Yeast starter from recipe wort?

[trevelynzx]

Waiting on DME to show up but it’s delayed. Anyone ever decant some cooled wort to make a starter with and then pitch back into the beer? 1.060 wort. I’m thinking it should work if i keep everything sanitary.

 

[bionut]

I never buy DME for starters. When i am brewing i always get at least 1 liter of extra 1.040 wort from the grain bag (or up to 15 liters from Imperial Stouts). Then i freeze it soda bottles and use for starters.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Anyone ever decant some cooled wort to make a starter with and then pitch back into the beer? 1.060 wort.

Yep, and it's very simple to dilute it to 1.040 with water.

 

[InspectorJon]

I never buy DME for starters. When i am brewing i always get at least 1 liter of extra 1.040 wort from the grain bag (or up to 15 liters from Imperial Stouts). Then i freeze it soda bottles and use for starters.

Does this refer to per-boil wort taken by dunking the grain bag in hot water? Kind of a second runnings from a BIAB mash?

 

[trevelynzx]

Thanks guys, glad to hear this will work since I forged ahead today after the brew was done. Only issue is that I pulled 1.060 wort from the unitank after it chilled. And I assume the prevailing wisdom calls for making starters @ 1.040 for a reason. Hopefully it doesn't matter too much, it's currently on the stir plate. Actually kinda like this as an alternative to the hassle of making starters, but next time I'll dilute it down a bit.

 

[Jag75]

My last handful of starters have been just popping the top and pouring in a flask . The easiest starter I've ever made

 

[RM-MN]

The point of using a starter is to get the wort fermenting quickly, before any bacteria or wild yeast have a chance to get a head start in your sweet wort. Taking wort from the fermenter to make a starter simply leaves the remainder of the wort available to other contaminates. I'd simply aerate the entire amount of wort and pitch the yeast directly into it so it starts propagating there.

 

[hottpeper13]

I pull a qt of wort at the 10 min boil mark and put in the freezer. It's ready to pitch into a vitality starter at the end of chilling the main batch. By the time the wort is in the fermenter and at pitching temp the vitality starter is at high K and ready to pitch. When I do this my lag times are ~4 hours. I like seeing that 1/4" foam cap that soon.

 

[Soulshine2]

Waiting on DME to show up but it’s delayed. Anyone ever decant some cooled wort to make a starter with and then pitch back into the beer? 1.060 wort. I’m thinking it should work if i keep everything sanitary.

what youre describing is kraeusening. yes , it works , and works very well. just make sure you add the correct amount per batch size.

 

[trevelynzx]

Thanks for the replies. Starter was spinning over night and came down to see the unitank @2psi. UGH. Vented a bunch of suspicious smelling gas. Gravity was still at OG level so hopefully not many sugars consumed. Pitched the starter a bit ahead of schedule but figured under pitching is better than letting a wildman (lol) take hold.

I’m guessing the infection came from the bottle of O2 i used to oxygenate. In the future i’ll only oxygenate right before pitching.