Starter Wort Issues

[FenoMeno]

Interesting night

Went to make my starter for a lager I was brewing on tues. I wanted to try two new techniques I read about online. I was making two 2 liter starters, and trying two different methods...

1) Put DME in Erlenmeyer, fill to 2000ml, boil right in vessel

The DME would not mix not matter how hard I tried to shake. There must have still been some stuck on bottom of the flask. I found this out as I started to smell something burning. I lifted the flask to see the bottom burned black.

That batch shot and I can't get the burned DME off the inside bottom. I am soaking in B-Brite tonight. Check in a day or so... Any suggestions, or is the flask shot?


2) Pressure cooker method: Put DME in canning jar, fill with water, shake, PSI cook @ 15 lbs for 15 minutes. With this method, apparently you can spend an evening canning starter wort to last you the year.

Again, DME did not mix well in water. Pressure cooker (first time ever using one) could not get above 11 lbs (240 degrees F). Wort looks very dark and DME still clumpy like spoiled milk. I did not re-shake (yet) as instructions say to let the jars completely cool, etc.

Q) Will the DME mix better if I start with warm'hot water?

Q) Is 11 lbs good enough? I read I could buy a heavier weight that would let it build more pressure, but according to guage 11 vs. 15 lbs is only 240 vs. 250 degrees F. I am not sure if that makes a big difference.

Dissapointed as I spent the whole night in the kitchen, wasted $13 in DME, burned my hand, burned/wreck my Erlenmeyer, and now have to postpone my brew for a week--of course I milled the grain prior to making the starters-go figure.

btw, I still have all the starter wort, boiled/chilled/sealed in the fridge. Is it worth pitching into?



Update...

Gomb, I did exactly what you said. Poured flask into pan and continued the way i always have done. One extra step (pan) is no big deal and easier to stir, etc. As long as my starter vessel is sanitized properly I guess I'm not worried---also less boil overs in pan.
Anyway, transferred to two new flasks and they are bubbling away beautifully.

PSI cooker trial: all seemed to seal well, color is still darker than normal, still not sure to pitch next batch as they were @ 11 lbs psi instead of 15...

hand healing nicely via solarcaine and neosporin

 

[cheier]

I would personally add the DME to the water. Not the other way around. I usually add to warm water while it is on the flame, so it is raising in temp. I just constantly stir it until all the DME is dissolved.

Last time I tried to do a starter in a flask, it was very difficult to control the boil over, so I just simply stuck with doing a starter in a pan.

As for your flask, maybe get a cheap scrub brush and see if you can scrub the burnt DME off the bottom of that flask. It will be caked on so you will want to make sure you get physical scrubbing in there as opposed to simply letting it sit in a solution.

Your starter wort should still be fine as long as it is sealed to prevent any bacteria from getting in. Just remember to bring the wort up to pitching temp (the temperature of your starter) before pitching yeast, otherwise you might shock the yeast and they will be slow to start.

 

[gomb]

I keep it simple, boil water in a pot on the stove, mix in DME, boil for 15min, chill, add to starter vessel. The flask you can try making an oxiclean solution and swirling it around every hour or so as it eats through the cake. Hopefully that will save your flask atleast. Did the starter wort you have ever fully dissolve? If not, just toss it in a pan and keep stirring as it heats up, boil for 10-15 and you are gtg. If its dissolved i wouldnt worry about it and call it good to pitch.