Starter question - using LME

[riored4v]

Quick question for you guys...

Going to start brewing my first batch on Friday or Saturday and was considering making my starter tonight.

I have White Labs California Ale 001 liquid yeast and have LME.

I've tried searching and have been reading but havent really found the info I'm looking for.

I know with DME they say to use about 1/2 cup of DME with 1/2 quart water. What does that equal out to when using LME? To my understaing you need more LME to be equal to DME, but i'm not sure by how much, especially with a starter.

Also, with the starter, would I be pitching the whole tube, or just a certain amount?

Any help would be appreciated in getting my first batch going.

Thanks guys

 

[Pugilist]

In the same boat as you, found this video on youtube and it seemed pretty informative. Only part I didnt have was the stir plate. Check it out.

 

[riored4v]

thanks, i'll have to check it out later. its workfiltered for me right now..lol

 

[riored4v]

ok, so i may have gotten somewhere. it seems that i'll be dumping the whole tube of WL yeast into the starter. Since it seems that more LME is req'd to equal the same amount of DME, I was thinking somewhere around 2/3 cup should work...???

If i get it started tonight, and let it do its thing until fri/sat, do i pitch all of the contents into the fermenter? Or I should I remove as much wort as possible and then pitch the settled yeast?

 

[riored4v]

starter got postponed until tonight.. so any info would be appreciated.

 

[Joker]

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

 

[riored4v]

Thats the book I've reading that I referenced above where I got the figures for using DME. It doesn't state what conversion would be needed for using LME

 

[mr x]

For LME, I used 500ml of LME (hopped BTW) and 3500 ml H2O to hit an SG of approx 1.040. I would think you could scale this down.

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

1 lb grain = .75 lb LME = .6 lb DME

Edit: Thanks Jaded!

 

[riored4v]

thanks guys

 

[Skunkyhops]

its your first brew just follow the directions on the vile of yeast and pitch it straight into your fermenter. no starter. that should answer a lot of your questions.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, that's where I have to disagree. A starter will mean your beer will be using fresh viable yeast, and reduce the lag times that can be nerve racking especially for a beginner. I almost always use a starter with liquid yeast, and recommend it to anybody.

 

[Professor Frink]

I agree with Yoops. I wish I learned to make a starter long before I did, my first beers probably would have been much better.

 

[riored4v]

I agree with Yoops. I wish I learned to make a starter long before I did, my first beers probably would have been much better.

which is exactly why i want to learn right away, on the first batch.

i read the label on the tube, sounded fine and dandy, but after reading HTB along with the forums i'm pretty much convinced using a starter is the way to go, especially with using a liquid yeast vial.

 

[mr x]

What are you using for a starter vessel?

 

[riored4v]

What are you using for a starter vessel?

1000mL flask, stopper and airlock.

 

[mr x]

That's a small vessel. Check out this thread

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=53300

 

[SuperiorBrew]

In the same boat as you, found this video on youtube and it seemed pretty informative. Only part I didnt have was the stir plate. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e782x9mMso

With a stir plate you just foil the flask or use a foam stopper, not an airlock

 

[riored4v]

That's a small vessel. Check out this thread

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=53300

was actually just reading that thread... it actually started to make me worry. hopefully this one will work.

i think sooner than later i'll upgrade to a bigger size, like the 2L or 5L mentioned. this batch is a sierra nevada pale ale clone, so i'm hoping i wont experience the issues you did with the hefe.

 

[riored4v]

1 lb grain = .75 lb LME = .6 lb DME

Edit: Thanks Jaded!

Tell me if my math is off...

I already brewed my first batch, everything is pretty much done at this point except for bottling, and it seems to have turned out really good.

I'm getting ready to a 2nd batch this weekend and will be using LME again, so I wanted to use the above as a reference and try to get my calculations as down pat as possible.

Both ways that I tried figuring this out, it appears 2/3 cup LME to 2 cups Water.

First way I tried:
1/2 cup DME = 3.9oz =.2438lb
.6lb DME / .2438lb = 2.5
.75lb LME / 2.5 = .3lb = 4.8 oz = .6cups

Second way I tried to calculate:
.75 lb LME = 12fl oz
.6 lb DME = 9.6 fl oz

12 / 9.6 = 1.25

1/2 cup DME (recommended amount) = 4oz

4 oz x 1.25 = 5oz LME
5 oz = .625 cups

Sorry for all the rambling, but just figured I would sit down and try to figure all this out and possibly be able to help out anyone else with similar questions.

 

[daveotero]

Back from the dead!

Sorry to dig this thread up but I was looking on a quick reference for how much LME to use for a starter and found it.

Assuming that the weight to volume conversions in the post above are correct (1oz LME = 0.125 cup), 0.625 cups (5oz) of LME for one a 1 pint (2 cups) starter seams like way to much. Plugging that into Beer Smith gives an OG of 1.088.

Seams to me that 2.6oz (~1/3 cup or 0.16 gal) of LME for a 1 pint (2 cups or 0.13 gal) starter would be the right amount. Beer Smith shows an OG of 1.044.

Sound right to you guys?