Building a Yeast Starter – Recipie

A yeast starter is used to initiate cell activity or increase the cell count before using it to make your beer. The yeast will grow in this smaller volume, usually for 1-2 days, which then can be added to 5 gallons of wort.

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Time Required: 30 minutes

Items Required

  • Water
  • Ice
  • Small sauce pot
  • funnel
  • 1000 mL Erlenmeyer flask (pyrex)
  • Aluminum foil
  • Dry Maly Extract (DME)
  • Stir Plate / Stir Bar
  • Scissors
  • Thermometer
  • Star San
  • Yeast
  • Yeast Nutrient

Making A Starter

  1. If using liquid yeast as a source, activate the inner yeast pouch and allow to incubate
  2. Bring 650mL of water to a boil
  3. Remove water from heat
  4. Add 1/2 cup of DME, stir to mix, keep off heat to prevent scorching
  5. Return mixture to heat and gently boil for 15 minutes
  6. Sanitize the flask, scissors, thermometer, funnel, and stir bar
  7. When the mixture has finished boiling, use the funnel to transfer it to the flask
  8. Prepare an ice bath and place the flask into the bath, reduce the temperature of the mixture to 85 degrees (Fahrenheit)
  9. Add the stir bar, yeast, and 1/4 tsp of nutrient to the mixture and cover the mouth of the flask with the aluminum foil
  10. Place on the stir plate and allow to stir for 24 hours

To pitch the starter into a batch of beer remember to swirl the flask to pick up all the sediment, also use a magnet to hold the stir bar at the bottom of the flask to prevent it from falling into the fermentor.