Starter In Pot

[johnw]

Hi,

I am going to pitch my first starter today. i am brewing a wheat based beer and will be using wyeast 3068. i am wanting to know if there will be any problems if i boil up 300g of Dark Unhopped Spraymalt in 3L of water in a 7L stock pot, then cool the pot to 20deg and pitch the yeast. i plan on covering the pot with glad wrap and shaking when i pass it by over next 24 hours.

DrinkBeer

 

[Fourstar]

Hi,

I am going to pitch my first starter today. i am brewing a wheat based beer and will be using wyeast 3068. i am wanting to know if there will be any problems if i boil up 300g of Dark Unhopped Spraymalt in 3L of water in a 7L stock pot, then cool the pot to 20deg and pitch the yeast. i plan on covering the pot with glad wrap and shaking when i pass it by over next 24 hours.

DrinkBeer

Dangerous but it could work. Personally i'd get myself a PET softdrink bottle, sanitise it, transfer the wort into the bottle and unscrew the lid enough so it can vent as it begins to build up pressure. But hey, thats just me.

 

[manticle]

My starters are usually a litre or so of boiled water cooled to 20 degrees in a stainless steel bowl with a rough sprinkling of DME (around 100-ish grams). Add activated, swelled smack pack, whisk like crazy and cover with glad.
Whisk on a regular basis, leave in a warm plce till I see any sign of activity. Pitch.

No issues so far (only been using liquids for a short while though) and sounds pretty similar to your proposed method. Brew usually going vigourously by the next day.

 

[johnw]

Would i be better to use a 2L sanitised milk carton and only boil 200g Malt and 2L of solution? I just thought with 2L there wouldnt be much headspace and i would have to wtch it like a hawk and not enjoy Sunday arvo beers.

 

[RdeVjun]

2 * 2 litre containers! Split it evenly, but I'd really go for a container you can boil, glass preferably, even tallies would do. Your sanitation at that stage must be scrupulous though, I'm just not sure if the plastic milk carton will handle that.
Leave some headspace in which ever containers you use, if you fill them right up you'll have sticky starter everywhere when you shake. Maximum of 3/4 full.
:beer:

Edit: Fair enough, lots of folks using plastic bottles for starters!

 

[kenlock]

Would i be better to use a 2L sanitised milk carton and only boil 200g Malt and 2L of solution? I just thought with 2L there wouldnt be much headspace and i would have to wtch it like a hawk and not enjoy Sunday arvo beers.

My normal procedure is to boil the water and let it cool for awhile (kill all nasties). I then normally start with 100g to 1L solution which I make when the container can handle the temperature. Normally 3L PET. I then build up at 50g to 500ml at a time to desired starter size. Whatever size container you use you would need head space (even if you use glad wrap)

 

[Screwtop]

Add DME to water, boil for 10 min, cool to 20ish and pitch the swollen pack. I use 2.4L plastic Berri Juice bottles, put some no-rinse sanitiser in the bottles and shake, leave for 20 min then tip the no-rinse out and split up the starter. Shake to aerate every now and again but only until krausen forms, no aerating then (don't want to oxidise your starter). Now pitch the active (high krausen) starter.

Cheers,

Screwy