DME + Hot Erlenmeyer = Bad

[podz]

I could see that... this one is a flat cast iron top, seems it should be fairly even, but I've only used it twice so far. Anyone have more experience with a hot plate like this?

That's the european style stovetop element that's been around for 50 years or something. They do heat very evenly.

 

[wzd]

I believe the stir plate also helps the yeast build up their cell walls. It gets more oxygen contact with the wort which should help the yeast build up their reserves. Much like how it happens when you aerate your wort before pitching.

So, has anyone looked at what happens if your aerate your starter wort with a stone bubbler and not get a stirplate? Seems simpler to use equipment and processes you already have and use?

 

[Gavin C]

+1

That would make an excellent article. There may be lots of starter articles out there, but I can't recall having seen any that addressed how to safely and effectively do it all in a flask.

Read all about it today on HBT.

 

[DrunkleJon]

So, has anyone looked at what happens if your aerate your starter wort with a stone bubbler and not get a stirplate? Seems simpler to use equipment and processes you already have and use?

I am sure it works better than just mixing yeast with starter wort and letting it sit but probably not as good as with the plate. I seem to remember that basicbrewingradio did an experiment on yeast starters back in May of 2010 I think.

I think that the yeast on a plate will be getting constant access to O2 while the aerated starter wort will provide them with a bunch at first with the limit being the saturation level. Then again that shouldnt matter as the wort is not high enough gravity to need re-oxytgenating. But O2 encourages yeast to reproduce and use aerobic consumption of the sugars where lack of O2 is what makes them produce alcohol, so maybe more O2 is better.

Sounds like a good plan for an experiment. Make two equal starters (starting) in the same amount of starter wort. Throw one on a stir plate and put the other one (aerated with O2 stone) beside it. Cold crash and measure yeast count/analyze viability/etc

 

[MattyIce]

So, has anyone looked at what happens if your aerate your starter wort with a stone bubbler and not get a stirplate? Seems simpler to use equipment and processes you already have and use?

This is what I did before I had a stir plate. It works fine, but the stir plate makes the process faster. It is not just about oxygenating, the stir plate keeps the yeast in contact with more wort by keeping it suspended rather than resting in a cake at the bottom.

Today, I do both. O2 dose at the start and then put it on a stir plate.

 

[Brulosopher]

Much safer to make the starter wort in a kettle, cool, and then pour into the flask. Erlenmeyer flasks are the perfect design for creating volcanoes over high heat.

Definitely a risk, but I haven't had this happen in years doing a few simple things:

1. Use FermCap-S
2. Lower the heat to LOW at the first signs of a boil
3. Watch it.

I wrote about my process in detail last year, if anyone's interested:

http://brulosophy.com/2014/08/06/yeast-starters-some-thoughts-a-method/

Cheers!

 

[SanPancho]

1- take a plastic pitcher and dump in dme
2- add warm/hot water and stir it up good with whisk
3- dump it into flask with fermcap, add heat

Easy breezy.

Fermcap can also be used in fermenter- keeps krauzen from going nuts, and increases your hoppiness for a reason I can't recall at present

 

[Brulosopher]

Fermcap can also be used in fermenter- keeps krauzen from going nuts, and increases your hoppiness for a reason I can't recall at present

This has never worked for me. I've even added a drop while blowing off, it reduced the krausen but I still came home to a mess.

 

[Newsman]

Hmm... Has anyone left the aerator stone in place and given it a slow trickle of pure O2?