Alternatives to DME for yeast starter

[JBIII]

I forgot to get DME for a yeast starter I need to make. Has anyone tried using something other than DME to make a starter? I have some left over Belgian candi sugar and table sugar...


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[ram5ey]

You don't want to use those as the yeast population can start looking for the wrong sources of sugars in the wort and not perform well. Well that's what I've heard... If you have some two row laying around you could just do a small mash and make it that way....

 

[ram5ey]

That being said and you are in Atlanta, beer and wine craft is open later today as is hop city which both have dme...

 

[te-wa]

which is odd then, that ppl use dextrose as a priming sugar. why not DME?

 

[ram5ey]

You can use dme for priming but we aren't talking about at the end of fermentation but before. You don't want a population of yeast that has been trained to consume simple sugars over maltose. The whole point of the starter is to grow the population and to prepare them to consume a lot of maltose.

 

[flars]

Table is quickly consumed by the yeast because it is a simple sugar. The object is to have the yeast produce CO2 as quickly as possible without any flavor contribution to the finished beer.

edit, read post wrong. DME can be used for priming. Carbonation will take longer though because DME is a complex sugar.

 

[JBIII]

Got it...thanks ram5ey. That's good information...


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[WoodlandBrew]

Rather than using an alternate sugar for a starter how about using and alternate for the starter.

Instead of stepping up your yeast step down the initial wort volume to match the yeast you have. Then add the remaining wort after a day or two.

See here for details:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/12/no-more-wasteful-yeast-starters.html

 

[ArcaneXor]

You could use Brewer's Crystals for making a starter. That's about 55% maltose.

 

[djt17]

I have used 2-row.