not be as big a starter as optimal, but it will get the job done IMHO

EuBrew said:

Keep in mind this is only my second batch ever, and the first one is still in the primary! Having said that, I actually spoke with someone from the QC Department at Southern Tier (can't remember his name) and he said this was a pretty good shot. Here goes nothin!! I'll be brewin this on sunday so I'll keep ya posted!!

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Clone
Sweet Stout

Type: All Grain
Date: 8/23/2009
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: EuBrew
Boil Size: 6.41 gal Asst Brewer: Erica
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Cooler (48 qt)

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 63.16 %
3 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 15.79 %
3 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 15.79 %
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.0 IBU
0.50 oz Horizon [12.00 %] (10 min) Hops 5.6 IBU
2.00 tsp Vanilla Extract (Bottling 5.0 min) Misc
1 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5.26 %
5.00 gal Columbus, OH Water
2 Pkgs Irish Ale (White Labs #WLP004) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.103 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.027 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.95 %
Bitterness: 23.6 IBU
Est Color: 32.4 SRM Color: Color

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 18.00 lb
Sparge Water: 3.20 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 22.50 qt of water at 167.0 F 152.0 F

Notes

Add high quality vanilla extract in bottling bucket or keg. Start with 1 tsp and add to taste. Add lactose at last 5 minutes of boil.
Created with BeerSmith

Click to expand...

EuBrew,
I bringing this back to life to see if you ended up brewing this and your thoughts/changes/comments? Thanks in advance!!

+1 For going for it, Mr Malty simple starter is assuming you shake the heck out of it and let it sit for the duration. You will still make yeast and you will still be OK. The comment from the guy saying you need to be there to shake it or it is not worth it is based on the fact he has seen how effective stir plates are at making you yeast and how much shaking can also add to the cell count.

My logic behind saying go for it, if you pitched yeast into a wort you don't shake that after the first aeration and yet the yeast multiply in there, as they will in your little (or not so little) starter. Secondly, a starter is to prove that the yeast you have are in good condition, yeast vials and smack packs are very dormant when you get them and a large % is probably dead from time spent shipping and sitting on the shelf so half of your reason for doing the starter is just to make sure they are alive and kicking.

Things to remember when making your starter:

-Sanitize everything only use boiled cooled wort and if you add anything touch anything make sure it is boiled cooled or Sanitized somehow.
-Use Foil not airlock
-10:1 ratio water to DME = 1.040 which is about right SG for a starter
-Add nutrients if you don't have nutrients get some (1 tsp) bakers yeast and add it to the boil of your DME to kill it dead yeast makes good yeast food.
-I'm guessing you don't have an O2 setup so shake the living daylights out of it.
-Start your starter as soon as you can if you are brewing on Saturday so you can shake it as much as possible before you leave every bit of O2 you can get those yeastise adds to the cell count.

Additionally when you get home on Friday you could fridge the starter overnight to drop any remaining yeast from suspension and in the morning you could decant and add more wort to freshen them up before they go to work for you. I do this so I can pitch at high krausen, it only takes about 12hrs for them to be all excited about making beer. The first starter has lots of lag I find it hard to time when it will be at high krausen to pitch so I do a starter to get the numbers up, fridge it and then do a second step to get them ready to eat my wort and MAKE ME BEER!

Last thing as you are not going to be there to watch make sure you have enough head space in your starter vessel or you may come home to a yeastie mess!

Clem