Mashing for a starter.

[Nostrildamus]

I just read someone's comment of surprise in another post when the OP stated that they planned on mashing for a starter. I'd just like to give my account of doing this in this post so as not to hijack the other.

I mashed for a starter for the first time two weeks ago. To date I had always used liquid malt extract boiled with some water to a lower OG (1.030 or there abouts) and added my smack pack to it once it had cooled. I was out of LME so I thought, "Hey! Why not take some of my grain do a micro mash and make a starter?"

It seemed to make good sense and in fact, better sense than using LME considering I would be replicating the same environment that my little yeasties would later be expected to perform in.

I made up my liter starter a couple of days ahead of time and let it ferment. All seemed normal till I added it to my batch.

First off, this was a double batch so I was a little concerned about the lag time. I didn't have the time to step up the starter so it was going to have to do twice the work with half the cells. I split the starter and poured it into my two 5 gallon carboys, added the wort and aerated as per normal. It kicked off like a Superbowl team!!! I have never had such a short time between pitching and the first signs of fermentation.

I pretty sure that this had something to do with introducing the yeast to the same environment that they had in the starter. So next time someone says, "BAH! Just use some LME/DME don't bother mashing!!!" think twice.
:fro:

 

[david_42]

Mash wort also has more nutrients, so the yeast are stronger.

 

[TexLaw]

I don't know if I would ever go through the trouble of a separate mash for a starter (not that I think it's a bad idea, mind you; I'm just a little lazy that way). However, I've wondered a few times about using second runnings for a starter wort. I know there's nothing novel about that. I've just wondered.


TL

 

[Drunkensatyr]

The easiest way is on your next brew day, take a quart of wort pre hopping and put it in a sterile container. When you are ready to use it, just boil to ensure nothing is in there, cool it off and viola! You have mashed starter.

 

[Joker]

Yeah that would be the way to do it. I don't think it would be worth it to try and mash a day or two early just for a starter. Most already complain its to much trouble to boil and cool the water.

 

[imasickboy]

If you're going to do it, do it once. Make a lot.

http://www.ipass.net/mpdixon/Homebrew/Starters&Canning.htm

 

[FlyGuy]

I think I got the idea from Basic Brewing radio, but an easy system to make a small amount of wort for a starter is to mash in a French coffee press (if you have one that is large enough). Just dump in some crushed grain, add hot (not boiling) water from a kettle, and let it sit. It can either be insulated inside a small (pre-heated) cooler, or in your oven that has been pre-heated to 170 then shut off.

Once the mash is done, press and pour off the wort, then sparge with more hot water, repeat.

I still use DME for starters, but if I ran out or was frugal, I don't think a small mash like this would be much bother at all, particularly if you are already in the kitchen doing other things like making supper.

 

[Nostrildamus]

I simply put a half pound into a pot of water at 153 F and let it sit for an hour and poured it through a seive and cooled it. It took no more than 5 minutes to bring to temp on the stove top and no more than 1 minute to pour it through a strainer into a chilled SS bowl and put it in the freezer till it came down to room temp.

6 minutes of work for a mashed starter is maybe a fraction more work than bringing DME/LME up to a boil and cooling it and considering the impressive outcome I will be doing it again. I like the idea of freezing off second runnings in 1 liter batches though!!! It's close to the perfect gravity and there for the taking.

 

[malkore]

when I got my grain mill, i 'tested' it out by mashing a couple pounds, adn then bagging and freezing it. 4 cups in a quart ziploc bag.

when I need to make a starter, I thaw, boil to sanitize, and pitch at the appropriate time.

so yeah, if you're gonna mash for a starter, do enough to make it worth your time.

 

[Kaiser]

I don't mash for starters, but I don't use DME/LME either. Instead I use whirlpooling to separate the trub from the wort. At the end I filter the remaining wort and trub. This gets frozen or canned and will be used for priming and starters : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Whirlpooling#Collecting_the_wort_from_the_trub


If I were to mash for a starter I'd do a long protein rest at 122*F (even with over modified malts) to maximize the amino acids. and then a long saccrification rest (maybe even overnight) below 150 *F to maximize fermentable sugars. But I feel that it is to much work if I can just make slightly larger batches and store the leftover wort.

Kai