Beersmith starter help

[kenpotf]

Do I create my starter based on estimated og or measured og? My next beer is at estimated of 1.084 but measured is 1.046 which would make a difference of how big the starter should be.

Thanks!


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[flars]

Starters would be based on the estimated OG. An estimated OG of 1.084 coming out as a measured SG of 1.046 says something is drastically wrong.

Very late to start thinking of making a starter after the beer is brewed. Perhaps you could give us some details.

 

[MichaelBrock]

Have you already made this beer? Starter size should be calculated based on the estimated OG...if you make it before you actually brew. If for some reason you brewed before starting the starter and you measured your actual OG at 1.046 then use that value to calculate the size of your starter.

All of that said, I half suspect that you are misinterpreting what Beersmith means by "measured OG" field. That field is populated by default with a useless value, even before you brew but is intended to be updated with the value that you yourself measure after you have created your wort. Once you enter it yourself, and the value for the measured volume, Beersmith will use it to calculate your efficiency. Until then it can be safely ignored.

 

[wtfDean]

I don't think I have ever used the BeerSmith yeast starter page. I have always done 1L starters with 100g DME for beers up to 1.065-ish. I recently got a bigger vessel for starters so for my last batch I did a 2L starter with 200g DME, which will probably be my default from now on. But I think that you can always *safely* ignore the BeerSmith starter page. I'm not the most yeast-savvy guy on the planet so maybe someone has some technical scientific reason for why I'm wrong, but I just suggest making a 1-2L starter for your beers and to not worry about what BS says. That method has always made great beers for me.

 

[kenpotf]

Thanks all. I haven't brewed it yet, so here's why I ask. I went to the lhbs today to get my ingredients. In Beersmith, it's saying that it's 1.084 estimated. I wanted to buy a 2L flask while I was at the lhbs, but they don't sell them due to them being considered drug paraphernalia...seriously. So, I was wanting to brew on Sunday, and Mr Malty says I need a 1.76 liter starter to do this beer correctly if I was going by the 1.084 og.

Now I have ingredients, and I have no way of getting a flask before this Sunday....any ideas of what I can do? I have a built stirplate that most people use on here, so I was going to use that but I'm not sure what the maximum size I can use on it is. The guy at the lhbs was going to sell me a 1 gallon just to do the starter in, but I wasn't sure if my stirplate would be able to hold it....

Thanks!

 

[kenpotf]

All of that said, I half suspect that you are misinterpreting what Beersmith means by "measured OG" field. That field is populated by default with a useless value, even before you brew but is intended to be updated with the value that you yourself measure after you have created your wort. Once you enter it yourself, and the value for the measured volume, Beersmith will use it to calculate your efficiency. Until then it can be safely ignored.

You sir are a smart man....I never played with the fermentation tab, so I didn't notice that I could actually change that value. I found the values that I saw in the recipe sheet after I created it, so I didn't know how it was getting it.

I get it now The estimated are my targets, and the measured are what I got. I can change those numbers after measurement, plug them in, and hopefully get as close to what Beersmith says that I should have hit....

AWESOME! (I get excited over the little things.)

 

[MichaelBrock]

You sir are a smart man....I never played with the fermentation tab, so I didn't notice that I could actually change that value. I found the values that I saw in the recipe sheet after I created it, so I didn't know how it was getting it.

I get it now The estimated are my targets, and the measured are what I got. I can change those numbers after measurement, plug them in, and hopefully get as close to what Beersmith says that I should have hit....

AWESOME! (I get excited over the little things.)

That is Beersmith's best and worse quality! More information than you really need. Great once you figure out what you can ignore but makes the learning process a bit confusing.

I use a gallon jug for my starters when they are too big for my 2l erlenmeyer (and I wouldn't personally try a 1.75l starter in a 2l flask without fermcap). I think that would work fine for you. If it can fit on the stirplate, then it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[kcmobrewer]

I also use a gallon jug when they're too big for my erlenmeyer, works great

 

[wtfDean]

Whatever you decide to do, you should remember the 1g DME to 10ml starter ratio. If BS suggests a 1.75L starter then you should make one, but use 175g DME and 1.75L water. I bought a kitchen scale for yeast starters.

edit: trying to be helpful

 

[kenpotf]

Whatever you decide to do, you should remember the 1g DME to 10ml starter ratio. If BS suggests a 1.75L starter then you should make one, but use 175g DME and 1.75L water. I bought a kitchen scale for yeast starters.

edit: trying to be helpful

Awesome thank you! I'm going back to the lhbs today to get the gallon jug. That should be big enough for the starter. Thanks everyone for all of the useful info!

 

[gwapogorilla]

Personally, I don't like the beersmith starter estimator. I use this and it is awesome.
http://www.yeastcalculator.com/

I also use LME for my starters...4 oz of LME per qt. water gets me around 1.040