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Fermentables for Starters


Olemate

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The general view is that the yeast will eat through it and multiply but you aren't really training them for the job at hand. You want them to 'practice' fermenting maltose and then to ferment the simple sugars like sucrose (glucose and fructose). There are also less nutrients available in dextrose.

I have never done so can't comment on the outcome.

 

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Yes proper wort is the best option, whether it be excess AG wort or made up from extract and water, for the reasons mentioned above. 

I did do one starter with a portion of dextrose because I ran out of DME, but I've never done one with straight dextrose. I think that one was about half and half or maybe a bit more DME than Dex. It worked ok but other than that one I just use all malt wort.

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47 minutes ago, Greeny1525229549 said:

Usually i use some sparged all grain wort and top it up with either malt or dextrose or sugar depending on the wort the starter is going into. I have also on ocassion done stove top 6L batches and put them into 2L juice bottles for storage before i use them. Saves a bit on LDME.

I have been thinking about this myself, making a batch on the stove top for use later on, as it doesn’t really work with my work schedule I’ll have to keep using LDME

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1 hour ago, The Captain1525230099 said:

I have been thinking about this myself, making a batch on the stove top for use later on, as it doesn’t really work with my work schedule I’ll have to keep using LDME

Also has another benefit. For whatever reason it doesn't foam up unlike when you boil the wort after you mash or if you use LDME. No idea why but it doesn't. Maybe because all the crap that makes it foam settles out in the fridge?? Not sure.

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Using unpasteurised wort for starters is maybe not a great idea. 

Lacto bugs are common on grain and what ever else they've been exposed to .

LDM is cheap and consistent so I use it 75% of the time,  other times I'll take a few litres off a boil I've scaled up and store in bottles for later use 

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13 minutes ago, Mark D Pirate said:

Using unpasteurised wort for starters is maybe not a great idea. 

Lacto bugs are common on grain and what ever else they've been exposed to .

LDM is cheap and consistent so I use it 75% of the time,  other times I'll take a few litres off a boil I've scaled up and store in bottles for later use 

A way around that is canning. But again too much effort compared to just using using LDM.

I’ve done the scale and keep before as a test  and it worked fine for me. But just as easy for me to keep doing my usual routine 

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I've posted this before but I have found that the coarse DME doesn't foam up much when it's boiled, but the finer powdery one does, and also these grey pieces of shit appear through the wort when it approaches boiling. Since figuring this out I've only been using the coarse one and haven't had any boilovers with it, or grey crap floating around in it.

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Coarse dme? Is that what I ask for? Is it a brand, wtf are y'all talking about? Excuse my ignorance but I use dry malt a lot and would prefer to use the better stuff but never in my mind thought there would be a difference.

Enlighten me!

Norris

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If you've used Coopers DME, it's the really fine stuff. It's probably better quality overall from what I've read, but it's hopeless in terms of boiling for yeast starters. The coarser stuff simply appears coarser, probably a tad finer than regular brown sugar. It also dissolves a hell of a lot easier. I think it's the band dried version so you could ask if it's that but I wouldn't hold my breath on the shop knowing if it is or not.

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