Erlenmeyer Flask Starter

[pint of lager]

If you are pitching the whole starter to your wort, try and keep the starter fermenting at the correct temperature to avoid funky flavours carrying through.

As Ross said, it is horses for courses, experiment and work out what works best for your experience level and equipment.

Currently, I step up from a petri dish to an erlenmeyer on a stir plate, floc the yeast and pitch the slurry only, but have tried lots of other methods.

 

[jgriffin]

Did anyone else notice the original posters step of
"poking holes in the foil"....

What's the point of sanitising the foil then opening it up to the world? As teh yeast consumes the starter, the pressure will just escape down the side of the foil, no need to make any holes.

 

[Ross]

Did anyone else notice the original posters step of
"poking holes in the foil"....

What's the point of sanitising the foil then opening it up to the world? As teh yeast consumes the starter, the pressure will just escape down the side of the foil, no need to make any holes.

[post="99386"][/post]​

john,

I poke holes with a pin - far too small for bugs - but lets the CO2 escape - if you don't then the vinegar flies will find their way in, if the foil lifts from the CO2...

cheers Ross

 

[peas_and_corn]

Someone gave me an erlenmyer flask, but all I grew was this-



For all you x files fans out there...

 

[sosman]

ur all wusses ... who needs a lid?

 

[Ross]

Awesome - must get myself a stir plate ...

 

[jimmyjack]

Starter update, Its been 24 hrs and no krausen as of yet. i can see yeasties forming on the bottom of the flask. Is it normal not to have a krausen with a starter or should It have a krausen by now?? I know it will proabably take time to build up from the small vial.

 

[Jye]

You could have easily missed the krausen, there is usually not much evidence of one with starters. If the little guys are forming on the bottom all sounds good.

 

[Ross]

Starter update, Its been 24 hrs and no krausen as of yet. i can see yeasties forming on the bottom of the flask. Is it normal not to have a krausen with a starter or should It have a krausen by now?? I know it will proabably take time to build up from the small vial.

[post="99484"][/post]​

Give it a swirl - if it all froths up, it's happening...

 

[jimmyjack]

yup swirlled it and their was some foam that came up. i think it must be kickin ok.
Thx for your advice guys.

jj

 

[Jye]

Just making my way through the brewing networks archives and listened to the 9-04-05 show again and it has heaps of great info on everything to do with starters.... well worth listening to twice

 

[KillerRx4]

I gather these flasks can handle being heated by flame & microwave, are they ok to go on an electric stovetop??

 

[razz]

I gather these flasks can handle being heated by flame & microwave, are they ok to go on an electric stovetop??

[post="123567"][/post]​

Killer, I use mine on a gas stove so I'm guessing that electric will be okay.

 

[Jase]

Hi There,

Sorry to raise an old topic. Hopefully, I will go home today to my new 500ml and 2l erlenmeyer flasks. New flask, new stir plate, exciting stuff.

So here's my silly question:

I'm reading this topic, and I keep reading that it's ok to put the flask on a gas stove top. Is that right? :huh: It's ok to put the flask directly on the stove top, or does it need to put on indirectly????

Cheers,
Jase

 

[n00ch]

I use mine directly on gas (not a huge flame) and it takes the heat fine. Just make sure not to put it straight into cold water after though.

Cheers

 

[pint of lager]

I use mine directly on gas and also on a hotplate.

Watch out for the stir bar that it doesn't go through the glass. I have been lowering mine down the side of the erlenmeyer with a magnet from the outside. The same when it goes into the 5 litre demijohn.

Also, watch out when transferring the starter to the fermenter that the stir bar stays in the starter container. A magnet helps here. Also, when cleaning the starter container, remove the bar BEFORE you rinse the contents down the sink.

I lost my stirrer bar last week, thought it had gone over the edge of the embankment when the demijohn was rinsed out. Had the metal detector out but couldn't find it. Eventually found it had rolled off my cleaning table, underneath, and attached itself to a tin.