If you ever wondered what a 9 liter starter looked like, well, here’s your chance to see one. I made a wort with 900 grams of extra light dry malt extract along with just around 9 liters of water.
I let that boil for 15 minutes with a little bit of yeast nutrient. After the 15 minutes, I let it cool down to around 60° F.
Once it was cool, I transferred it to my sanitized carboy and aerated it for a while with my aquarium pump. I also sloshed it around for good measure.
Then I added my WLP 800 lager yeast to the carboy. The starter should be at its peak in 48 hours, which will be right in time for my brew session on Saturday night.
I finally feel like we’re getting somewhere with this brew. This beer will be a true test of my brewing abilities so far.
Med School Odyssey
What is your target OG?
Mike
Hey:
I have plenty of old tubing we can use to replace your slightly melted lines in and out of that chiller.
When I am home next I’ll hook you up.
Alan
So is the plan to just rack your wort on top of this starter in the carboy on Saturday evening? If so, are you worried about the DME flavoring your Pilsner?
Al (from NH)
John
Hi Alan,
I siphoned the “beer” off of the yeast cake that was the end result of the starter. With a starter this size, it would affect the taste of the pilsner.
John
All right. Bring on the old tubing.
John
Hey Med –
Around 1.040.
Lauren
This is a fantastic Idea for a large starter, I never thought of doing this. Gotta try this for my next lager, or belgian.
Mark O
Did you really boil the yeast nutrient? I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, only adding it to the primary fermentor after pitching (at various time intervals). I would be concerned that the good “dead yeast crumble” would be denatured by boiling.
John
Hi Mark,
Yep, totally boiled the nutrient. I have seen this suggested from many resources. Here’s one to back up my claim:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/media/downloads/238/2L%20Yeast%20Starter%20Instructions.pdf