Adjusting OG of starters

[swh127]

I was curious if most of you adjust the content of your starters so that their OG matches what you are brewing. I have been using the 1/2 cup DME to 2 cups water ~1.040 OG for all my starters.

I was just curious what the formula was or if there was an online way to check it. I want to start using 8 cup(water) starters and was wondering how to adjust the amount of DME. Is it a 1 to 1 ratio?

Any help would be appriciated.

 

[homebrewer_99]

(To me) this is one of those nonsensical questions that is really irrelevant. But I fully understand your curiosity.

At the ratio you are making your starters my reply to you would be - what does it matter about the gravity of a starter because it will become diluted once pitched.

The important thing is you have enough fermentables to activate your yeast to make sure it's alive before you pitch it into your wort.

Others may disagree, but that's their take on it, but thhis is mine.

In the end we'll all make great tasting beer!

 

[El Pistolero]

Well this article states that the SG of your starter should match the OG of your wort to avoid shocking the yeast when pitching. Seems a little extreme to me too, but the author makes a strong case.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Well this article states that the SG of your starter should match the OG of your wort to avoid shocking the yeast when pitching. Seems a little extreme to me too, but the author makes a strong case.

So much for "experts". I didn't find the reference to which you pointed stating the "shock" factor. It could have been in there and I just scanned the article too quickly, but I still consider it BS.

REASON: I don't think the gravity of your starter matters because when you first make a starter, the yeast will be, in your words "shocked" because it goes from zero to 1 point whatever gravity. If you go to a higher or lower gravity when you pitch it it will be shocked again. Yeast thrives off of sugar. When you pitch it into a 5 gal batch of whatever gravity it will still be "shocked" because it will be impossible to match a starter gravity to a batch gravity.

As for smak-paks and vials, many brewers do not make a starter and they make fine beers.

Have you ever tried to match the gravity of 2 cups of water to the gravity of 5 gal of water. That's the ratio for most starters? More than 1 C malt to 2 C water I am certain.

Just my opinion.