My first yeast starter!

[sipher1966]

Hello All,

I just got my 2L yeast starter kit from B3.

I made up 900ml of starter wort with 1000ml of water and 1/2 cup DME.

When do you put in the yeast nutrient, during the boil, after the boil or after its been cooled when I throw in the yeast?

After 2 days of growth I had a nice layer yeast on the bottom of the flask. So I brewed up a AIPA last night and really didn't know what to do next.

When I pitch my starter, do I pour off the wort on top or do I just swish the whole thing around and pour in everything?

Thanks all

[Speyedr]

I haven't used yeast nutrient but I'd say put it in before the yeast but after the wort is cool.

As for pitching, it is recommended to chill the starter about 24hrs before you pitch (in the fridge) so that the yeast will drop out of suspension and you can pour off the "beer" and then pitch the yeast (after warming back up to the temp of the wort you are pitching into). That said, an AIPA is going to hide a lot of flaws and 900ml ain't that much so swirling and dumping is just fine. If you are making a pils (or other fragile beer) you DEFINIETLY want to get that starter beer off of the yeast to avoid off flavors.

As a side note, this has been discussed before but I generally use 1cup per qt of water. I think 1/2cup is going to be a bit low, especially for pitching into a high alcohol beer like an AIPA. Aim for 1.030 or more in starter gravity.

Finally, there is a LOT of info on yeast throughout this forum. Just do a search and you'll be inundated in no time.

Rob

[Kaiser]

I haven't used yeast nutrient but I'd say put it in before the yeast but after the wort is cool.

If I use yeast nutrient, I put it in before the boil. This way it gets sanitized as well.

Kai

[Bugeater]

Definitely put the nutrient in before the boil, otherwise it may not completely get dissolved. For most beers, if the starter volume is less than a liter I will pitch the whole works into my beer. If more than a liter, I chill and decant the liquid and pitch the slurry.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[sipher1966]

This time (Saturday) I boiled in the nutrient and swirled and poured the entire 900ml into the the wort (Monday). I had an explosive first 24 hours of fermentation which was awesome. Now I just have to remember to use a blow off tube from now on, at least for the first couple of days.

So for a secondary question:

If I want to make a big beer (> 1.050), i.e. a stout or porter, I will need a bigger pitch, correct?

So I will need to build a bigger starter. If I start with maybe a 500ml and allow it to do its thing. Do I add more DME (maybe another 1400ml) and allow it to do it thing again or do I pour of the existing wort and add 1900ml fresh starter wort (remember I have a 2000ml stater kit)? Or what is the better way to build a bigger pitch?

[Chris_J]

Sorry to bring back an old topic but I'm brewing at the end of the month. I made my starter a few days ago, at least a week ago anyway. The point is I started with around 300mls, after 4 days I decanted the beer and poured on around 650mls of wort. After a few more days I decanted that and added 1000mls of wort. That was last night. I've been swirling it around every time I walk by the closet it's sitting in. The ambient temp is around 70F and I followed Jamil's instructions on mrmalty.com. For the life of me I can't get this thing to grow more yeast. It seems like I've got about 250mls of yeast and the rest is wort. It has been the same since I poured off the beer from the first starter. I don't have a stir plate. Do I have too high expectations of this thing?

[Bugeater]

It seems like I've got about 250mls of yeast and the rest is wort. It has been the same since I poured off the beer from the first starter. I don't have a stir plate. Do I have too high expectations of this thing?

Unless you are brewing a really big beer, that should be plenty of yeast.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[Chris_J]

It seems like I've got about 250mls of yeast and the rest is wort. It has been the same since I poured off the beer from the first starter. I don't have a stir plate. Do I have too high expectations of this thing?

Unless you are brewing a really big beer, that should be plenty of yeast.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

I want more power!


Seriously though, I'm brewing Denny's Rye IPA. Out of curiosity, in Jamil's pitching calculator, does the recommended size of starter mean amount of yeast or does it mean the total volume? Thanks again.