Yeast Starters

[sonvolt]

I am always very imprecise when it comes to making yeast starters. I never measure my water, never measure my malt extract. I simply throw a bunch of extract into some water, boil it, then pitch some yeast when the temperature is right.

Do any of you guys get specific when it comes to making yeast starters? Is there an advantage to following a specific recipe?

Describe your yeast starter making process . . .

 

[Janx]

My process is just like yours. Boil exactly "some" water. Add enough extract to make it "kinda amber".

I usually make a little over half a gallon.

Cheers

 

[El Pistolero]

I measure out exactly 1 qt. of water, and exactly 6 oz. of DME. I attempt to boil exactly 15 minutes. I also check back on here to make sure those are the proper amounts about three times before I make the starter. I may have a problem, but since I'm relaxed and have had a brew, I'm not worrying about it.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I do 3oz/qt...usually 2qts. 15 minute boil.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I usually boil 2 C water and 1 C Extra Light DME for 5 minutes. The only variation is I sometimes double that.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

1.5 qt. h20+1/2 cup dme
or...
2 qt. h20+2/3 cup dme
or...
3 qt. h20+1 cup dme

boil for 15 min. cool in water bath
pitch @68F let sit for 48 hrs...

 

[Tlylebrew]

Wow starters are all over the place. I saw where you should do 3/4c DME to each liter of water. SO I did 1-3/4c with 2l of water.... Gravity was probably high, but the yeasties still seemed to like it.

 

[michaelm]

starter??? whats a starter???

Dry yeast FTW baby!

throw it in some warm water while the wort is cooling and pitch

 

[tedski]

I boil some 1.040 wort for a minimum of 15 minutes. With my Munton's Plain Light DME, that's 100 grams of DME per liter of water. The reason I measure specifically is I want to feed the yeast some weak wort in order to step them up to the job of fermenting a full 5 gallons.

 

[Thirsty_Monk]

Bottom line is that starter should be somewhere between 1030 -1040. Higher gravity more yeast growth.

 

[giligson]

But not too high a gravity or = unhappy yeast.

My method
1 Liter mason jar with 3 oz DME and 750 ml water. Boil in the microwave - watch for boilover! Let it cool until you can handle it safely then transfer with aluminum foil lid to fridge or outdoors in cool weather.
I sanitize a 1 gallon cider jug with iodophor. The yeast and starter wort go into that with an aluminum foil lid. Shake it about once an hour or whenever I can remember.

I would put the gallon jug in the microwave but it doesn't fit.

 

[jkarp]

Metric makes it easy to scale mentally - 10g DME per 100ml water. Makes for a perfect 1.040 starter.

 

[flyangler18]

Metric makes it easy to scale mentally - 10g DME per 100ml water. Makes for a perfect 1.040 starter.

Metric FTW. Super easy to calculate.

 

[Brew-boy]

I use 10 grams of DME per 100ml water what could be easier?

 

[pilot45]

Alright, new guy question here. You boil your water and DME, let it coll to below 80, then put in your yeast. Are you using dry yeast? How much yeast do you put in? Do you add the yeast to your wort then tranfsfer to a sterile container, or transfer the wort to a sterile container and then add the yeast?
Thanks!

 

[944play]

Do you add the yeast to your wort then tranfsfer to a sterile container, or transfer the wort to a sterile container and then add the yeast?

The easiest way is to use a borosilicate flask like this

because it can go directly on the stove and then into a cooling water bath. No need to sanitize another vessel.

I sometimes boil and cool in a saucepan and transfer to a sanitized growler.

Fourteen Essential Questions About Yeast Starters