Yeast Starter Water Additions?

[dan46nbrew]

I'm planning on using RO water to get to a Pilsen profile. I'm using Beermith 3, but it doesn't give any info about what additions to add to the 4L starter. Can I just use RO water for the starter?

 

[IslandLizard]

You can use RO or soft tap water for your starters. The yeast doesn't care all that much.
You're using DME to make your starter wort, right?
100 gram DME per liter (=1000 gram) of water?

Are you pitching the whole 4 liters? Or are you first cold crashing then decanting the starter beer, to only pitch the slurry?

 

[dan46nbrew]

I was going to pitch the whole thing.

 

[IslandLizard]

I was going to pitch the whole thing.

That's OK. Allegedly no one has ever been able to taste the difference between the 2 methods.
But some of us will only pitch the slurry suspended in a little starter beer.

 

[Nate R]

Isn't dme/lme great for all beer (let alone a starter) with just RO/Distilled water? I understood the malter (or whoever makes the dme/lme) worries about mash ph, etc.

 

[McMullan]

I'd recommend adding some yeast nutrients. They love zinc especially. I prop up my yeast nutrient with zinc sulphate. It won't make the slightest difference unless you open your eyes.

 

[MaxStout]

I do that, too. A little pinch of yeast nutrient in my starters.