I’m trying to make my first yeast starter so I saved some of the first runnings from my last beer. I stored it in a sealed swing top bottle on top of the fridge and it somehow carbonated and blew up all over when I opened it. It also smelled like actual vomit so I’m afraid to use it for my starter. Is there a substitute I can use. I don’t have any dme and I can’t just go to the lhbs to get it, its over an hour away. Can I just dissolve some sugar in water? Thanks for any help.
If possible I would take a little of the grain you plan on using and make a mini beer out of it and make a starter. From everything I have read sugar is not good for a starter. It will take some time though. Maybe a half pound of your base malt for quart starter.
Actually probably less than a half pound. That might give you too high a gravity.
You need to freeze or pressure can wort for starters. Freezing won’t give you sterile wort, so it will have to be boiled before using. Sugar lacks the nutrients for proper yeast growth. Like tealblue said a mini batch would work. 1.035-1.040 SG
I think you could use apple juice as long as there are no preservatives and I guess for that matter maybe even a frozen can juice concentrate. If you have fresh fruits on hand you could crush them and steep 'em for 15 min at 150-155 F. Be sure to decant before pitching.
:cheers:
[quote=“Chester3”]I think you could use apple juice as long as there are no preservatives and I guess for that matter maybe even a frozen can juice concentrate. If you have fresh fruits on hand you could crush them and steep 'em for 15 min at 150-155 F. Be sure to decant before pitching.
:cheers: [/quote]
Bad idea…you want to use a malt base. Otherwise, you kind of “train” the yeast to not ferment malt sugars.
But in a pinch? Better than not or just a waste of time? Off flavors?
:cheers:
[quote=“Chester3”]But in a pinch? Better than not or just a waste of time? Off flavors?
:cheers: [/quote]
Waste of time and you’re setting yourself up for a poor fermentation. Put off brewing until you can do it right. If your yeast isn’t ready, you;re no more ready to brew than if you didn’t have malt or hops. Don’t skimp…make the best beer you can!
If your sanitation is good you can brew and take some of the wort for the starter to pitch the next day.
Thanks for the schooling Denny! :oops: That’s why I love this place.
:cheers:
Just to play devil’s advocate, what’s the anticipated OG and volume of the batch? Where I’m going is, if you’re not way off in terms of cell-count it’s possible the best thing to do is to go without.
What are the numbers, Zoomzilla?
May be a bit off topic, but I took the plunge and purchased a pressure canner last year. It is awesome and perfect for my needs.
I am too busy or lazy to do the whole starter/boil/cooldown etc… on the stove for every beer. It just took way too long. So for a long while I just pitched from WL tubes and my beer was o.k.
Thanks to Denny, I decided to make starters again, but a new way. I set aside one day and mash some 1.070 wort. I then can about 14 mason jars worth of this wort. (two rounds through my canner). Mash only with no need to boil as the wort boils in the canning process.
So when I go to make a starter I grab a mason jar and a 1L bottle of Ozarka water and dump them into a sanitized vessel. I have a 2L starter in a few minutes.
Thought I would share as my beers start within 12 hours & have better head retention.
I collect two jars of wort and boil them while I’m cleaning up. It doesn’t take any time and very little effort. Even after a long day of brewing it’s no problem for me.
