How to get DME into Erlenmeyer flask without making a mess?

[johnwpowell]

I use a 2000ml flask for yeast starters and always have a challenge getting dme into it after the boil. I boil with it right on the stove.

Any tips? Is there a good funnel to fit then?

 

[EcuPirate07]

Why not add the DME before the boil? Add water, add DME, put on flame to boil. Or the way I do it is add the water to a pot, add DME to water, bring to a boil after boil I just drop it in an ice bath until it reaches the right temp then transfer to a sanitized flask.

 

[doug293cz]

I put the DME in the flask first using a funnel, then add hot water and swirl until the DME is dissolved. Then add a couple drops of Fermcap, and boil in the flask. Don't forget the Fermcap, or you'll boil over for sure.

Brew on

 

[RevKev]

I just want to add a tid bit of safety, being one with a bit of experience and one who teaches Chemistry lab for college students. Direct heating of Erlenmeyers is great but ... not a lot of glassware sold by Homebrew shops or online retailers is of spec to be directly heated. I hope it does not shatter on you as even glassware from Karter Scientific is of relatively low quality in comparison to Pyrex or other thick borosilicate or fused silica glassware.

How about using a pot to boil and transfer the cooled wort using a sanitized funnel? Adding the DME in the boil is of no consequence and will help the solvation

 

[jmark]

I just want to add a tid bit of safety, being one with a bit of experience and one who teaches Chemistry lab for college students. Direct heating of Erlenmeyers is great but ... not a lot of glassware sold by Homebrew shops or online retailers is of spec to be directly heated. I hope it does not shatter on you as even glassware from Karter Scientific is of relatively low quality in comparison to Pyrex or other thick borosilicate or fused silica glassware.

How about using a pot to boil and transfer the cooled wort using a sanitized funnel? Adding the DME in the boil is of no consequence and will help the solvation

+1 on this... I've had two flasks crack just putting them on the countertop quite gently... I wouldn't trust them on a hot stove. I heat up my starter wort in a saucepan and use a sanitized funnel to transfer into the flask. No issues over dozens of starters. Now, I've moved to pressure canning wort in bulk, I have no choice but to use the sanitized funnel approach, but don't have any qualms in doing that.

 

[wyowolf]

I just boil it in the pot, then pour it into flask then cover and set in some water to cool...

 

[ericbw]

I worry about breakage, but I boil in the flask. Use a funnel to get the DME in it.

 

[mongoose33]

I use a small plastic funnel to put the DME in the flask before boiling. As soon as you have steam you'll get clumping of the DME, so it always goes into the flask before I heat it.

I think there's also something to be said for heating gently; I hope no one is putting a cold flask on a hot burner.

 

[RedlegEd]

I just boil it in the pot, then pour it into flask then cover and set in some water to cool...

+1 this^^^. DME is incredibly hygroscopic and tends to clump badly when exposed to hot water vapor/steam, rendering using a funnel pretty difficult. As @wyowolf said, I add DME to cool water in a pot, heat and boil for about 5 minutes, then pour into my flask. Since you asked about a funnel, I use the funnel in the picture below (I think I got it in the auto dept at W-mart.) It has a fairly large opening and fits my flask. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[passedpawn]

WHATEVER you do, make sure the DME is in solution before you start heating in a flask. Shake it a bunch first. If the DME is caked on the bottom, your erlenmeyer flask will crack. In fact, if you do this with two flasks at the same time, you'll have two broken flasks at the same time. Ask me how I know

 

[mongoose33]

+1 this^^^. DME is incredibly hygroscopic and tends to clump badly when exposed to hot water vapor/steam, rendering using a funnel pretty difficult. As @wyowolf said, I add DME to cool water in a pot, heat and boil for about 5 minutes, then pour into my flask. Since you asked about a funnel, I use the funnel in the picture below (I think I got it in the auto dept at W-mart.) It has a fairly large opening and fits my flask. Hope this helps. Ed

I used to use my funnel like this one but I just couldn't get all the oil off the plastic and it imparted an oily flavor to the DME. I had to resort to a kitchen funnel.....

 

[BrewKaiser]

When I first started making starters I would pre-mix DME with warm tap water prior to boiling. A funnel was key to getting DME powder into the flask.

The constant tending to the Erlenmeyer flask during boil was tedious as the shape of the flask makes boil over inevitable.

I then transitioned to boiling starter wort in a 2qt pot and transferred to Sanitized Erlenmeyer flask which was covered with sanitized foil and transitioned to an ice bath. It meant cleaning one more piece of equipment but it was so much easier to combine DME with water and not worry about constant boil over. A whisk helped break up the clumps.

Now every 4th or 5th brew I plan for a pale ale or 5.5% beer. I design my recipe so that I collect 3-4 Gal of wort in my bottling bucket 30 minutes into the boil with approx 6.5 Gal remaining in my BK. The collected wort is drained into sanitized room temp water to achieve 1.040 wort. Pouring boiling wort into room temp water helps buffer the liquid flowing into a plastic bucket. While still 160* I quickly transfer to 800ml, sanitized mason jars which are left to cool until seals pop then placed in the fridge. Now I just pour required vol of starter wort into sanitized flask, pitch yeast, and set on stir plate.

Most brew rigs can easily be set up brew a little extra wort to split off for future starters. The cost of the extra grains is minimal.

But back to the OP. Try a pot next time instead of boiling in Erlenmeyer.

 

[logdrum]

This is where I get all my lab glassware:
http://www.carolina.com/lab-flasks/...om_nav_t_labsupplies_conv_a&question=&jl_ctx=
Haven't tried the house brand, but the Pyrex have never failed me, even going from burner to ice bath-unlike the LHS flasks that cost the same.

 

[Murphys_Law]

As noted, please make sure your flask is Pyrex. The ones I've seen at home brew stores don't appear to be.

I do what others said above: tare empty flask on scale, add DME using funnel, add required amount of cold water, and shake like crazy! I then boil for a few mins and chill.

ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION!

 

[RevKev]

Even with higher quality borosilicate glass you should always inspect glassware for superficial or enclosed air pockets and other deformities some may be superficial but some may be significant, the open blisters are a weakened area and could cause a fracture point. I have had lab grade glassware fail on me even without any significant temperature differentials only when gently heating.

As stated above yeah it's best to have at least eye protection. But also keep in mind an Erlenmeyer is not designed for this application, so don't wear flip-flops on brew day ha

Another thought, glass or ceramic topped electric stoves will be safer than coil tops if you are going to use the flask like this.

 

[doug293cz]

...

Another thought, glass or ceramic topped electric stoves will be safer than coil tops if you are going to use the flask like this.

Good point. I do use a glass top stove for boiling in the flask.

Brew on

 

[The_Bishop]

I quit using narrow mouth flasks. Started using low form beakers, like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006UKI6GY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

They're a hell of a lot easier to deal with and clean.

 

[Qhrumphf]

A ) small holes in opposite corners of bag, into flask on tared scale, no funnel needed

B ) Fermcap is wonderful for stopping starter boilovers

C ) shake it a bit to get it all floating then pop it on the stir plate before you boil it. It'll get it all dissolved fairly quickly and with minimal effort.

 

[wyowolf]

+1 this^^^. DME is incredibly hygroscopic and tends to clump badly when exposed to hot water vapor/steam, rendering using a funnel pretty difficult. As @wyowolf said, I add DME to cool water in a pot, heat and boil for about 5 minutes, then pour into my flask. Since you asked about a funnel, I use the funnel in the picture below (I think I got it in the auto dept at W-mart.) It has a fairly large opening and fits my flask. Hope this helps. Ed

Yes, after trying to put the DME in the boiling flask, that was enough for me to say screw that.... half of it got wasted.

 

[BrunDog]

I dunno... some unnecessary complexity above IMO. I used to boil first, used external pot, etc. No need after trying different methods. Simplest I found: I use a small paper bowl, put it on a kitchen scale and tare it. Add 160grams DME, the fold edge of bowl to make a funnel/nozzle, and pour into a dry 2l Erlenmeyer flask. Add room temp water to get ~1600mL volume. Add 5 drops fermcap (like Doug said - a must). Swirl hard to mix. Put on gas stove on lowest flame initially. Use a bamboo skewer as a stirrer. Stir every couple of minutes until all DME dissolved. Key: leave stirrer in as it creates a nucleus source for boil bubbles to form as they don't easily off the glass. Increase heat to boil. Drop in stirrer for one minute. Take off heat, cover with foil, put in sink, pour water in sink up to level. Then add ice and let it sit a bit. Once cooled, pitch yeast and put on stirplate.

I agree a quality glass is needed... but I think it's worth the investment.

 

[JDXX1971]

Dry flask, that's what I forgot last time. Otherwise in my great experience of three starters I do pretty much exactly as BrunDog said above. Oh and I use a small submersible pump in the sink with our 50* water it works quick.

 

[EarthwormJim]

I've stopped boiling the DME when I make starters. Would constantly boil over in the flask even on my smallest burner with the lowest flame and using fermcap. Boiling it in a pot left me something else to clean. That didn't bother me too much but it also makes the house smell like wort and someone doesn't appreciate that the way I do.

I figure out how much water I will need and get that going on the stove. While that is coming to a boil, I sanitize my flask and foil, plus any mason jars I am going to use if doing a stepped starter. I fill each vessel with sanitizer to the level it should hold and mark with tape. I then weigh the extract directly into each container. I cut the corner off of the bag to make a small hole like someone mentioned earlier so I can just dump it in. The extract will clump and stick to the inside of the neck of the flask, but that isn't a problem. By the time that is done, the water is usually boiling. I fill each container about to the tape line and put the pot back on the heat. When filling the flask I run the water down the side to get any of the extact that clumped. Give each container a swirl to disolve the extract then top off to the right level. Then put on lids/foil and swirl to mix until all the clumps of extract are gone. Flask goes in a cool water bath and the mason jars sit on the counter until cool enough to refrigerate.

This usually leaves me with nothing to clean. Just wipe out the pot and any spilled water from the counter.

My method may not meet everyone's sanitation standards. I figure that the temp should be hot enough to sanitize/pasteurize the extact and that is good enough for me. I suppose I could put the flask back on the heat and bring it back to boiling for a minute but I don't think it is needed.

 

[cubalz]

Why not add the DME before the boil? Add water, add DME, put on flame to boil. Or the way I do it is add the water to a pot, add DME to water, bring to a boil after boil I just drop it in an ice bath until it reaches the right temp then transfer to a sanitized flask.

Yes, this^^^^

 

[TravelingLight]

C ) shake it a bit to get it all floating then pop it on the stir plate before you boil it. It'll get it all dissolved fairly quickly and with minimal effort.

This is brilliant. I had never thought about this. Thanks for the heads up as I will now always do this!

ETA: I also learned that I don't use nearly enough Fermcap in my starters. I had always used, like, one drop because the bottle said one drop was good for 5 gallons, i.e., way more than I boil for a starter. But I still had dangerously close boil overs and one actual small boil over. Next time I will try 5 drops of fermcap.

 

[kh54s10]

I didn't read all the posts. My first couple of starters I did by adding the DME to a warming up flask before the steam starts. I had a couple of boil overs.
That lead me to boiling my DME in a pot, cooling, THEN putting the wort in the flask.

It is far more easy to boil in a pot.....

 

[kh54s10]

This is brilliant. I had never thought about this. Thanks for the heads up as I will now always do this!

ETA: I also learned that I don't use nearly enough Fermcap in my starters. I had always used, like, one drop because the bottle said one drop was good for 5 gallons, i.e., way more than I boil for a starter. But I still had dangerously close boil overs and one actual small boil over. Next time I will try 5 drops of fermcap.

IMO, if one drop did not work, something is wrong and 5 drops will probably not work either.

I used fermcap early on. I don't use it at all any more.

Watch for boil overs on the heat side and use a blow off tube on the fermentation end.

 

[kh54s10]

I use a small plastic funnel to put the DME in the flask before boiling. As soon as you have steam you'll get clumping of the DME, so it always goes into the flask before I heat it.

I think there's also something to be said for heating gently; I hope no one is putting a cold flask on a hot burner.

Don't put boiling wort into a cold flask either!

 

[TorMag]

Now every 4th or 5th brew I plan for a pale ale or 5.5% beer. I design my recipe so that I collect 3-4 Gal of wort in my bottling bucket 30 minutes into the boil with approx 6.5 Gal remaining in my BK. The collected wort is drained into sanitized room temp water to achieve 1.040 wort. Pouring boiling wort into room temp water helps buffer the liquid flowing into a plastic bucket. While still 160* I quickly transfer to 800ml, sanitized mason jars which are left to cool until seals pop then placed in the fridge. Now I just pour required vol of starter wort into sanitized flask, pitch yeast, and set on stir plate.

Great idea... So about how much sanitized, room temp water do you end up using? Going to have to start doing this.

 

[Qhrumphf]

This is brilliant. I had never thought about this. Thanks for the heads up as I will now always do this!

ETA: I also learned that I don't use nearly enough Fermcap in my starters. I had always used, like, one drop because the bottle said one drop was good for 5 gallons, i.e., way more than I boil for a starter. But I still had dangerously close boil overs and one actual small boil over. Next time I will try 5 drops of fermcap.

Don't get me wrong, shaking the crap out of it until it dissolves is faster. But the stir plate is still pretty quick and allows me to go do something else in the meantime.

 

[BrewKaiser]

So about how much sanitized, room temp water do you end up using?

Volume of dilution water depends on OG at 30 minute mark and volume of wort collected. I use the dilution tool in Beersmith to determine approximately how much water to use.

In general, 4 Gal of 1.050 wort diluted with 1 Gal of water will result in 5 Gal of 1.040 wort.

There are other dilution tools available if not using Beersmith to determine volume of water to use.

When doing this I essentially make two recipes: 1) at the higher boil volume without hops, 2) scaled back version at the post split volume so I can more accurately calculate IBU. I also don't feel the need to use hops for a wort starter, since I would have to use 2xs the FWH or 60 min bittering charge to achieve correct IBU in the beer after the split. So when doing this I use a beer style that typically benefits from all late hop additions. Recipe 1 the focus is the grain bill and color, recipe 2 the focus is the hop schedule and IBU.

Making a yeast starter now is really just as simple as grabbing two wort starter mason jars from fridge, let them come to room temp along with yeast, and just pouring both into a flask, then setting on stir plate. I find my yeast starters have more vigor using all grain wort than DME.

I've read where some brewers actually split starters at the end of the boil (ie fully hopped) and then decant and drink the fermented starter...Not my cup of tea, but if that's your thing...:rockin: