corymcd
Active Member
Summer and travel had me off the brewing front. Getting started again next weekend. Best GF yeast starter? Only pitched dry GF yeast so far but want to get those buggers awake ahead of time.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Yeast starter?
- Thread starter corymcd
- Start date
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i never starter dry yeast. neither do a lot of people. it already has plenty of yeast cells. extra-light dme is the best starter food, though, if you want to use it for liquid yeast, as it has no mouth-feel or flavor effect on the wort
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corymcd
Active Member
dme will kick the gluten up, though which is a non-starter. thoughts?
i don't think corn sugar has gluten, does it?
I don't do starters with dry-yeast either and I've never had a problem. But if you have to make one, I'd use maybe brown rice syrup or sorghum syrup in place of lme or dme.
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corymcd
Active Member
Thanks! I'll try the brs and see.
OK, a few things.
1. With dry yeast it is actually cheaper to just purchase the correct amount of yeast, ie 2 packets. They have "reserves" in the packets for quick starts, and by making a starter you actually deplete these. This is why people recommend you don't make starters for dry yeast.
2. If you are hellbent on making one, the media you want to use is the one closest to the beer you are making. If it is BRS, so be it, but make sure to add yeast nutrient if you are using anything but Sorghum.
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corymcd
Active Member
Thanks, DK! Great stuff. Enjoy your feedback on this and everything else on here!
This is correct, but you don't normally use corn sugar as a main medium unless you are making hooch. I used table sugar one time and it worked...but not as well as using an actual beer media.
Glad someone knew the answers.
mrtree
Active Member
This would be useful if one were comfortable using white labs liquid yeast.
Although my experience with white labs thus far has been excellent without
using a starter.
Anyone else using white labs and making starters for their GF brews?
I should say, mostly GF to be correct, as white labs is not 100% GF.
Good information, thanks for sharing.
Although my experience with white labs thus far has been excellent without
using a starter.
Anyone else using white labs and making starters for their GF brews?
I should say, mostly GF to be correct, as white labs is not 100% GF.
Good information, thanks for sharing.
DirtbagHB
Well-Known Member
most of the time if i make a starter. i make it just like when making it for bread.
heat a glass of water to 90degrees. pitch the yeast into it. dont stir it. wait 30 minutes. add a spoonful of sugar and stir. wait 15 minutes and make sure its bubbling. pitch to fermentor
heat a glass of water to 90degrees. pitch the yeast into it. dont stir it. wait 30 minutes. add a spoonful of sugar and stir. wait 15 minutes and make sure its bubbling. pitch to fermentor
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corymcd
Active Member
I usually use safbrew or Danstar as they are both for sure GF free. Below you'll find info I got from White which for me isn't good enough as alot of the reading I've done suggests that even the slightest bit can produce reactions. Throwing it out there for consumption:
According to a recent FDA ruling, anything under 20 ppm can be considered
gluten free. Our yeast analysis: Yeast slurry in package~12 ppm. When our
yeast is used with ingredients such as sorghum to make gluten free beer~2
ppm. Therefore, beer made with our yeast will fall under that amount and CAN
be considered gluten free.
**The European standard for gluten free is below 100 ppm.
Pam Marshall
Sales/Customer Service
White Labs, Inc.
According to a recent FDA ruling, anything under 20 ppm can be considered
gluten free. Our yeast analysis: Yeast slurry in package~12 ppm. When our
yeast is used with ingredients such as sorghum to make gluten free beer~2
ppm. Therefore, beer made with our yeast will fall under that amount and CAN
be considered gluten free.
**The European standard for gluten free is below 100 ppm.
Pam Marshall
Sales/Customer Service
White Labs, Inc.
Hmmm, I swore Europe was 20ppm and FDA had ruled that no gluten containing ingredients could be used...
Either way, I use dry, but would use White Labs if no dry exists.
And yes, make a starter for White Labs if your gravity is above 1.048.
Either way, I use dry, but would use White Labs if no dry exists.
And yes, make a starter for White Labs if your gravity is above 1.048.
This is proofing the yeast, and while valuable, does not increase cell count like a starter would and also does deplete the reserves. It is similar to smacking the pack of wyeast (although Wyeast uses this strategy instead of "reserves")
Rehydrating dry yeast is a useful thing to do and can increase viability. Simply heat a cup of water to 105F, pitch yeast into it, stir. Let sit for 10min, then pitch to fermenter.
If you are going to the trouble of making a starter, make it at least 1L, up to 2 or 3L for really big beers.
