On brew days, I drink my yeast starter.

[looneybomber]

So I normally make 3L starters. I let them ferment out and cold crash them in the fridge for a few days. On brew day, I decant 2L of liquid into an insulated container (too keep it cool for a while) and about .75L down the drain. Since I use plain extra light DME for my starters and no hops (obviously), I'm able to taste what flavors the yeast imparts on the beer.

Does anyone else do this? I didn't do this until this summer, but since I always have the same wort, the only changes to the flavor are yeast and temp. Since I normally do a 70* starter, that eliminates the temp variable.

That said, I have a blonde rye cooling till I can pitch my Pacman starter.

 

[signpost]

Cool. I guess if you are going to make a 3L starter, that is a significant amount of DME to just dump it out. May as well get some enjoyment/information out of it.

I usually make relatively small starters (1L or less), and most of the time I don't get it going early enough to let it ferment out and cold crash it. It is normally just barely finishing fermentation (which makes for a quick starting fermentation after it is pitched :rockin

I'm guessing you do 10 gal. batches, because no calculator has suggested a 3L starter for any of my 5 gal. batches.

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

I take a wee sip just to make sure nothing has gone horribly awry (uh-oh vinegar!), but generally the starter wort does not taste fantastic so I just dump the rest.

 

[pdxal]

If I need a very large starter for a big beer I make a small beer from it. Use left over wort from a prior batch or DME to 1.030 or so, hop it about 15 IBUs and ferment with intermittent swirling then cold crash and decant, add sugar or carb tabs in 2L/1L bottles and enjoy. Less waste and a table beer to enjoy. Ready after the brew day, though.

 

[grathan]

I do this every time. It's exciting when using a new yeast strain to get a preview. It also gives an idea of what a warmer fermentation would taste like. And as mentioned above, a check for bacteria.

 

[Darwin18]

Yeahhhh......no. I have a fairly good idea of what an unhopped beer tastes like fermented warm. It's not good. Once is enough. I stick to craft beers or my own on brew day.

 

[joyceman]

If I need a very large starter for a big beer I make a small beer from it. Use left over wort from a prior batch or DME to 1.030 or so, hop it about 15 IBUs and ferment with intermittent swirling then cold crash and decant, add sugar or carb tabs in 2L/1L bottles and enjoy. Less waste and a table beer to enjoy. Ready after the brew day, though.

Just started doing this last couple of batches as well. Depending on the gravity of the batch I can usually get 1 Gal batch at around 1030 or so after some boiloff. Add some sugar, honey or DME and you can do a respectable 1 Gal batch. I'll pitch a jar of washed yeast and let it sit until I need the starter.

I made a batch of Janet's Hoppy Brown last weekend and used the second runnings for a 1 gallon english mild @ 1038 with wlp 002. Next time I need a 002 starter I'll bottle it and pitch.

 

[phenry]

I started doing this about a year ago. I usually only pour about a pint to drink, but it definitely did help me realize I was fermenting my beers too cool and carbing too high for my own tastes.

 

[m3n00b]

I made the mistake of tasting a starter and it took hours to get the taste out of my mouth.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Only time I did this was with conan...it was delicious.

You started off saying you use a 3L starter and only use 2L....I thought u were going to say u drink a liter of yeast!! lolol

I started doing this about a year ago. I usually only pour about a pint to drink, but it definitely did help me realize I was fermenting my beers too cool and carbing too high for my own tastes.

HUH??

 

[biochemedic]

Like previously mentioned, I also tend to drink some of the starter to evaluate for any off flavors. Obviously it doesn't taste "good" and it certainly doesn't taste like normal beer, but I have a hard time describing it as "bad" or "awful" If it tasted that way, I'd be concerned for the quality of the starter.

 

[looneybomber]

I'm guessing you do 10 gal. batches, because no calculator has suggested a 3L starter for any of my 5 gal. batches.

My yeast isn't fresh since I had it shipped while cold. So 3L starter even though the calc says that's not enough.

If I need a very large starter for a big beer I make a small beer from it.

My recent 5gal batches I am making this summer will mostly be given away to friends. I just want the yeast for my big beers this fall. I am saving T-58, 3711, Pacman, and WLP099 for some brews later. This isn't a bad idea.

Use left over wort from a prior batch or DME to 1.030 or so, hop it about 15 IBUs and ferment with intermittent swirling then cold crash and decant, add sugar or carb tabs in 2L/1L bottles and enjoy. Less waste and a table beer to enjoy. Ready after the brew day, though.

This isn't a bad idea at all. I only consumed less than 1L of my starter yesterday and just poured out the rest. I have a case of 1L swing tops I could use for easy "capping".

 

[broadbill]

reminds me of this quote from dodgeball:

Necessary? Is it necessary for me to drink my own urine? No! But I do it anyway, 'cause it's sterile and I like the taste.

 

[m3n00b]

Like previously mentioned, I also tend to drink some of the starter to evaluate for any off flavors. Obviously it doesn't taste "good" and it certainly doesn't taste like normal beer, but I have a hard time describing it as "bad" or "awful" If it tasted that way, I'd be concerned for the quality of the starter.

I don't ferment my starters at the proper temp....usually 70-80f...which is why they probably taste horrible. I always get awesome beer in the end though.

 

[ktblunden]

I don't ferment my starters at the proper temp....usually 70-80f...which is why they probably taste horrible. I always get awesome beer in the end though.

Yeah, I set up my stir plate in the kitchen when I make starters, so they usually ferment in the mid to upper 70s. Produces quite a lot of esters up that high. The two lager yeast starters I just made smelled like heffes.

 

[BreezyBrew]

So I normally make 3L starters. I let them ferment out and cold crash them in the fridge for a few days. On brew day, I decant 2L of liquid into an insulated container (too keep it cool for a while) and about .75L down the drain. Since I use plain extra light DME for my starters and no hops (obviously), I'm able to taste what flavors the yeast imparts on the beer.

I'd be interested to find out how close the taste correlations are between the starter and finished beer are.