So I’m prepping for my first 5 gallon brew…the Spotted Cow Clone-ish recipe found on this forum. I’m using the Wyeast 2565 Kolsch yeast. I’ve read in numerous places that making a yeast starter is a good idea, even with this yeast.
Is it necessary to boil water and DME mixture for a starter or can the same thing just be made in room temp spring or distilled water that will end up around the pitching temp into the batch wort?
I want to attempt fermentation in the lower range (55F - 58F) of this yeast so I want it to have a fair shot.
The one thing that helped me the most with my starters was down loading YeastCalc. It was brought to my attention by brewers on this forum sometime ago. I found it pretty easy to use.
I always boil my DME for the starter. I bought two 2000 ml flasks. I boil my wort in a kettle for 15 minutes, sanitize a funnel, then pour the wort into the flask. I have not had a problem yet dumping hot wort into the flask. I then clean out the kettle, fill it with ice water, then place the flask in the ice bath. After it is cool, add some o2, then pitch the yeast. Just be sure to sanitize everything including the yeast package and scissors you use to cut it open with.
You’ll likely get a number of approaches here, but I’ll offer up one shortcut I’ve recently incorporated into making my yeast starters, which is to add all of the DME to half the volume of water, boil, and then add filtered ice to the pot to top up for rapid cooling before pouring into the flask-- saves me a good 10 minutes or so. While I was a little worried about sanitation at first, I’ve been doing this for several months now and have had no issues with contamination.
I use http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitc … alculator/ to calculate my starter volumes. Put water and DME ( and a drop of fermcap ) into my 2L flask. Boil 15 min. Cover with sanitized foil and place into icebath in sink. Sanitize stir bar, scissors, etc. When starter is at room temp, pitch yeast and stir bar, cover with sanitized foam cork or foil. Stir on stir plate (http://www.stirstarters.com) for 18-24 hrs. Place in fridge overnight for yeast to floc out. Prior to pitching, gently pour out most of the clear wort. Re-suspend yeast in remaining wort, flame the top of the flask, pitch, and let them go to war.
Cheers
I own 2 Pyrex Erlenmeyer flasks, a two liter and a four liter, and use the size that is double my starter size. Three to five hours beforehand, yeast comes out of the fridge to warm up. 100 grams of light DME per liter of water. DME goes in first using paper funnel, then add water to desired fill height. Add 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1 drop Fermcap-S (critical step!) Bring to a boil, stirring with the handle of a long stainless spoon. Reduce heat but continue boil for 13 minutes, stirring often. Add stir bar and cover with aluminum foil for last 2 minutes of boil. Remove from heat and place in ice bath for 15 to 20 minutes (looking for a temp of 70). Spray yeast package or tube with StarSan, remove foil from flask and carefully add yeast to flask. Swirl gently then place on a stir plate in a 70 degree room. A one liter starter is done in 18 hours. I haven’t tested the time for a 2 liter… I leave mine on the plate for 30 to 40 hours, but this may be overkill (I really need to test that). I refrigerate 2 liter starters and pour off the beer prior to using, will do the same with a 1 liter if I’m not ready to use it immediately.
After reading various articles and sites…and running some of the available calculators, I will be starting my yeast starter tonight with 1L of water and a 1/2 cup of DME. I don’t have a stir plate so I’ll be giving it hourly swirls and light shakes. Tomorrow night I’ll refrigerate it. The next morning I’m stepping up so I’ll decant the liquid from the top and add another wort of 2L water and 1 cup of DME. Swirl and shake for 24 hours then refrigerate overnight again…decant and let it warm up to pitch temp and pitch.
