In order to better ferment my beer I've begun to make yeast starters. This will allow for, not only a much higher yeast population to be pitched, but healthier yeast cells that should help to ferment "cleaner".Equipment:
1. 1000ml flash
2. Funnel
3. Aluminum foil
4. Alcohol swabs
5. Butane torch
6. Brew kettle (any large pot)
7. Oven mitt
8. Knife
Ingredients:
1. 4 oz plain light DME (dried malt extract)
2. 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
3. 11g Danstar Nottingham dry yeast (substitute with desired strain)
4. 2000ml - 2500ml tap water
With yeast starters sanitization is not good enough, we need sterilization. The only way that I know to do this is with heat; boiling water and flame. EVERYTHING that comes in contact with the yeast cells needs to be sterile!
A basic batch of beer is made with some dried malt that is boiled and then chilled to 70°F. This will provide the yeast with the food they need to propagate and reproduce. Malt extract and tap water should have all the needed nutrients and trace elements needed for yeast, but just to make sure I added yeast nutrient, which is food grade Urea and Ammonium Phosphate.
Process:
1. Boil 2000ml water with 4 oz DME for 30 mins (should boil down to approx 1,000ml)
2. Chill "wort" to 70°F (I placed it, covered, in the freezer for about an hour)
3. While chilling "wort", sterilize in boiling water...
- flask
- funnel (careful not to melt any plastic)
- foil
- knife (to open yeast packet)
- 1/4 tsp measuring spoon
4. Cool flask with aluminum foil on top so that no funk can get into flask.
5. Sanitize top of yeast packet with alcohol swab.
6. Sterilize mouth of flash by wiping with alcohol swab and torching with butane lighter.
7. Sterilize knife by wiping with alcohol swab and torching with butane lighter.
8. Make sure that "wort" is 70°F and add to sterile flask
9. Add 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
10. Add yeast
11. Cover flask mouth with foil
12. Rouse flask often (stir-plate works best for this)
One note for future reference is that I started with only 1500ml of tap water, this gave me about 900ml of liquid. I would have preferred enough to make it an even 1000ml starter and have enough to take a gravity reading of my "wort". This is why I recommend starting with 2000 to 2500ml tap water.
