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For my first batch of 2010 I decided to make a yeast starter.  This was my first attempt at making a starter for my brews.  It’s a pretty easy process.  Making a yeast starter is a great way to provide your wort with an increased and healthy supply of yeast cells.  This also speeds up fermentation which reduces your chance of infection.  You will need to get this starter started 24 – 72 hours before you brew your beer, which is ideal.  If you wish to make one early than that, you can refrigerate it until you’re ready to brew… try not to exceed a week before.

So, how do you make a yeast starter?  Well, it’s pretty simple here is what you need to create one:

• 1/4 cup light (pale) DME
• 1 qt of water
• 1 sauce pot to boil the water
• 1 vial of yeast
• 1 small piece of tin foil
• 1/2 gallon jug or other container
• cooling method for the ‘wort’

1. Ok, to start you sanitize everything that will touch the starter.  Basically, follow the same sanitation process you do when brewing.
2. After sanitizing, I boiled a quart of water and mixed in my DME.  Make sure you stir this really well and dissolve the DME into the boil:
   
3. Watch out for a small boil over here: 
   
4. Boil the wort for 10 minutes.   After boiling, you’ll need to cool it down to pitching temperature.  I did this by placing my pot in another pan full of ice water:
   
5. Once cooled to 68 degrees, I poured the wort into my jug and shook it aggressively.  This aerated the wort and prepared it for the yeast.
6. Next, I added the yeast and capped the jug with aluminum foil (which was also sanitized).  You could also use a cork with a hole for an airlock.
   
7. Finally, place the starter in a cool dark place for the yeast to work their magic.

When you’re ready to use the starter, warm it up to room temperature.  Then decant the ‘beer’ off of the yeast cake and swirl it around get the yeast going.  Finally pour the yeast slurry into the beer and you’re good to go.

Hope this helps, if you have any other tips/questions post them in the comments.

Tags: DME, sanitizer, starter, yeast