Making a Yeast Starter in a Flask (A Walkthrough with Pictures)

[TheMadKing]

Thanks mods for the merge! I know you guys are busy with the move.

And thanks Gavin for being patient with my pedantic questioning! I wrote an article about my methods for my little blog that I write for. I'm still refining it because I think it's jumbled and confusing and I've certainly incorporated a lot of what you wrote in your original article and given you acknowledgement in my post. When I get it to a happy place.

Edit: and here it is http://narrativeroots.com/2015/07/01/yeast-knowledge-feast/

Thanks for all your help @Gavin C!

 

[brew703]

Question regarding over-building.
Once the starter has cooled, do you swirl, then measure out the over-build volume and store in the fridge for future use and then pitch the correct amount?
Using the Brew United calculator, I chose the hybrid pitch rate and used an over-build amount of 125. The starter details show 1.5L of water to 151 grams of DME.
Overbuild harvest shows to pitch .864L and harvest .636.
When measuring out the starter, I would measure the creamy liquid and not just the yeast at the bottom, correct.
I apologize for the newbie questions but just wanting to get this right.

 

[flars]

Question regarding over-building.
Once the starter has cooled, do you swirl, then measure out the over-build volume and store in the fridge for future use and then pitch the correct amount?
Using the Brew United calculator, I chose the hybrid pitch rate and used an over-build amount of 125. The starter details show 1.5L of water to 151 grams of DME.
Overbuild harvest shows to pitch .864L and harvest .636.
When measuring out the starter, I would measure the creamy liquid and not just the yeast at the bottom, correct.
I apologize for the newbie questions but just wanting to get this right.

You are correct. It is the volume that is measured after swirling the starter wort and yeast together.

 

[brew703]

You are correct. It is the volume that is measured after swirling the starter wort and yeast together.

Thank you. That's what i thought.

 

[Gavin C]

Question regarding over-building.
Once the starter has cooled, do you swirl, then measure out the over-build volume and store in the fridge for future use and then pitch the correct amount?
Using the Brew United calculator, I chose the hybrid pitch rate and used an over-build amount of 125. The starter details show 1.5L of water to 151 grams of DME.
Overbuild harvest shows to pitch .864L and harvest .636.
When measuring out the starter, I would measure the creamy liquid and not just the yeast at the bottom, correct.
I apologize for the newbie questions but just wanting to get this right.

No worries at all.

The starter is taken off the stir-plate and the preplanned overbuild volume is immediately poured into the already prepared sanitized vessel(s).

These jars are capped loosely, labeled and refrigerated. Lids tightened after a day or so.

Hope that clarifies things a bit.

 

[brew703]

No worries at all.

The starter is taken off the stir-plate and the preplanned overbuild volume is immediately poured into the already prepared sanitized vessel(s).

These jars are capped loosely, labeled and refrigerated. Lids tightened after a day or so.

Hope that clarifies things a bit.

Yes. Immensely. Wasn't quite sure.
Thanks

 

[HomebrewPadawan]

Great write up, I found some helpful info. Whenever I get a new yeast strain, I also like to do the overbuild method. It seems like the easiest, most efficient, way to retain a clean pitch of the strain for a new starter.

 

[Gavin C]

Great write up, I found some helpful info. Whenever I get a new yeast strain, I also like to do the overbuild method. It seems like the easiest, most efficient, way to retain a clean pitch of the strain for a new starter.

Thanks.

The only change I have made in my methodology since writing this is that I have shortened my starter boil time to ~1-2 minutes. 10 minutes is pointless overkill.