So it looks like I might be brewing a dead ringer next as welcome home gift for a deployed friend of the family. Another OG of 1.064 with the suggestion of using a starter with the wyeast 1056. I went over to mr malty and it tells me I need to use 2.5 liter starter does that sound right? Based on that assumption then I I should 1.25 cups of dme to 2.5l of water and one smack pack correct? My other question is how big does the starter flask need to be? I noticed NB has 1l, 2l, and 5l but nothing in between.
That sounds about right. I’d use a gallon jug from some wine or apple juice (HBS also generally sell them), or even a plastic milk jug. Unless you want to boil/chill/ferment in the same vessel there’s no need for a flask.
one of question I assume that is normal DME not light or extra correct, just plain jane dme?
Sounds like you are using the “simple starter” option.
If you can give it a shake now that then, you can pick “intermittent shaking” and you only need 1.44L
That will just fit in a 2L flask…I’ve done it. Or, you can pick up a gallon jug at your LHBS or NB for a few bucks like a10t2 mentioned.
If I have an option I go with the lightest DME I can get.
If given a choice why why ldme? Or do you choose a DME along the lines of the beer your going to brew? Also do you take a hydro reading of the starter wort before pitching to verify your at 1.040. I did not see them do that in the video.
It’s more fermentable than darker extracts, plus it minimizes the risk of flavors carrying over into the beer.
Starter wort is typically prepared at a ratio of 100 grams of DME to 1 liter of water and no gravity reading is taken. After the starter is finished (24 -36 hours)and just before pitching the yeast are left to settle to the bottom of the flask or container, the excess wort is then decanted, and the yeast pitched into your wort. This is done because the leftover wort sitting on top of the yeast can contribute unwanted flavors to your beer.
Some more questions come to mind after reading a bunch stuff to include palmers how to brew.
Do you always cold crash the starter or only if your not using it right at the end of the 36 hours?
Do you decant the wort before cold crashing? I think I read somewhere that said leave the wort until brew day then decant and allow starter to warm to room temp.
If you use say an old 1G water jug what do you guys usually cap it with? I seen refences to foam stoppers and rubber stoppers with airlock, loose foil and a rubber band. Whats best.
I always cold crash and decant my starters. You can pitch right from the fridge after decanting.
Loose foil will work fine.
[quote=“cyberdiver”]
Do you always cold crash the starter or only if your not using it right at the end of the 36 hours?[/quote]
I always cold crash…but I always make my starter a week before.
You decant after cold crashing. You want the yeast to settle out before you decant…the cold causes this to happen. I don’t wait for it to warm up…when the wort is ready…I take the starter out of the fridge, decant and pour it in the wort.
I just use a piece of sanitized aluminum foil…
[quote=“cyberdiver”]
Do you always cold crash the starter or only if your not using it right at the end of the 36 hours?
If it’s a small starter and I pitch it at high karusen sometimes I’ll skip the decanting.
Do you decant the wort before cold crashing? I think I read somewhere that said leave the wort until brew day then decant and allow starter to warm to room temp.
Let the starter warm up to just below 5 degrees of the pitching temp then swirl, decant, and pitch.
If you use say an old 1G water jug what do you guys usually cap it with? I seen refences to foam stoppers and rubber stoppers with airlock, loose foil and a rubber band. Whats best.[/quote]
Loose foil that was either washed with alcohol or starsan
Well made my first starter but not sure if it is ready for cold crashing. It has been 40 hours or so since pitched the yeast to the starter. It doe not foam much when given a shake anymore. I see yeast cake on the bottom of my gallon jug but not as much as I had expected. I did 2.5l water and 1.25 cps of LDME and wyeast 1056. The jug I used is a an old vinger jug that was throughly cleaned and santized.
The wort is not as clear as I had expected but you can not see much suspension in it. My opinion is it is time for the cold crash. Anything else I should look for ?
40 Hours and you should be good to go. Start cold crashing it.
Well all seems to have gone well with my first starter. I have active signs of fermentation in under 12 hours. My only concern was I did not brew on my original scheduled so the starter ended up being cold crashed for 4 or 5 days. I will be taking a sample of the dead rigner this coming weekend so I should Know then if there are any issues.
