What do you do when your starter is too large for your flask? =;>

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maierhof

maierhof

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So i brewed my second version of a SAdams Oktoberfest lager clone yesterday. When i made my starter it was larger than i expected - 4500 ml before i put my previouly harvested slurry into the mix. After i added the slurry it rose to ~6000 ml - just too big for my 5000ml flask. It wasnt overflowing but the head space was teeny for sure. Not having the time or a second arm (recent surgery left me with only one good arm right now) to make a new container i just put it on the stir plate and went to work on my brew day (yes i had help).

Before i went to bed last night it was already beginning to foam, so i took four paper towels and wound them into a rope fashioned line that i then tied around the flask and just put a doubled up towel underneath the stirplate to capture what i expected to be a holy mess this am.

The line captured all the foam over. Nothing got to the stirplate and nothing hit the towel. Surprising for sure...
 
Yep - two or three step starter. More time, less worry of a blowout. Heard some weird things about fermcap. Some won't use it for fear of chemicals and whatnot. I don't use it because I've never seen it on the shelf of my LHBS.


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Yeaup - i actually own Fermcap but didn't want to try it as simply i just don't understand it well enough yet... scared it will change the taste or something - lame i know - but I will do a few smaller batches and tinker with it soon enough.

Doing a two step would have put me more days out of actually pitching as i was already two days after brew day by the time i actually pitched this monster starter. But a good idea nonetheless... thinking of setting up a two stir plate system too now... it makes sense to do this as i can try different yeasts at the same time too in the future...

Bung with blow off tube? Man i am so short sighted sometimes lol - don't know why i didn't think of that as i have two of them setup and sitting in my brew room already - I think i will do that next time i am in this position again for sure... if i haven't built my new project yet that is =;>

Thanks for all the thoughts all - it is always great to hear different takes on a situation... gawd i love this site!:mug:
 
Happywanderer said:
Yep - two or three step starter. More time, less worry of a blowout. Heard some weird things about fermcap. Some won't use it for fear of chemicals and whatnot. I don't use it because I've never seen it on the shelf of my LHBS.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
Click to expand...


You probably haven't seen it on the shelf because it needs to be refrigerated. At my LHBS, it's kept in the secret fridge in the back room and I have to ask for it.



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kombat said:
It does?

I've had my in the bin (at room temperature) with all my other brew-day items for years. Where did you get the idea that it has to be refrigerated?
Click to expand...

when i bought mine it was in their fridge too.
it has nothing on it about storage cold though...
 
budbo said:
Easy solution...get a bigger flask
Click to expand...

uh - easy to say - harder to actually do... imho

they want over $400 on amazon for a new one and over $200 on ebay for a used one with who knows what they used it for... no thanks - this is just a hobby.

think i will just have to make a double stirplate and buy another 5000ml one :mug:
 
kombat said:
It does?

I've had my in the bin (at room temperature) with all my other brew-day items for years. Where did you get the idea that it has to be refrigerated?
Click to expand...

fermcap.jpg


I guess I got this one from NB. Pretty sure the vials from my LHBS say the same.
 
maierhof said:
Yeaup - i actually own Fermcap but didn't want to try it as simply i just don't understand it well enough yet... scared it will change the taste or something - lame i know - but I will do a few smaller batches and tinker with it soon enough.
Click to expand...

Don't fear the termcap! I had the same fears and dealt with multiple step starters and yeast gunk all over my counter. Stupid. I have been using Fermcap on all my starters for a while now and haven't had a single issue. Give it a go. You will kick yourself for not trying it earlier.

Also, I don't refrigerate mine. It is BSG packaging and doesn't say anything about refrigeration.
 
Thanks guys - that is good to hear as I have had my fermcap in the fridge the whole time just because when I bought it, it was in the fridge. All my label says is fermcaps and morebeer... doh - ty for that photo too - it is nice to see what NB does for a label and instructions - can't wait to give morebeer some shyte...

Really - no difference in the taste? Need to read on this subject more I think....
 
My LHBS guy told me that Fermcap-S will last 4 to 6 months unrefrigerated, but will last up to 2 years refrigerated.
 
Well that's good to hear that room temp storage seems to fine. I'd never really dove too deep into it. Just threw it in the fridge since the bottle said to.
 
I have 2 stir plates so I can split large starters and keep going...it's about the cell concentration for starters so you get basically the same growth rate with 1 billion cells in 1 liter as 500 million in .5 liter...both are 1 million cells per ml
 
maierhof said:
Holy Toledo - now that is a great way to do it! Nicely done...
Where do you put that thing when your doing your starters?
Click to expand...


Either kitchen table, brew table, or basement floor. Pretty much anywhere that has an outlet and a flat surface. I like to keep it in an area where I frequent though as it has on occasion thrown a stir bar randomly.

When not in use it stores nicely in the 4" gap between my 2 chest freezers.
 
maierhof said:
uh - easy to say - harder to actually do... imho

they want over $400 on amazon for a new one and over $200 on ebay for a used one with who knows what they used it for... no thanks - this is just a hobby.

think i will just have to make a double stirplate and buy another 5000ml one :mug:
Click to expand...

Or make smaller starters
 
Since switching to 10 gallon batches I bought a 5 liter flask and stirplate to handle the larger size starter. I got tired of spinning two 2 liter starters for each Ale brew day but I kept them for fermenting a Lager when I'll need the extra capacity. @schematix I love your idea looks like four Stir Starter style designs at the heart of it, what a nice idea or spinning four 5 liter flasks simultaneously!
 
I didn't remember to post after I used the Fermcap for the first time when I did my last starter - wow - that stuff works for sure!

I FIRMLY suggest people take a look at using Fermcap on all their starters!!
 
I bought a gallon of cheap wine. It came in a nice glass jug. Now - the bottom is rounded - not much ..... but some. Will likely work for some stir plates... not for others.

But for the price - it is the cheapest 1 gallon flask I could find.

And drinking cheap wine is good every once in a while.. especially by the gallon :drunk:
 

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