Big lager starter in a carboy

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I am getting ready to start brewing lagers. I want them to be up to my standard for my ales so I have been trying to do all my research and not screw up my first attempt. I see that to be successful I need much more yeast and therefore a larger starter volume.

Here is my idea:

1. One week prior to brew day:
Sanitize primary carboy
boil a 1-2 gallon starter of DME
pitch yeast into 1-2 gallon starter
allow to ferment out

2. The day before brew day:
Crash cool starter carboy

3. Brew day:
Brew as usual
While wort is cooling carefully rack off and dispose of starter wort
Rack onto starter cake


It seems like this would be an easy and cheap way to make a large volume starter and would reduce the risk of contamination. Only one vessel to sanitize, and the possibility to do as large a starter as you wish.

Let me know if this is a dumb idea.

My other question is.... why do people use DME for starters if LME is cheaper?

 

[Yooper]

I don't see why you can't do your starter in any vessel you choose. It's easier for me to do it on the kitchen counter and then stick it in the fridge to chill, so that's what I do. But if you want to do it in the carboy, why not?

I use DME because it's easy for me. I just boil a quart of water, and add 1 cup DME, then close the bag back up with a twisty tie and put it in the cupboard in a ziploc bag. LME is messy, and harder to keep fresh.

 

[Kaiser]

That should work, I have had that thought as well. Simply pouring off the starter beer should work as well.

Kai

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

LME is messy, and harder to keep fresh.

I get the messy part, but if it is for a starter it doesn't need to be fresh, right? My thought is that if it is for beer that will be thrown away, it should be as cheap as possible.

I think this is what I will do. I'll post pics when it happens (~3 weeks)