How to Make a Yeast Starter

In: Videos

16 Jun 2017

Step by step instructions for making a yeast starter for homebrewing beer.
 

25 Responses to How to Make a Yeast Starter

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deadsaid

November 3rd, 2010 at 6:36 am

very nice thank you

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bjcpc0337

November 3rd, 2010 at 7:25 am

Nice clear presentation, I usually check my starter wort with a thermometer to make sure I get to a pitching temperature. Do you wash and keep your slurry in distilled water and maintain in the refrigerator (maybe you have another video about recovering yeast I have not seen yet)? Do you let your left over yeast slurry reach room temperature before adding to your cooled starter wort? Also, looks like you only use part of your slurry from the mason jar too, is this to do multple from one?

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JoePolvino

November 3rd, 2010 at 7:52 am

@zodiak3000: I make the starter about 3 days before brewing (4-5 for lagers). I like to ferment at the temperature the wort will ferment at. However, if a starter gets off to an explosive start and starts winding down a couple days before brewing, I’ll stick it in the fridge to slow it down.

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JoePolvino

November 3rd, 2010 at 8:41 am

@chazballz: Since I have an unlimited supply of iodine, I tend to mix it a little strong, and then figure a quick rinse won’t hurt anything. I suppose I could go lighter with no rinse, but I recall a study where water did pick up the iodine taste, even at small concentrations. No infections yet (50 batches).

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JoePolvino

November 3rd, 2010 at 8:51 am

@chazballz
I guess you can call it strange! I have a vast supply of iodine, and figure there is no harm in making it strong. A single rinse with cold water removes any flavor, and I haven’t had a single infection. I’m sure there are lots of reasons to do it differently, but this way works for me, so I’m passing along the knowledge.

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chazballz

November 3rd, 2010 at 9:18 am

@JoePolvino
The 12.5 ppm does work for sanitizing everything it touches in 90 seconds.

I find it strange that you use a stronger concentration because you are worried that 12.5 ppm isn’t good enough, but then you go ahead and rinse with water, which is worse than simply using 12.5 ppm and not rinsing with water (sanitation wise).

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chazballz

November 3rd, 2010 at 10:07 am

@JoePolvino
The 12.5 ppm does work for sanitizing everything it touches in 90 seconds.

I find it strange that you use a stronger concentration because you are worried that 12.5 ppm isn’t good enough, but then you go ahead and rinse with water, which is worse than simply using 12.5 ppm and not rinsing with water (sanitation wise).

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zodiak3000

November 3rd, 2010 at 10:37 am

how many days can you or should you let a starter sit? also, do you keep the starter in the fridge or at room temp? thanks…

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meadmiester

November 3rd, 2010 at 11:16 am

you have one of the best voices for instructional videos. Don’t know if you had to rehearse it alot of its natural but props

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fbi365

November 3rd, 2010 at 11:58 am

Thanks Joe, this is my goto guide for every time I forget how to do my starter, which is every time. Seen this vid like 15 times…

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bluelagoon10023

November 3rd, 2010 at 12:25 pm

american kitchens all look the same

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ethans83

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:03 pm

@jones3420012001 Not from my experience. I got pretty consistent “chemical” aroma/flavor when using StarSan. Several qualified testers detected it. That went away 100% after switching to Iodophor. The same people haven’t noticed anything of the such after the sanitizer switch. Try the “water experiment” with StarSan and Iodophor. YMMV

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jones3420012001

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:07 pm

@ethans83 the foam left from StarSan will NOT affect your brewing. Do not fear the foam. You can have a carboy full of StarSan foam and it won’t affect the flavor, head retention, yeast activity – nothing.

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airscrew1

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:13 pm

Good video but I think you have gone over the top with the sanitizing. I use Isopropyl Alcohol and just give the necessarry items a quick wipe. Also you seem to use a lot more equipment than I do. I use a saucepan, a milk bottle with an airlock and that’s it.

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REGreenTeam

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:38 pm

@JoePolvino I have always used PWR and then Starsan. I wash everything first to be sure nothing has dried on a surface then I sanitize right before I use it. If something has dried on the surface of any piece of your equipment then you must eighter scrub wash it or let it soak in the Starsan to clean and sanitize it. A good soak for a piece of equipment that has dried material on it can be 12-24 hours. Of course this can be speeded up when warm water is used.

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johnhyater

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:30 pm

can i use this yeast starter to make wine? plz help

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ethans83

November 3rd, 2010 at 3:19 pm

@OPE08 StarSan and Iodophor are both
capable of sanitizing. Both are no-rinse
sanitizers, and both can be used over and
over. StarSan, however, has high foaming
action, which does not drain well. Iodophor
does not foam, and drains easily. You do
not need to let Iodophor “completely air-dry”
as you say, just drain as normal. I’ve been
brewing for a long time, and have used a
variety of sanitizers, including StarSan, and
trust me, it’s not the best. PM me for details.
Cheers!

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OPE08

November 3rd, 2010 at 3:51 pm

“never had a problem with” doesn’t mean its correct, safe, or good advice.

Sullyhause is correct, by rinsing with tap water, or any un-sanitized water for that matter, you are simply adding the chance of contaminant right back into your nice clean iodine-purged item. Does that mean you will get an infection? No, does it mean that you havn’t ever even tho you feel you’ve had good results? No.

Items that are sanitized with iodine need to be completely air-dried, not rinsed.

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OPE08

November 3rd, 2010 at 4:28 pm

Starsan in my opinion is far better than a “good” sanitizer, and exactly for the one reason that you mention, it is a “no-rinse”.
You can apply starsan, the object is sanitized within seconds to minutes, and you can IMMEDIATELY use it. No rinse, no dry time, and foam makes no difference.
Iodophors only benefit is that it is cheap, so you can add more as it goes bad, that being true it isn’t really reuseable like Starsan, as iodophor goes bad over TIME not USES.
Faster and handier…

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JoePolvino

November 3rd, 2010 at 4:38 pm

I’ve actually heard that the couple drops you indicate take care of the water itself, but doesn’t make that water a sanitizing solution. I prefer a stronger solution (it’s free), and then a quick rinse with cold water. Never had a problem doing it this way.

Thanks for the helpful comments!

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ethans83

November 3rd, 2010 at 4:54 pm

@OPE08 StarSan is a good sanitizer, but it’s high foaming. Some brewers prefer the foam, but I found it to be a pain since it’s a no-rinse sanitizer. Iodophor is an iodine concentrate, it’s cheap, no foam, and does every bit as well as StarSan for sanitizing. Plus, you can reuse Iodophor solutions over and over again just like StarSan. This, coming from a long time brewer, and former StarSan user (current Iodophor user). If it works for you, keep it up, but I’ll pass on StarSan.

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Sullyhause

November 3rd, 2010 at 5:22 pm

Great video Joe. Outstanding! Best Ive seen.

I like to boil the water first, remove from heat, and then add the DME. In that way I can cover it (faster to boil) and dont have to sit there watching the kettle for 5min for the hot-break foam to boil-over.

Just so newbs dont get misled; you have waaay too much Iodophor in your spray bottle. You only need 12.5ppm (20 drops per gal.) More is not better, and rinsing with tap water after defeats the purpose of the product.

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bluton78

November 3rd, 2010 at 6:14 pm

yeah the packet of yeast I got didnt say anything and the instructions I got with the beer kit I bought didnt mention temp just said add to wort after boiling and in the carboy but noticed evereyone else puts the yeast in around 65 degree or so and raised a concern lol… cause I put mine in too hot ,, oh well I added more when I got it cooled and hopefully back on the right track, thanks for your help. .

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JoePolvino

November 3rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm

Yeast should only be added to cool wort, otherwise it will die. Your yeast should come with instructions as well as optimal temperatures.

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bluton78

November 3rd, 2010 at 7:17 pm

I have a question, will the yeast still ferment the beer if it is added when the wort is still hot ? or should I add some more yeast when the beer cools ? thanks for the help ..

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