# 5 Liter Yeart Starter 3944 Bel Wit



## peterl1981 (23/6/12)

hi guys


I have a wyeast smack pack 3944, and mr malty calculater says i need a 5 lt starter..


How do i do that??



thanx in advance


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## DJR (23/6/12)

put 500g of dry malt extract in 5L of water to get 1040 wort, boil for 20 mins, cool to 20-25C and put into a suitable vessel (e.g. 5/10L demijohn), put an airlock on and let it ferment, if you don't want the starter volume diluting the beer then wait for the yeast to settle out and pour off some of the liquid,might be waiting a while with 3944 though as it doesn't flocc well. If you swirl the starter up every so often or make a stirplate you can reduce the volume a bit as the yeast will grow better

How big a batch have you got on to need a 5L starter?


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## peterl1981 (23/6/12)

DJR said:


> put 500g of dry malt extract in 5L of water to get 1040 wort, boil for 20 mins, cool to 20-25C and put into a suitable vessel (e.g. 5/10L demijohn), put an airlock on and let it ferment, if you don't want the starter volume diluting the beer then wait for the yeast to settle out and pour off some of the liquid,might be waiting a while with 3944 though as it doesn't flocc well. If you swirl the starter up every so often or make a stirplate you can reduce the volume a bit as the yeast will grow better
> 
> How big a batch have you got on to need a 5L starter?




i have a 46 liter batch and using a stir plate, but i do not have 5lt flask they are expensive...


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## bruce86 (23/6/12)

lynchman said:


> i have a 46 liter batch and using a stir plate, but i do not have 5lt flask they are expensive...




im not sure if it matters using plastic but the olds scored a set of plastic tubular storage containers from crazy clarkes that had a nice smooth bottom which could substitue for the flask i think they were 10 buck. in the set was a one aroujnd 7.5 ltrs. it was the first thing i thiought of when i saw them lol.


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## TidalPete (23/6/12)

lynchman said:


> i have a 46 liter batch and using a stir plate, but i do not have 5lt flask they are expensive...



Skip the stirplate this time.
Split your smackpack & wort into thirds.
Use 3 x 3-litre juice bottles or similar & shake every time you go past.
Chill to get the yeast out of suspension & pour off as much wort as possible before pitching.
Too easy!


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## peterl1981 (23/6/12)

i have just found a large jar from a cheap shop up the road, it holds about 8 liters (photo below)

the lid dosn't seal properly so i will prob just use glad wrap to seal

what do you think..


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## Wolfy (23/6/12)

Glass (especially borosilicate glass) is easy to use and work with because it can be heat sterilized/sanitized, but if you take care with sanitation, there is no reason you can't use something cheaper and more readily available, it just needs to hold the volume of wort, have a flat bottom and have a cover over it.
So the jar should work fine*, as would a demijohn or even a cheap-square-plastic-container or even a new/clean laundry-bucket ($0.87 from Bunnings today).

*It's hard to tell from the picture, but the jar might have a curved base, which makes positioning the stir-bar difficult, but with (lots of) trial-and-error, you should be able to get it to sit right - it's the trade off for using a cheaper jar and not a flat-bottom flask (KegKing sell 5L flasks for ~$30 which is very cheap compared to elsewhere).


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## peterl1981 (23/6/12)

Wolfy said:


> Glass (especially borosilicate glass) is easy to use and work with because it can be heat sterilized/sanitized, but if you take care with sanitation, there is no reason you can't use something cheaper and more readily available, it just needs to hold the volume of wort, have a flat bottom and have a cover over it.
> So the jar should work fine*, as would a demijohn or even a cheap-square-plastic-container or even a new/clean laundry-bucket ($0.87 from Bunnings today).
> 
> *It's hard to tell from the picture, but the jar might have a curved base, which makes positioning the stir-bar difficult, but with (lots of) trial-and-error, you should be able to get it to sit right - it's the trade off for using a cheaper jar and not a flat-bottom flask (KegKing sell 5L flasks for ~$30 which is very cheap compared to elsewhere).



Thanks wolfy I went to keg king today and got one of those flask she's a ripper... Got a heap of other stuff while there


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