BeerBorg

One of these days I'll get this yeast starter mess figured out! The latest boil over, my pee brain decided to do it in the flask! Instead of wearing the oven mitts just held them, went to swirl the at the boiling point wort, gave it one swirl and out the top it came across the back of my hand! @&$!@&$@!$ slight redness and can feel the sting!

I long ago started using Fermcap in my starters since I do it all in a flask.
That's gonna hurt for quite awhile. Sit down, grab a cold beer and repeat.

I do it all in the flask, but I bring it to a boil very slooooooowwwwwllllllyyyyy.

That seems to help keep it from foaming up.

Ouch, sorry about the hand Steve. It will feel better once it stops hurting.

I've gone back to making my starters in a pot. Cause I ain't got time for slow.

I do it in the flask to sterilize it dead dead dead. I don't trust "sanatize" for them. Last thing I need is a stepped up mixed sacc/brett culture when I don't want the brett. So pot isn't an option.

Inkleg wrote: It will feel better once it stops hurting.

Gee thanks! Guess I'm pretty lucky, so far this morning it is more like a minor sunburn. When it happened got my hand under cold water each time it started to feel hot, finished the starter and got Neosporin on it and wrapped it in ice blanket for couple hours. Wore a neoprene medical glove to bed so I wasn't aggravating it, I think it helped keeping it moist.
Gonna have to start doing 1.5 L starters in my 5 gallon pot!!!

On a related note, just got my 5L flask in and I'll need a new refrigerator to cold crash it in.
I just find doing it all in the flask much less mess but I am waiting for the time when flask meets granite countertop and BOOM!

I broke my no flask rule 3 weeks ago. Just making a small 1.020 wake up starter, 1200mL in a 2L flask. All was fine until I remembered I had not added yeast engerizer. Note to all, adding any thing to wort boiling in a flask will cause a boil over. I did it, saw it coming up in the flask and just stepped back. After it settled down I clead up the mess and continued on with my 800 mL starter. this one time my brain said "leave it" and the rest on me listened.

Now i do the in the pot, keep hot tap water in the flask until the starter is done. Dump the hot water, add the boiling starter and stir bar, cover in foil, allow to sit on the counter for a bit (this sanatizes the flask) then chill in the sink.

To continue the stories, even adding a sanitized spin bar to a boiling flask can cause a boil over and did. Lesson learned. I also added yeast nutrient one time and got a not so nice surprise pop up. But those still don't outway my laziness for using just one vessel.

I boil my stir bar in the flask along with everything else. In a lab environment you would put the things in an autoclave and/or boil with the bar as well. It won't hurt it unless it's coated with cheap plastic instead of Teflon. You'd have to expose it to 300C+ direct heat to cause real problems.

mashani wrote:I do it in the flask to sterilize it dead dead dead. I don't trust "sanatize" for them.

Me, too. Given the sensitive nature of a starter I like to sterilize everything.

mashani wrote:I boil my stir bar in the flask along with everything else.

Me, too - again. I learned the hard way about dropping the stir bar in when it reaches a boil.

Having broken a flask already, I choose to take the time and boil my starter in a pot, cool it in an ice bath, and then pour it into the flask. I use Star San to sanitize flask, stir bar, and funnel, and I haven't experienced any problems. It may take longer, but if I break the flask, it won't get done at all.

Even with a cheap non-lab grade flask, you can still do it in the flask, just put the flask in a pot just wide enough for the base, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the wide part of the base. Bring the pot water to a boil and it will then bring the flask contents to a boil, without applying direct flame, or electric heating elements to the flask. Top up water in pot if needed.

mashani wrote:Even with a cheap non-lab grade flask, you can still do it in the flask, just put the flask in a pot just wide enough for the base, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the wide part of the base. Bring the pot water to a boil and it will then bring the flask contents to a boil, without applying direct flame, or electric heating elements to the flask. Top up water in pot if needed.

Yeah, that simplifies things.

mashani wrote:Even with a cheap non-lab grade flask, you can still do it in the flask, just put the flask in a pot just wide enough for the base, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the wide part of the base. Bring the pot water to a boil and it will then bring the flask contents to a boil, without applying direct flame, or electric heating elements to the flask. Top up water in pot if needed.

Can you actually see the water in the flask boil?