starter off primary wort?

[gregclimbs]

for about the past 2-4 brews, instead of "messing" a nice AG batch by throwing DME starter at it, this is what I have been doing:

Sanitize a growler and a primary.
Crash wort to ~ fermentation temp.
Aerate.
Fill growler about 1/2-3/4 full.
Fill primary with the remainder of wort.
Cap primary with sanitized bung and saran wrap dunked in sanitizer.
Pitch a WL Vial of yeast in the growler and airlock.
Set primary and starter in fermentation setting.

When the starter peaks, I pitch it into the primary.

Other than potential sanitation/infection potential, is there anything wrong with this method?

Thanks,

g

 

[TipsyDragon]

as long as you keep your sanitation up this method sounds good to me. maybe a bit of over kill but it should work.

 

[broadbill]

Another alternative would be to do what you describe, only use that starter for your NEXT beer. Once you get the cycle started, you won't have to use DME for starters...

 

[TipsyDragon]

the thing is with gregclimbs's method the yeast are already adapted to the sugar profile of the wort they are about to be dumped into. as yeast adapt to an environment they produce enzymes in specific ratios depending on the wort they are in. if your starter has one sugar profile and your wort has another the yeast will have to readjust to the new wort before they can get going. this is why you don't use table sugar to make your starter.

 

[Denny]

the thing is with gregclimbs's method the yeast are already adapted to the sugar profile of the wort they are about to be dumped into. as yeast adapt to an environment they produce enzymes in specific ratios depending on the wort they are in. if your starter has one sugar profile and your wort has another the yeast will have to readjust to the new wort before they can get going. this is why you don't use table sugar to make your starter.

Although I agree about the sugar, I disagree about the rest. It matches neither my experience nor any credible literature I've seen. But I could be wrong....care to edumacate me?

 

[kryolla]

Whats the window before you pitch about 24 hrs, which to me is too long I would rather pitch as soon as possible. Like above poster said use it for a starter for the next batch but you want that yeast in there ASAP. I also dont agree on real wort starter

 

[broadbill]

the thing is with gregclimbs's method the yeast are already adapted to the sugar profile of the wort they are about to be dumped into. as yeast adapt to an environment they produce enzymes in specific ratios depending on the wort they are in. if your starter has one sugar profile and your wort has another the yeast will have to readjust to the new wort before they can get going. this is why you don't use table sugar to make your starter.

If this is true, then why don't we make a starter with an OG of a Barleywine to ferment a Barleywine wort? As far as I know, we make the same starter for a pale ale as we do a BW (e.g. something around 1.040).

I'm don't think this is correct...

 

[bja]

I usually have a starter ready and chilled a day or 2 prior to brewing. I then decant and fill up the flask with wort right before filling the primary. Within 3-4 hours the starter is bubbling and ready to pitch.