Vessel for starters

[brewerTristan]

I'm making my first starters this weekend and I'm a little puzzled about what to use as a vessel. I don't have erlenmayer flasks. I'm planning on making a 1 litre and a 2-3 litre starter for two beers I plan to make tomorrow. I have a few mason jars, but these are too small I think (20 oz or so). My only idea thus far is to boil up my extract in a small pot, cool it, and then pitch the yeast in the pot, covering the top with aluminum foil. This seems a little unorthodox to me, but I don't have any other ideas. Any ideas?

[huskerbrew]

I just use growlers from brewpubs. Boil and cool the wort in the pot, then pour into the growler and pitch the yeast. I cover the top with foil.

[brewerTristan]

Hmm. I'm afraid I haven't any growlers. Does anybody think fermenting in the pot is a bad idea? It seems like the simplest way.

[boobookittyfuk]

Growlers are only good for 1L starters. Unless you have foam control then you can do up to 1.5L starter.

If you are in a pinch, use a gallon sized water jug. you should be able to do a 3L starter in a gallon plastic jug even without foam control. Its food grade plastic. just don't use a milk jug .

[fermentalist]

i'd be concerned cuz of the much greater surface area. As it cools its gonna suck air in there.

People use pails for primary fermentation all the time w/o problems, so I reckon it's possible, but I'd be much more inclined to use a couple of wine magnums. The glass aint pyrex like a good e-flask, but unless you force cool should be fine. Another option might be to use a gallon water jug--like those with distilled H2O. Should be sterile or close to it. Toss the water, fill with cooled and sterile starter, pitch and plug with an airlock.

[straight cash homey]

if your into drinking cheap wine you can buy a gallon jug of carlo rossi for $8 or so. pound it, or dump it in ziplock bag and send it to the ratpad for consumption by , and make your starter in the empty wine jug. seems like a waste of $$ though, i would use a gallon DI plastic jug instead. but erlenmeyers are great if you can get em.

[huskerbrew]

I have a friend who uses a large vase that he bought from wal-mart for under $10. Has a flat bottom too, so it can be used on a stir plate. Might explore that option. I don't know the exact volume of the vase, but something to look into. Best advice: Be creative, who knows what you might have on hand that will do!

[Bugeater]

From working in the restaurant business for a bunch of years I have acquired a bunch of one gallon wide mouth glass jars. Mostly I use these at home for storing sugar, flour, rice, etc. Until I got a couple Erlenmeyer flasks and a stir plate, I also used these for making starters. They are easy to clean and sanitize.

Wayne