Basic Yeast Starters
  • PBR4LIFEPBR4LIFE
    Posts: 14
    I made two tonight for a double brew day on Saturday or Sunday

    Pretty simple instructions:

    1. figure out how big of a starter you need. Its based on your OG. For these beers I needed a 2L starter
    2. Measure out 200 grams of pale dry malt
    3. Measure out 2000ml of water
    4. Find a pot big enough to handle the 2000ml and handle a boil
    5. Bring water to a boil
    6. Reduce heat way down and add dry malt (helps prevent boil over)
    7. Increase heat and bring to a steady boil for 15 min
    8. Cool the wort to around 80*
    9. I use a big pickle jar from costco and pour the wort into the jar and pitch the yeast and cover with foil
    8. If you don't have a stir plate give it a shake when you walk by

  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    PBR4LIFE said:

    I made two tonight for a double brew day on Saturday or Sunday

    Pretty simple instructions:

    1. figure out how big of a starter you need. Its based on your OG. For these beers I needed a 2L starter
    2. Measure out 200 grams of pale dry malt
    3. Measure out 2000ml of water
    4. Find a pot big enough to handle the 2000ml and handle a boil
    5. Bring water to a boil
    6. Reduce heat way down and add dry malt (helps prevent boil over)
    7. Increase heat and bring to a steady boil for 15 min
    8. Cool the wort to around 80*
    9. I use a big pickle jar from costco and pour the wort into the jar and pitch the yeast and cover with foil
    8. If you don't have a stir plate give it a shake when you walk by




    sounds about like what i've been doing
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jeepinjeepinjeepinjeepin
    Posts: 18,099
    Splitting hairs, but yeah. 200g DME and add water to make a total of 2000mL. It's slightly less than 2000mL of water, but close enough. The yeast aren't gonna measure it and say it's not quite sweet enough.
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  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,068
    jeepinjeepin said:

    Splitting hairs, but yeah. 200g DME and add water to make a total of 2000mL. It's slightly less than 2000mL of water, but close enough. The yeast aren't gonna measure it and say it's not quite sweet enough.


    Are you accounting for boil off?
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    i've never thought to be very exact on starter gravity... does it really matter
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    OK ..... very silly question ....
    Why does everybody switch units for starters?
    Think about it.... you do batches in gallons .... pounds of grain .... ounces of hops ... calculate strike water in quarts per pound ....
    its like having an engineering drawing with all the measurements in feet and a bar scale at the bottom with a scale of 1cm=1m
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    ceannt said:

    OK ..... very silly question ....
    Why does everybody switch units for starters?
    Think about it.... you do batches in gallons .... pounds of grain .... ounces of hops ... calculate strike water in quarts per pound ....
    its like having an engineering drawing with all the measurements in feet and a bar scale at the bottom with a scale of 1cm=1m



    i think it mostly because you get Erlenmeyer flasks in metric sizes, not a lot of 1 gallon Erlenmeyer flasks out there
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Lakewood said:

    ceannt said:

    OK ..... very silly question ....
    Why does everybody switch units for starters?
    Think about it.... you do batches in gallons .... pounds of grain .... ounces of hops ... calculate strike water in quarts per pound ....
    its like having an engineering drawing with all the measurements in feet and a bar scale at the bottom with a scale of 1cm=1m



    i think it mostly because you get Erlenmeyer flasks in metric sizes, not a lot of 1 gallon Erlenmeyer flasks out there


    Just too many significant digits ..... whole lot easier to screw up calculations.... 2000ml is just a hair more than 2 quarts (2.1) this stuff ain't rocket science ... why make it harder than it has to be?
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    ceannt said:

    Lakewood said:

    ceannt said:

    OK ..... very silly question ....
    Why does everybody switch units for starters?
    Think about it.... you do batches in gallons .... pounds of grain .... ounces of hops ... calculate strike water in quarts per pound ....
    its like having an engineering drawing with all the measurements in feet and a bar scale at the bottom with a scale of 1cm=1m



    i think it mostly because you get Erlenmeyer flasks in metric sizes, not a lot of 1 gallon Erlenmeyer flasks out there


    Just too many significant digits ..... whole lot easier to screw up calculations.... 2000ml is just a hair more than 2 quarts (2.1) this stuff ain't rocket science ... why make it harder than it has to be?


    if people are doing conversions then i agree. if they are just reading the values off the flask or switching their scale to si units, then i don't think its any easier to botch.

    that said, i don't even measure for a starter...
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,068
    Lakewood said:

    ceannt said:

    Lakewood said:

    ceannt said:

    OK ..... very silly question ....
    Why does everybody switch units for starters?
    Think about it.... you do batches in gallons .... pounds of grain .... ounces of hops ... calculate strike water in quarts per pound ....
    its like having an engineering drawing with all the measurements in feet and a bar scale at the bottom with a scale of 1cm=1m



    i think it mostly because you get Erlenmeyer flasks in metric sizes, not a lot of 1 gallon Erlenmeyer flasks out there


    Just too many significant digits ..... whole lot easier to screw up calculations.... 2000ml is just a hair more than 2 quarts (2.1) this stuff ain't rocket science ... why make it harder than it has to be?


    if people are doing conversions then i agree. if they are just reading the values off the flask or switching their scale to si units, then i don't think its any easier to botch.

    that said, i don't even measure for a starter...


    I "measure" just so i don't screw it up too bad. Nothing real exact.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I do it this cause its just easier to do the calculations.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,068
    I've read 5twn to one, whatever you are doing, ten to one. With my 1000ml flask I use 750 ml water to 75 grams DME.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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