all grain yeast starter - sanity check?

[CorneliusAlphonse]

like the subject says...

im just working on an all-grain yeast starter (750g of 2 row mashed with 5L of water to give 4L hopefully around 1.040). My plan is to use this in two steps for the belgian blonde i'm brewing in the next week or so... I just checked with http://www.yeastcalc.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (i like it because i can calculate for a two step starter) and it seems i will have a bit of extra wort, but i have no problem freezing the rest of the wort for a different starter. should i do a 1.0L step and then 1.5L? throw in 3L all at once?

i'm sort of new to yeast starters and want a sanity check, does that seem reasonable for 23L of 1.063 wort, using a wyeast smack pack date dec. 11?

also, last question, do i need to use yeast nutrient in an all grain starter? i think i have some DAP here somewhere that i can use if i need to

thanks guys!

[mr x]

Looks fine to me. I'd do the whole starter in one shot. I never use nutrients, but maybe they would help.....

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[RubberToe]

Yeah I'd do the 3L in one go as well. I think you really only need to step up a starter if you're starting from a very small amount of yeast and in that case I think it's best to step up with 10x the amount of wort for the best results, ie: your first one with 250ml then add over 2L for the next step. That will give the growth you need, otherwise your yeast is just making beer instead of replicating to the degree you need.

With wort I don't think you really need yeast nutrient as most of them are already in there.

[amartin]

Go for all 3L at once. I've never used yeast nutrients in my yeast starters.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Thanks guys! I dumped er all in at once, shook it up as well as I could, and didn't use any nutrient. looks to be doing well! hope to brew sunday maybe

[Jimmy]

Motherfuck..2 boil overs with my starter today. Not happy.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

need one of the 5l erlenmeyer's... my 3.5L starter never foamed past 4L

[Jimmy]

need one of the 5l erlenmeyer's... my 3.5L starter never foamed past 4L

That's what I was using, and only had 2L in it..It's the first time I've had it boil over..

[CorneliusAlphonse]

wowza! I guess I wasn't literally boiling in it if that's what you mean... and I don't have a stir plate, so maybe didn't foam as much.

[TimG]

Motherfuck..2 boil overs with my starter today. Not happy.

lay off the Jimmy!

[Jimmy]

Yeah, I boil and chill directly in the flask. Some fermcap would have helped, but I forgot to add it lol

[mr x]

Throw in an old stir bar for a nucleation point.

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[CorneliusAlphonse]

one more question - what should i do now? i was hoping to brew today, it has finished fermentation (or at least mostly - no foam on surface, no other visual activity, haven't check the gravity though). should i crash cool it and pour off the liquid, or chuck the whole 3.5L of starter into my 23 litre batch?

[mr x]

I like to decant, but it's up to you.

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[Jimmy]

See any issue with me dumping the full 2L of starter in my 5g batch? I didn't make the starter until last night and I'm brewing now. It will have been on the stir plate for only 24 hours so I didn't really leave enough time to decant.

[mr x]

Most likely fine, so long as you aren't mixing beer styles badly between the starter and wort.

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[Jimmy]

Most likely fine, so long as you aren't mixing beer styles badly between the starter and wort.

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No. Just some light DME for the starter wort and Belgian Blonde is the beer.

[mr x]

Sounds fine to me.

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