Yeast starter question

[kenb]

Ok, i have never had to do a starter, but am making a 1.091 og beer tomorrow. Do i make a starter that is 1.091 og as well? Everything i read says 1.040, but i also have read that the OG should be close to the recipe wort OG..so which is correct?

 

[WortMonger]

I have heard that too. I would make a huge starter as close to gravity as you can get to your wanted beer.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I would make a starter only to about a gravity of 40 or so. That will be enough of a gravity to build up the population of yeast that will make that 90 gravity beer fantastic. Granted the volume in a starter isn't the same as a full batch, but why stress the yeast even before they get a chance to ferment the main batch?

 

[WortMonger]

I think you wouldn't be stressing them as much as you would be acclimating them to a higher alcohol level and attenuation. A 91 is going to take a lot to finish at the yeast's specified attenuation. The yeast will be going into the same environment they had just grown up through, otherwise I believe they would be truly stressed. This being said, the flavor may be indistinguishable between either and really may not matter. You may be more than ok with a low gravity starter, or you may be rousing your yeast later in fermentation to fully attenuate. That's my $.02.

 

[malkore]

a high gravity makes it hard for the yeast to take in nutrients as it awakens.

I would make a starter no higher than 1.050. that'll make plenty of yeast to pitch, and the thicker wort shouldn't pose a problem at that point.

 

[ρ®ïMσ]

check out the following links. they do contradict one another as far as what OG should be for a starter on a high-grav. i ended up going w a reg grav starter. a good point is made on mrmalty--yeast never get used to a high grav environment. the point of a starter is to increase healthy cells not the number of unhealthy cells. high grav environments put strain on the cells. ferment out, decant, pitch
http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.htm
http://maltosefalcons.com/tech/MB_Raines_Guide_to_Yeast_Culturing.php

 

[WortMonger]

Hummm, well after reading this I would go with it at 40 and make a bigger starter. Thanks for the input primo.

 

[ρ®ïMσ]

Hummm, well after reading this I would go with it at 40 and make a bigger starter. Thanks for the input primo.

sweet!! i finally contributed something here that some else found beneficial. my high gravs get a 3qt .040 starter. i shake and swirl my starters, but im asking for a stir plate for xmas--im stoked. probably go to a 2qt starter w my stir plate since ill be yielding more yeast.

 

[kenb]

Thanks for the advice. I did the 1.040 starter and then broke the carboy and lost the batch just moments after pitching. But at least i know how to make a starter now and will be ready for the next batch!

 

[dilligas2u]

Thanks for the advice. I did the 1.040 starter and then broke the carboy and lost the batch just moments after pitching. But at least i know how to make a starter now and will be ready for the next batch!

Thats one way to look at it.. I would still be bitchin

 

[ρ®ïMσ]

Thanks for the advice. I did the 1.040 starter and then broke the carboy and lost the batch just moments after pitching. But at least i know how to make a starter now and will be ready for the next batch!

im a nOob as well and can be clumsy at times --which is why i decided to go w better bottles. ill get some glass eventually, but just starting out i didnt want to drop more money on equipment replacing something i just bought.

 

[TexLaw]

If you already have Better Bottles, I can't think of any good reason to get glass carboys. That's not an upgrade; that's a liability.


TL