Cane sugar in starter

[steelerguy]

I need to make a starter and find myself without much DME. I want to make a large 1 gal. 2 step starter for a Belgian Dark Strong. Was thinking about doing a mini mash with 1 lb. of grain I have sitting around and adding about 5 oz. of cane sugar with a good amount of yeast nutrient (and one package of Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey).

Does anyone see any issues with using cane sugar for about 1/3 of my gravity points if I used real grain and plenty of nutrient? The liquid will all be drained off at the end and only the yeast pitched.

 

[Malticulous]

It doesn't make as healthy of yeast. They grow up liking simple sugars and spit out maltose. How can you have pudding if you wont eat your meat?

Read the threads listed below. This is a old topic.

 

[Calder]

1 lb of grain should give you gallon of wort at about 1.030. Should be perfect for a starter without any additions. I'm assuming it's 2-row, Pale, or something similar and not Crystal.

 

[steelerguy]

It doesn't make as healthy of yeast. They grow up liking simple sugars and spit out maltose. How can you have pudding if you wont eat your meat?

Read the threads listed below. This is a old topic.

Not sure why the yeast would not be healthy, they won't lose their ability to break down maltose down into glucose. Sucrose is also a disaccharide, like maltose, and will be broken down into a glucose and a fructose. Maltose will get your 2 glucoses. Both require a bond being broken to get to the actual molecules that will be fermented.

I had not seen many topics of using mostly maltose from a mini mash with a few ounces of sugar in a starter.

It is plain old 2-row that I am going to use.