Starter Checkbox in Yeast Section

[PDid]

New to BF, and just wondering how using the starter checkbox affects the recipe calculations. I am using a starter, and check the box, but it doesn't have a place to enter starter size, and doesn't seem to change anything about the OG, etc.

Related question is: does it or should it affect anything related to the fermenter volume or water calculations? If I am using a 2L starter, that is a little more than 1/2 gallon and so adds 10% to my fermenter volume for a 5G batch. Seems like there may be at least a small effect on OG, and maybe FG-related calculations.

Basically, just not sure how that checkbox works and what effect I should see from using it.

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

The checkbox is just a "yes I did a starter" or "no, I didn't do a starter" notification.

 

[PDid]

The checkbox is just a "yes I did a starter" or "no, I didn't do a starter" notification.

Thanks for the quick reply. Is there anywhere the starter gets accounted for in the recipe statistics? I know that you can add a Brew Log note, but that also doesn't seem to affect any stats.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the quick reply. Is there anywhere the starter gets accounted for in the recipe statistics? I know that you can add a Brew Log note, but that also doesn't seem to affect any stats.

Not at this time, It’s on our wishlist though!

 

[Herm brews]

New to BF, and just wondering how using the starter checkbox affects the recipe calculations. I am using a starter, and check the box, but it doesn't have a place to enter starter size, and doesn't seem to change anything about the OG, etc.

Related question is: does it or should it affect anything related to the fermenter volume or water calculations? If I am using a 2L starter, that is a little more than 1/2 gallon and so adds 10% to my fermenter volume for a 5G batch. Seems like there may be at least a small effect on OG, and maybe FG-related calculations.

Basically, just not sure how that checkbox works and what effect I should see from using it.

Thanks!

First of all, welcome to the site.
I am relatively new to making yeast starters, so take this with a grain of salt. You might consider building the starter, then cold crashing it. Once the yeast has settled, pour off most of the starter wort, leaving just enough to swirl the sedimented yeast into a slurry. Pitching just that slurry should remove any worries about substantial volume increase of adding the whole 2 liters. That is how I have handled the starter issue.

 

[PDid]

First of all, welcome to the site.
I am relatively new to making yeast starters, so take this with a grain of salt. You might consider building the starter, then cold crashing it. Once the yeast has settled, pour off most of the starter wort, leaving just enough to swirl the sedimented yeast into a slurry. Pitching just that slurry should remove any worries about substantial volume increase of adding the whole 2 liters. That is how I have handled the starter issue.

That's a good idea... hadn't done that before. I don't mind the extra volume the starter provides (more beer!) but it does slightly change the OG and other profiles of the recipe. I'll give it a try next time.

 

[Herm brews]

The other benefit of pouring off the starter liquid is that you won’t be introducing the flavor of the starter wort into your beer.

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

I usually do the starter, cold crash, decant process as well, mainly because I "harvest" some of the yeast of the starter and store it in vials for future use. This way it's perpetual and clean without any issues from possible problematic fermentations.

A downside to the cold crash / decant is some of the yeast reserves are consumed during the cold crash, and used to wake the yeast back up so you have slightly less vital yeast pitch. IMO it's not a significant difference, and the benefits of being able to have starters on separate days and being able to harvest far outweigh any minor difference in vitality of yeast.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I picked up the following formula from HomeBrewTalk. I use it to calculate a new gravity when combining worts of different gravities. I most often use it when I take gravity readings for first and second runnings but then forget to take a pre-boil gravity reading

. (For the gravity readings I just use the decimal portion; i.e. for SG 1.050 I would enter 0.050.)

As an example 5.5 gallons of wort at an SG of 1.050 mixed with a 2L (~0.5 gal) starter (I'm guessing SG about 1.010 as most sugars have been consumed) yields a combined SG of 1.046. So not too much dilution. If you feel it's too much dilution, then cold crash. There really isn't a wrong answer here. If my starter is less than 2L I usually pitch the whole thing into the fermenter. If it's more than 2L I'll cold crash and decant. The downside @Pricelessbrewing mentions is another reason I tend to pitch the whole starter if it's smaller in size.

I also overbuild my starters by about 50% of what I need. I keep it on the stir plate until I'm ready to pitch. Then I pour off 1/3 into a very clean & sanitized mason jar and the other 2/3 get pitched into the wort.

 

[Ward Chillington]

You can overbuild the starter twofold, pitch half and store the rest in a sterile Mason for your next brew. Search Brulosophy's site for more details....And welcome PDid! Please tell your real name isn't Shawn!