Beer Forum

This is probably an easy one, but I'm making my first starter tonight. How much DME for 2000ml flask? Thanks in advance.

Its not so much the flask size as the size of the starter you want to make. I probably wouldn't try to make a starter bigger than 1500ml in the 2000ml flask - I have done in the past and ended up with lots of yeast on the floor.

When you do make it, its easy. 10:1 ratio of water to DME will give you a perfect gravity for a starter - so 10g of DME to 100ml of water - 100g of DME to 1000ml of water etc etc. That will give you a gravity between 1.035 & 1.040 which is just right.

To decide how big a starter you need to make, try out Jamil's pitching rate calculator at the Mr Malty website and while you are there, have a read of his very comprehensive FAQ's about starters & how to make them, 2nd link from the top of the page and 4th from the bottom.

Hope that helps

Thirsty

Thanks Thirsty. I read through the pope's site, and it was really helpful. Thanks for sending it my way.

My starter kit that I bought from More Beer is a 1000ml size erlenmyer flask. The mix is 1 cup of DME and 900 ml water - makes a perfect 1 liter starter. Since those ratios should stay constant, 2 cups and 1800 ml should also work, if you have the head space in the neck of your vessel.

Todd, that seems like way too much to me. I've used the same ration that Thirsty Boy does - 100g of DME to make a 1 L starter @ about 1.040. If a cup is 8oz, then you are using more than double that (and therefore double the gravity - 1.080) which is too much for a starter.


Mylo

On a side note, it's a good idea to use a drop of Foam Control in your starters. Really helps reducing boil overs.

W

Sheen wrote:On a side note, it's a good idea to use a drop of Foam Control in your starters. Really helps reducing boil overs.

Wish I had pick some of that up. Had a little boilover. Oh well! Pick some up next time I'm at the LHBS.

MyloFiore wrote:Todd, that seems like way too much to me. I've used the same ration that Thirsty Boy does - 100g of DME to make a 1 L starter @ about 1.040. If a cup is 8oz, then you are using more than double that (and therefore double the gravity - 1.080) which is too much for a starter.


Mylo

You're confusing weight and volume. An 8 oz. cup is volume. A cup of DME weighs a little less than 4 oz. or about 100 grams.