Recipe For Wort Starter.

[Hogan]

Having long used the usual starter recipe for my AG - i.e. 100 gms DME into 1 lt. water - boil for ten minutes etc. I now want to cook up 25lts of wort to freeze in individual 1lt batches.

Can someone provide me with their recipe for a basic 1.040 wert to freeze and use as starters. I have the grain to water ratio but what is the simple mash schedule and how long do you boil when no hops are needed.


Cheers, Hoges.

 

[Crunched]

Would you just boil long enough to mix and sterilise?

 

[reviled]

I would imagine people are going to say you need to boil for at least an hour to drive off DMS, maybe even at least 90 mins...

 

[lagers44]

simple , 4kg malt for 25L batch mash at 65C 1hr & sparge to 25L = OG around 1038, boil for 10 - 15min then divide into 1L lots & freeze.

When ready to use defrost & boil as you normally would ( 10-15min) carry on as usual

 

[SteveSA]

I just use ale or pilsner malt (whatever is plentiful/available/cheapest) and aim to make 20L @ roughly 1.035 to 1.040. Mash at 65-66C until converted, boil for 30 mins and bitter to 15 IBU.

Rather than freezing though, I whirlpool and let stand for 10 mins then drain directly into 500ml or 1L preserving jars. Put the lids on immediately but not too tight. As they cool they form a vacuum seal.

Then when you want a starter you've got it there ready, no boiling, cooling or waiting. Simple.

Steve

 

[Hogan]

Thanks to all for their recommendations.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[rude]

Hey Hoges when you do the 100g to 1 litre & boil do you just top up to 1 litre after the boil to get back to the 1035 to 1040. Sorry not really a good enough brewer to post on this part of the threads but really keen on good yeast starters. Jeez mashing for youre own starters that sound spot on.

 

[Sammus]

I could be the first to say the B word, but I'll just post this link h34r:

http://www.bodensatz.com/staticpages/index...020502172306861

 

[Screwtop]

Hoges,

Why not make a 25L batch @ OG 1.040 from Pale malt, boil long enough to form break and then store ala NC. I make a little extra when making simple low hopped pale beers and store it in 2L containers in the freezer to make starters.

Screwy

 

[Hogan]

Hey Hoges when you do the 100g to 1 litre & boil do you just top up to 1 litre after the boil to get back to the 1035 to 1040. Sorry not really a good enough brewer to post on this part of the threads but really keen on good yeast starters. Jeez mashing for youre own starters that sound spot on.

Hi rude. Don't top up - just put a bit more water in at the start to allow for evaporation.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[Hogan]

Hoges,

Why not make a 25L batch @ OG 1.040 from Pale malt, boil long enough to form break and then store ala NC. I make a little extra when making simple low hopped pale beers and store it in 2L containers in the freezer to make starters.

Screwy

Hi Screwy - my missus would be up me for the rent if I tried to put 12 x 2lt containers in the freezer. A space issue. I am looking at cooking the 25lt batch as you suggest then freezing single liters in plastic zip bags which will lie flat on the bottom of the freezer. Doing some experiments on putting boiling wort in the plastic bags or maybe just run it through the heat exchanger.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[Damian44]

On a differant note. I want to make a 9 litre starter from an old kit. Im just worried about the high consentration of hops. Anyway around that?

 

[mika]

Boil it lots, it'll get rid of most of the hops. A 9L starter is a bit out there ?

 

[Damian44]

Boil it lots, it'll get rid of most of the hops. A 9L starter is a bit out there ?

I thought boiling it would increase the bitternesss.
I was going to take off the top 5 L of the starter and split the remaining 4L in two. That should leave me with 4 liquid yeast packs worth of yeast altogether. Mr Malty is trying to tell me i need 3.2 liquid yeast packs for a 26L of 1.040 wort.

 

[mika]

At what sort of viability in the yeast packet ? 1 pckt is generally enough for ~19L of 1040 wort, unless it's a lager ? Pretty much once hops have been fully isomerised (takes ~60mins usually) they don't add any bitterness to the wort.
I've got to admit that I'm not sure of the mechanism, but when I was doing kits people always advised against boiling the can of goo as it would destroy the bitterness. If you chose something like a coopers lager it shouldn't have a lot of bitterness in it anyway.

 

[Damian44]

Mika the yeast packet is fresh. Mr Malty says you need 2.4 yeasts packets without a starter for 19L of 1040 wort. Or 1 pack with a starter.

The kit i want to use to make a starter is a Draught kit. If they have aroma hops in it, theyll add bitterness i reckon. Maybe i could strain it through a tea towl.

 

[mika]

In the extract the hops will already be isomerised, straining won't help. I'm not even sure if they're using real hops anymore, rather a Hop extract (oil).

I like Jamil's work, but I'd perhaps be taking his advice with a pinch of salt if he's recommending 2.4 packages for 19L of 1040 wort, unless you're talking dried yeast packages ? A pack of Wyeast or White Labs is sufficient to pitch directly into 19L of 1040 wort without a starter. 1 package of dried yeast would be fine, pitched dry, though I think ideally you should be pitching 2 packets.

From the Wyeast site

6. Do I need to make a starter for an Activator?

No. The Activator is designed to deliver professional pitch rates (6 million cells/ ml.) when directly added to 5 gallons of wort. ( <1.060 at 70 degrees). However, if a package is slow to swell, suspected of being mishandled, or if the date is approaching the six month shelf life it is a good idea to build the culture up with a starter. High gravity or low temperature fermentations require higher pitch rates. This can be achieved with inoculating with additional packages or making a starter.

If you're using the propogator packs, then I could see you'd need to pitch more, but then the Propogator packets are not much cheaper than the activators (or so I've been told).

 

[buttersd70]

I've thought about the reccomendation on MrMalty calculator for using multiple packets, and thought there must have been method somewhere in his madness...it just took a bit to find. The pitching rate on the MrMalty calculator is based on Fix's work, and Jamil says (italics mine)

While these rates are for repitching yeast harvested from fermentation, I have found that they work well for both repitching yeast and when using laboratory cultured yeast that has been subjected to less than optimal conditions since leaving the manufacturer

In its full context it is in the question How much yeast or how big a starter do I need? in the FAQ, and he agrees that white labs and wyeasts reccomended pitching rates are good if the yeast viability is not in question. Link here

I don't know how many times I've read that article, and missed that one line....I've always wondered why it has more than one pack on the calulator, too.

 

[Damian44]

Thanks Butters. Jamil has led a lot of people to overpitch im sure. He states in his book 20% overpitch has detrimental effects.

He also states that making a 2L starter doubles the yeast count. If so couldnt i make a 2L starter and save half for ron.