making a yeast starter?

[MarkKF]

I used White Labs Cider yeast and just pitched it in. Why and how should I make a yeast starter? Why do I need yeast nutrients? Even if I used the tube of yeast as opposed to a packet of dry yeast? Thanks...

 

[insurgus]

You want a starter because, as homebrewers, we're consistently and dramatically under pitching. It's been said that yeast packs only have roughly 25% viability, so it's good practice to get your cell counts up to a number that can do the job without much stress.

Yeast that have to have multiply can give off flavors to your beer, so you want them doing that in a flask rather than in your big bucket of beer.

You don’t need yeast nutrient. It's simply a nice to have. The purpose is really just to up your nitrogen content for faster cell multiplication, however its been proven that it doesn't increase it... It just speeds it up. Skip this if you want.

Build a starter for any liquid based yeast. Dry yeast is for girls.

There are tons of instructions here on how to make a starter. Use the search function.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

Dry yeast is for girls.

ouch.

 

[buffalo]

I actually just used the same yeast today for my cider without a started and it's gurgling away very nice already. I had read on several sites that people hadn't been using a starter with this yeast with good results so hopefully it works for me and you also.

 

[MarkKF]

I used no starter at it took off no problems. 3 weeks primary and 3 weeks secondary and it looks great but seems to be low on alcohol. I'm thinking not enough sugar to start with.

 

[Daver77]

Red the book Yeast by White.

I believe if you pitch proper amounts of yeast and control fermentation temps accordingly You'll have great beer. Everything can be sub par, this is the most important factor when brewing.

 

[Daver77]

I used no starter at it took off no problems. 3 weeks primary and 3 weeks secondary and it looks great but seems to be low on alcohol. I'm thinking not enough sugar to start with.

Sugar?

Maybe the yeast didn't eat all the sugars that was in there already?

What was your OG and your FG?

 

[MarkKF]

Sugar?



What was your OG and your FG?

My recipe called for adding sugar to the cider before primary. Don't most?

OG? FG? No readings, just winged it.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Searching for how to make a yeast starter is giving me no results that are helpful, they all just say to search! I know how to make a starter for beer, but for cider, do I use juice instead? How would i boil it without ruining it?

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I don't think I've seen anyone create a "how to" for creating a cider starter. I'd love to see one if it's out there. I think the basic principle might be the same as using DME for the "wort" in a starter. Just pitch the vial in some juice and let it go. The DME is only to add sugar to the starter right?

 

[MarkKF]

Here is what I just did. Use a growler half full of cider or apple juice. Shake it like crazy and add the yeast. Leave the lid loose. Every 4 hours shake it again (don't forget to tighten the lid first). After 12-24 hours just add the growler contents to the sweetened cider or apple juice. Worked great!

 

[Jacob_Marley]

<nevermind>

 

[D_Nyholm]

I tried that and it seemed to work well. Used 700 ml of cider and dropped in my washed nottingham I harvested from a beer I brewed. Was chugging away in the flask in about an hour and when I dumped it into the carboy, it started right back up.

Don't know where I read it, but I heard using a little Apple juice concentrate to up the gravity works as well, I guess you'd get more replication that way with the extra sugars?