1.4l Yeast Starter

[bobot]

Greetings Helpful Beer Fiends!
Mr. Malty says I need a 1.4l yeast starter.
Does this mean that I begin with 1.4l of water?
How much DME do you suppose I should use for 5gal. NB Dead Ringer
OG1.063?
Thanks Much!!

 

[sikkingj]

Yes use 1.4L of water and 140g of DME.



-John

 

[bobot]

Thank you John!

 

[Golddiggie]

You want 1.4L going into the flask. So, depending on how much you're going to boil, you'll start off with more. IMO/IME, better to use 1.5 or 1.6L in a stainless pot, make the starter wort (use 140g of DME) and then pour into the flask once cooled. This will also prevent you from getting burned by boiling hot starter wort, or wort foam.

 

[jtkratzer]

You want 1.4L going into the flask. So, depending on how much you're going to boil, you'll start off with more. IMO/IME, better to use 1.5 or 1.6L in a stainless pot, make the starter wort (use 140g of DME) and then pour into the flask once cooled. This will also prevent you from getting burned by boiling hot starter wort, or wort foam.

Why not boil in the flask if you have quality glassware?

 

[Golddiggie]

Why not boil in the flask if you have quality glassware?

Lets see... How about the multitude of posts where people have been burned (physically) by the contents of the flask? How about the number of people that have had the flask break as they were moving it into the sink to cool? How about the mess that can be made if the contents foam up badly? How about the difficulty in getting DME through the opening as the water reaches boiling temps? Do I need to go on?

IME, using a stainless pot is 100% safe. You can usually use that same one you cook noodles in (I do for up to about 2L of starter wort). It's far less risky to simply use a stainless pot and pour the cooled starter wort into the flask. Use Star San to sanitize it, the stirbar and the stopper, and you're set. I've had zero accidents, issues, etc. using this method... Also, you can ONLY use a flask on a gas stove. If the person has any kind of electric stove you do NOT want to put the flask on it.

 

[bobot]

Thank You Golddiggie! Adding a little more water now!
:rockin:

 

[jtkratzer]

Lets see... How about the multitude of posts where people have been burned (physically) by the contents of the flask? How about the number of people that have had the flask break as they were moving it into the sink to cool? How about the mess that can be made if the contents foam up badly? How about the difficulty in getting DME through the opening as the water reaches boiling temps? Do I need to go on?

IME, using a stainless pot is 100% safe. You can usually use that same one you cook noodles in (I do for up to about 2L of starter wort). It's far less risky to simply use a stainless pot and pour the cooled starter wort into the flask. Use Star San to sanitize it, the stirbar and the stopper, and you're set. I've had zero accidents, issues, etc. using this method... Also, you can ONLY use a flask on a gas stove. If the person has any kind of electric stove you do NOT want to put the flask on it.

Let's see:

You don't have to put the DME in at boiling temps. Put it in with the water right away.

Foam? Ever heard of fermcap?

Burned by the contents of the flask? Meaning they spilled it? I haven't seen or looked for these threads. I've never burned myself using my 2 or 5 liter flasks for starters.

Flasks breaking? I did say quality glassware. I've also never had a flask break. But common sense says give it 30 seconds or so before plunging into ice water. I normally turn the burner off, put the flask into the bucket and start adding ice and water. Never broken. I guess mine are magic.

You don't need to use a stainless pot. You just need to not be an idiot or clumsy. Boil it in whatever you have. Any soup or sauce pan will work. Or boil in your flask with the stir bar and you don't have to make sanitizer. If you're not going to boil in a flask, don't buy one. Use a half gallon jug or a large wine bottle. The only reason to have a flask is to boil in it since you can get and a stir bar to spin on just about any kind of glass wear. Use a Costco sized pickle jar.


Bottom line, use what you have. Don't spend extra money on crap you don't need if you're not going to use it for what it was designed for. And don't be a clumsy idiot.

 

[helibrewer]

I don't even boil my starters. I use fresh RO water, mix the DME in, pitch right away and off it goes, never have had a problem

 

[jtkratzer]

I don't even boil my starters. I use fresh RO water, mix the DME in, pitch right away and off it goes, never have had a problem

Even better.

 

[Golddiggie]

Do whatever method you want, just know that using a stainless pot (or any pot) WILL be far easier than boiling in the flask. With enough flasks out there marketed as the correct glass, but not being so, it's worth doing it. Plus, you don't NEED to use fermcap 99% of the time when you use a pot. Plus, you can actually stir in a pot, I challenge anyone to get a decent sized spoon into a flask.

Plus, if you don't have a gas stove top, you cannot put the flask on top. Well, you can, it just goes against all the warnings you'll see about using them ONLY with gas/flame. Of course, if you're going to do a stepped starter, then you only have the option on the first step.

Personally, I have zero issues using a pot to make the starter wort. No breaking, no burning, no issues of any kind. If I'm going to make more than ~2L of starter wort, I simply use my 8qt pot to do the cook.

BTW, even a few minute boil is advisable with starters. You don't need to boil like you would a batch of beer. Anything over 10 minutes is beyond over-kill. I normally do 5-10 minutes cook time on mine to get everything into solution. Plus, if I want, I can toss in a packet of crappy dry yeast (coopers or muntons) to kill it and turn it into food for my good yeast.

 

[jtkratzer]

Why do you need to stir in the flask? Shake it.

You don't need sanitizer if you boil in the flask.

It all comes down to personal preference.

I do stepped starters in my flask each of the last two brews, taking one pack of yeast to do 22 gallons of beer, half at 1.039 and the other half at 1.065. I have a 2 liter and 5 liter flask.

Either way has pros and cons. Work with what you have and make beer. Either way won't really matter as long as sanitation is where it should be.

 

[beergolf]

Let's see:

You don't have to put the DME in at boiling temps. Put it in with the water right away.

Foam? Ever heard of fermcap?

Burned by the contents of the flask? Meaning they spilled it? I haven't seen or looked for these threads. I've never burned myself using my 2 or 5 liter flasks for starters.

Flasks breaking? I did say quality glassware. I've also never had a flask break. But common sense says give it 30 seconds or so before plunging into ice water. I normally turn the burner off, put the flask into the bucket and start adding ice and water. Never broken. I guess mine are magic.

You don't need to use a stainless pot. You just need to not be an idiot or clumsy. Boil it in whatever you have. Any soup or sauce pan will work. Or boil in your flask with the stir bar and you don't have to make sanitizer. If you're not going to boil in a flask, don't buy one. Use a half gallon jug or a large wine bottle. The only reason to have a flask is to boil in it since you can get and a stir bar to spin on just about any kind of glass wear. Use a Costco sized pickle jar.


Bottom line, use what you have. Don't spend extra money on crap you don't need if you're not going to use it for what it was designed for. And don't be a clumsy idiot.

Just add the DME before you put the water in, add water, shake, add some fermcap, put on burner to boil. Cool and add yeast. I have tons of starters this way with no problems. A good flask is worth buying if you are going to boil in it.

 

[jsmcclure]

Yeah, a good flask is a wonderful thing. I add my DME before heating (along with fermcap and yeast nutrient). i cover with foil and boil for 15 minutes. The borosilicate glass can withstand immersion in cool water right off the burner so it cools quickly.

Really very easy. I suppose burning is a hazard but we're always handing hot liquids with that risk in mind.