Quick reply please yeast starter not boiling

[Yourrealdad]

Just moved into a new house and now have an electric glass top stove and so put my flask in a soup pot with water in the pot. My flask has been sitting in the pot of boiling water for 30mins and it is not boiling.

What am I doing wrong?

Should I just boil it on the stove?

Thanks for the quick reply

 

[brettg20]

You can boil your flask or boil in a pot and pour into a sanitized flask.

 

[Yourrealdad]

So I tried boiling the flask in the pot but it is not working

 

[brettg20]

I would then boil your starter in a pot and then pour into a sanitized flask and then cool in a ice bath

 

[Yourrealdad]

Alright. If I have a glass top electric what are the chances that the flask breaks? It seems like since their is no direct contact that it should be ok?

 

[tally350z]

If its an Erlenmeyer flask, then you can put heat directly to it without issue. I have the same type of stove top and have no issue with mine getting to boil.

 

[brettg20]

Not sure to be honest. I have an electric stove albeit it isn't glass, but the coil type. I usually boil the flask with water to sanitize to avoid boil over and then transfer the starter over.

I would think it is ok though...

 

[Jayslay]

Boil in a pot for ten minutes. Turn off stove and put a lid on pot. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then dunk the covered pot into a sink of cold water for ten minutes. Once it's at a reasonable temp pour it into your flask. Cool flask until you reach pitch temp. Pitch. Agitate. Wait for ferment to finish. Fridge overnight. Decant. Let rise to room temp. Pitch. Ferment. Drink resulting beer.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[IvanBrew]

You can't boil the wort in the flask by placing it in boiling water.

Sugar raises the boiling point of water. If you put the flask in a water bath, the hottest the bath can get is 212 F. It'll never get hot enough to boil the liquid in the flask.

You have to boil the wort in the flask by placing the flask directly on the heat.

Edit: Or by boiling the wort separately and pouring into the flask... (since you have an electric stove, take this route.)

 

[max384]

You can't boil the wort in the flask by placing it in boiling water.

Sugar raises the boiling point of water. If you put the flask in a water bath, the hottest the bath can get is 212 F. It'll never get hot enough to boil the liquid in the flask.

You have to boil the wort in the flask by placing the flask directly on the heat.

Edit: Or by boiling the wort separately and pouring into the flask... (since you have an electric stove, take this route.)

It's not the actual boiling that is important. It is getting the wort to that temperature that is important. If the temperature is at 212 F, who cares if it is actually boiling?

 

[IvanBrew]

It's not the actual boiling that is important. It is getting the wort to that temperature that is important. If the temperature is at 212 F, who cares if it is actually boiling?

Especially for the sake of a starter, I completely agree. I was just answering the original question of "why isn't it boiling."

 

[BWE]

I'm going to hop on this before the thread before it dies. I've been doing the boil in a pot and then pour into the Flask method. If I read right though, you guys said ya'll are not able to get it up above 212° if in the flask and strait on the stove. Does that mean there is no risk of boilover? I haven't tried it because I've read in other threads not to put the flask on a glass stove top.

 

[tally350z]

I'm going to hop on this before the thread before it dies. I've been doing the boil in a pot and then pour into the Flask method. If I read right though, you guys said ya'll are not able to get it up above 212° if in the flask and strait on the stove. Does that mean there is no risk of boilover? I haven't tried it because I've read in other threads not to put the flask on a glass stove top.

What they are referring too is trying to achieve a boil within the flask, while the flask is sitting in boiling water. If its an Erlenmeyer flask, you can put the water and DME in the flask and boil it there. There is a higher risk of a boil over because of the narrow,tall neck of the flask.

Basically you can do it a few ways the main issue is to make sure everything is sanitized properly.

 

[BWE]

What they are referring too is trying to achieve a boil within the flask, while the flask is sitting in boiling water. If its an Erlenmeyer flask, you can put the water and DME in the flask and boil it there. There is a higher risk of a boil over because of the narrow,tall neck of the flask.

Basically you can do it a few ways the main issue is to make sure everything is sanitized properly.

Gotcha. I think mine is an Erlenmeyer unless that is a Brand and not a Style. It says Shuniu on it and also Chingduchina. Not sure if I feel safe cooking right on the stove with it unless some of you have used this brand with success.

 

[tally350z]

Gotcha. I think mine is an Erlenmeyer unless that is a Brand and not a Style. It says Shuniu on it and also Chingduchina. Not sure if I feel safe cooking right on the stove with it unless some of you have used this brand with success.

I am not sure about the Chinese glassware. I would be cautious about boiling directly in the flask.

 

[BWE]

I am not sure about the Chinese glassware. I would be cautious about boiling directly in the flask.

Yea, I think your probably right. I'll stick to my current method.

 

[Nuggethead]

Maybe there is an issue with boiling on an electric range that I don't know about, but I boil in my flask directly over gas flame and have done a hundred starters in the same flask with no trouble. Just remember to always use some fermcap or similar. Two drops in the wort before the boil starts and it will never boil over. Without it ,it will almost always boil over. I do mostly 2500ml boils in a 3000ml flask, let it cool for 10 minuets before placing it in cold water bath. No breaks so far.

 

[amarshallvt]

I boiled my flask on Saturday right on the glasstop. But it says it's made in Germany... Those engineers I trust a little more.