Cheap starter alternative

[gstrawn]

I've read up extensively on correct starter production and it makes perfect sense, but it seems expensive, which as a collegiate student I don't like this aspect. I have had good results with this method, but I may not be getting results up to par with the more experienced brewers. Maybe this is an option for other brewers like myself.

I purchased a 2200 mL amber glass waste container (purchased from chemistry store) with an air tight lid. Also great for a growler. I boil one cup of cane sugar in 6 cups of water and add 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrient once the boil is over, cool and add to the glass container. When the temperature reaches pitching temperatures I pitch the yeast and aerate every 30 min by opening the cap and shaking vigorously for 30 sec.

I have developed this method by identifying what seems to be important factors in yeast reproduction, and meeting these as cheaply as possible. Because DME is so expensive, and I would rather use what I have laying around for alcohol boosting than for using it on a starter. I have read that sugar alone is not appropriate because it has insufficient amounts of free amino nitrogen, whereas malted grains do contain these, as do grapes. An even cheaper alternative to yeast nutrient would be tossing in a few raisins. My method of aeration while certainly not as effective as a stir plate seems to yield good results. Overall I'm sure this isn't near as effective as the traditional full method of creating starters but as I have only recently moved past the beginner phase of brewing this is some info I could've used a few months ago.

Experts have anything to add? Like I said I've had great results and produced better beer with this method, but I may have overlooked some things.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

The problem you have is that yeast grow accustomed to the types of sugars you feed them. So when you feed them only sucrose they reproduce to consume that environment. Then when you pitch it in wort they less efficiently consume maltose and other more complex sugars than sucrose. As a result, you may develop yeast with poor attenuation, stuck fermentations, off flavors, etc.

You could buy some domestic two row and mash small portions for your starter in a nylon bag, give it a quick boil, and use that for starters. You would only need a few ounces of grain and some water to produce suitable wort for a 1-2 liter starter.

 

[TheMan]

Your method will work. However as Apache said, it can have it's issues...Lag time, stuck fermentation, etc.

You're basically creating weaker yeast by giving them such simple sugar to munch on, which is counterproductive to the entire idea of making a starter. Ideally you want to build up the colony of strong yeast via the starter to ensure a good fermentation.

Why not try Malta Goya as a cheap alternative? It's essentially carbonated wort. Sold for $1 a piece it's not a bad alt. I would say it's not ideal compared to DME, but it's better than using cane sugar.

 

[superslomo]

A little bit of DME goes a pretty long way for making starter... it's possibly a point of false economy, given that you may royally mess up a batch, which costs more than a few cups of DME...

 

[Germelli1]

I do something similar. I use 50/50 DME and sugar.

But yeast nutrient is expensive too, so I just toss raisins and/or and old packet of Montrachet yeast ($.45 a packet) into the boil.

 

[Bmorebrew]

Didn't your momma tell you homebrewing wouldn't be cheap?

But really, it is not all that expensive. I can get 3 lb. bags of DME for 12.95 at my LHBS. Almost 7 x 2 liter starters for that amounts to under $2 a pop.

But if you really are interested in saving money which I can appreciate, you are a college student after all, look to use dry yeasts which tend to be cheaper than liquid. And reuse your yeast. There are several varieties which lend themselves well to being great all-around house yeasts that you can use for very many styles.

 

[superslomo]

I haven't needed yeast nutrient... so far, at least. But then, I've run starters just off the wyeast activators, which may make it easier.

 

[asterix404]

I am going to get a stir plate which will greatly cut down on my need for DME but I also have stretched out DME in bad ways like .5c to 4c water instead of 1c to 4c water and it started just fine.

The stir plate you can do .5c to 2c water and have more yeast than you can think of. Now I don't know where to get a used stir plate or a good cheap one.

 

[NWMushroom]

Now I don't know where to get a used stir plate or a good cheap one.

I got mine from http://www.stirstarters.com/

$42, free delivery and lifetime guarantee. Pick up an extra stir bar too as you'll inevitably pour one into the fermenter at one point!

 

[TheMan]

Now I don't know where to get a used stir plate or a good cheap one.

Why not just build one?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-stirplate-cheap-easy-build-86252/

I built mine with spare pc parts and an old cell phone charger. Cost about $8 in parts from Radio shack...I used a cigar box from my boss as the shell.

 

[superslomo]

I think if the issue is saving money, buying a stirplate might be out of scope, no?

FWIW, I did 1c DME to 2c water for the starters for the dubbel and tripel I just did... figured a stronger, higher octane starter wort would be better for the yeast in that context.

 

[unionrdr]

My ales typically start life between 1.040-1.050 OG. I make starters with 1.5C of boiled water to 1/4C DME mixed in for between 3.5-6 hours. I've also tried the same amount of water with 2tsp of dextrose. Same 7g sachet of cooper's ale yeast. The sugar water version started by next morning. Quick & steady,just like the US-05 did dry (11.5g). The starter version took off in some 6 hours,needing a blow off by 8am or so. It road that tube hard for about 3 days. They both took 1.050OG worts down to 1.010 in 2.5-3 weeks.
The cooper's ale yeast is a very tolerant,robust ale yeast. Anyone that says otherwise has rocks in their head...or pitched it dry with no temp control.

 

[superslomo]

I thought you weren't supposed to do starters for dry yeast?

 

[Revvy]

If you really think buying dme is expensive then here you go...

You can find it pretty cheap, especially if you get it in a bodega instead of a gringo store. It can also be found in indian groceries as well.

There's a ton of threads on here and the rest of the web discussing it's use as a starter ingredient.

 

[davefleck]

Let us know how high your air tight lid blows off. Hop it gives before the glass

 

[unionrdr]

I thought you weren't supposed to do starters for dry yeast?

I took a lot of flack around the globe for it too. But it works very well indeed...blow off needed good. Stressing the yeast my foot. That's a myth I've worked hard at dispelling. Even scientific type research can be proven wrong sometimes. It's hard for some folks to except new & different ideas. Our country was founded on such forward thinking.
It seems my/our little additions come up against the same kind of thinking that brought our ancestors here in the 1st place. Including the Native side of my family some 35,000 years ago.

 

[Germelli1]

I took a lot of flack around the globe for it too. But it works very well indeed...blow off needed good. Stressing the yeast my foot. That's a myth I've worked hard at dispelling. Even scientific type research can be proven wrong sometimes. It's hard for some folks to except new & different ideas. Our country was founded on such forward thinking.
It seems my/our little additions come up against the same kind of thinking that brought our ancestors here in the 1st place. Including the Native side of my family some 35,000 years ago.

In your defense, the widely used dry yeasts from Danstar (Nottingham is most notable) or fermentis (US-04, US-05) come in 11 gram packets. Coopers, muntons, etc come in 7 gram packets. Everything else aside and only looking at it from a cell count perspective, I see exactly why you make a starter!