Boiling versus StarSan for starter vessel

[mikehoover]

Will StarSan prepare a flask for a yeast starter or must boiling water be used?

 

[m00ps]

Ive never put boiling water in my starter vessels apart from boiling the starter wort and letting it cool.

Ill use glass stuff like growlers that have a bit of starsan in them. I shake them up, dump it out and they are good to go

 

[WrQth]

Assuming it is already clean then yes StarSan is sufficient to sanitize.

 

[WrQth]

It is possible to boil the wort in an Erlenmeyer flask since they are typically made of borosilicate glass which can handle the direct heat and rapid cooling without breaking.

That being said be sure to verify your Erlenmeyer flask is made of borosilicate glass before attempting. Authenticate Pyrex ones are made of borosilicate glass.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

It is possible to boil the wort in an Erlenmeyer flask since they are typically made of borosilicate glass which can handle the direct heat and rapid cooling without breaking.

That being said be sure to verify your Erlenmeyer flask is made of borosilicate glass before attempting. Authenticate Pyrex ones are made of borosilicate glass.

Is this true only for gas, or also for Electric stoves? I always assumed if i put my flask on my electric stove the coils would get so hot and just shatter it.

 

[PlexVector]

Is this true only for gas, or also for Electric stoves? I always assumed if i put my flask on my electric stove the coils would get so hot and just shatter it.

For electric you need a spacer. I forget what they are called and can be found on amazon. There is another thread that discusses the same. I'll have to think a bit and get back.

 

[PlexVector]

@fuzzeWuzze: Ok, It's called a wire trivet.

 

[fuzzy2133]

The only down side I have with boiling in the flask is the long time it takes to cool the wort down to pitching temp (~72).

 

[menotu]

The only down side I have with boiling in the flask is the long time it takes to cool the wort down to pitching temp (~72).

I tried it once, had trouble getting all the dme into the flask once the water was boiling. made a bit of a mess.

 

[sd_brewbie]

I tried it once, had trouble getting all the dme into the flask once the water was boiling. made a bit of a mess.

I just add the DME to the flask once the water is warm and let it run on the stir plate for a few minutes. Then I put it on the flame and bring to a boil.

 

[donk5]

I find it much easier to add the DME to the cold water in the flask prior to boiling as it does not clump as much or boil over right away.

 

[raouliii]

DME seems to dissolve much more readily in cold water than hot.

 

[SanPancho]

If you wanna save time on starters- keep a gallon of distilled or RO water in the coldest fridge you got.

My m.o. Is that I put my dme in a pan, add just enough water to be able to whisk it around and have it dissolve, and then boil for a minute or two. Then pour it into my sanitized ehrlenmeyer (Pyrex won't shatter) and top it off with the ice cold distilled water. Let's say it's 100g of dme, in about 200-250ml of water, then topped off to 1 liter with the cold stuff.

It's usually in the 80s by that time, so not too far away from pitching temp for ales. For lagers, I freeze the distilled water into cubes and drop them into starter wort, so I can get it down to the 60s faster.

 

[WrQth]

Is this true only for gas, or also for Electric stoves? I always assumed if i put my flask on my electric stove the coils would get so hot and just shatter it.

I have a glass top stove and put it directly on without a spacer. In my experience if you don't have fermcap (anti-foam agent) don't boil in the flask unless you want a boil over, I used the flask to boil in once and haven't since.

 

[heckels]

I have a glass top stove and put it directly on without a spacer. In my experience if you don't have fermcap (anti-foam agent) don't boil in the flask unless you want a boil over, I used the flask to boil in once and haven't since.

I typically do 1L starters in a 2000 ml flask. As long as you keep it from a really vigorous boil you can get by without boil overs.