No yeast activity...HELP!!!

[Anthony_Lopez]

I hear you. This is the last time I use WL without a starter.

Tell me about this AG starter wort. Do you make a wort stockpile to use for your starters? I can see making a batch of wort from a few pounds of grain and storing it in the fridge for multiple starter batches but if I had to do a "mini-mash" each time I did a starter this seems like a ton of extra effort.

From what I understand, the most effective manner to do a starter is to use dried malt extract to get a gravity of around 1.04. Obviously, the amount of DME used depends on your desired starter volume. Also, many have said that if you want to store your wort from a brew session for a longer period of time, you really need to use a pressure cooker to get above 250*F to kill off absolutely everything. There are people here that know much much more about starters than me, so this is just what I've absorbed from HBT so far...

 

[dontman]

From what I understand, the most effective manner to do a starter is to use dried malt extract to get a gravity of around 1.04. Obviously, the amount of DME used depends on your desired starter volume. Also, many have said that if you want to store your wort from a brew session for a longer period of time, you really need to use a pressure cooker to get above 250*F to kill off absolutely everything. There are people here that know much much more about starters than me, so this is just what I've absorbed from HBT so far...

Just to be clear, my question was actually very specific to the "AG" version of starters. I make starters with DME all of the time and they are easy to throw together an hour before pitching the yeast. What I have not done is make a starter wort from grain because that would take a couple hours plus a lot of clean up which to me, would not be worth it unless I could do a couple gallons worth, (the wort not the starter) and store it in the fridge for multiple batches.

I can't see using a pressure cooker in the way you described. 2 things: Sugar begins caramelization at 212 and this process continues up through 236 where it becomes a medium caramel and 250 where it becomes a dark caramel. At these depths of caramelization even if you decant the starter you will still be adding strong flavors to your beers. and Second, all living organisms are killed at 170 (hence the temp for pasteurization.) This makes me curious what people were talking about when they were saying that stored wort needed to be pressure cooked.

PS I like your cheap and easy stirplate. I was looking at that the other night and am considering that as my next project.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Just to be clear, my question was actually very specific to the "AG" version of starters. I make starters with DME all of the time and they are easy to throw together an hour before pitching the yeast.

How do you make a starter a hour before pitching the yeast???

Proofing, is not making a starter..

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Im going to start making a starter everytime.

 

[dontman]

How do you make a starter a hour before pitching the yeast???

Proofing, is not making a starter..

Pitching the yeast into the starter, my friend, into the starter.

 

[Bob869007]

and Second, all living organisms are killed at 170 (hence the temp for pasteurization.) This makes me curious what people were talking about when they were saying that stored wort needed to be pressure cooked.

Not all living organisms are killed off at 170. Botulism will live well above boiling temperatures. When you can food items there are two methods: water bath and pressure canning. High acid foods can be canned using the water bath method which is essentially boiling. Low acid foods need to be pressure canned. I do not know the exact PH that determines high or low acids. I do know that tomatoes have a PH slightly lower than wort and all canning recipes call for the use of additional acids such as citric acid when using the water bath method. Other factors such as alcohol can improve the storage abillity of canned or bottle food items. Is the pasturization temperature the same for milk as it is for beer? Keep in kind that most pasturized items must be kept refrigerated where canned food items can be kept at room temperature. So it would seem to me that storing wort for a starter would not be a good idea unless you were to keep it refrigerated and use it rather quickly. Just my .02

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Pitching the yeast into the starter, my friend, into the starter.

Gotcha..

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

Botulism is an excellent example of organisms living above 212*F. Someone here told me that they use Botulism as a grading system for cleaners, sterilizers, etc.

Thanks for the kudos on the stirplate BTW!

Also- I've used a smack pack without making a starter and it takes off within 6-12 hours depending on the OG, etc.