How To’s

Make a Yeast Starter

A couple days before your brewing, here’s what you need to create a Yeast Starter to jumpstart your fermentation:

Ingredients:

  • One quart (32oz) water – this should be the same water you intend to brew with
  • One cup dried malt extract
  • Your yeast
  • Ice (for an ice bath)

Equipment:

  • Saucepan (stainless steel is preferred) with cover
  • Container (a “growler”, etc.) with an airlock (airlock optional) large enough for the liquids (~42+ oz)
  • Funnel
  • Wire whisk
  • Thermometer
  • A container/sink to make an ice bath
  • Your choice of sanitizer

The steps:

  1. If you have an Activator (smack pack), smack it to let it begin.
  2. Boil the water and malt for ~15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
  3. Put the hot pan in the ice bath to cool the liquid (wort). Cover and cool for ~15 minutes.
  4. Once the wort is cool (less than ~ 65 degrees F), pour it into your container.
  5. Put the container’s cap on and shake the wort to aerate it.
  6. Sanitize your funnel and pour in the yeast.
  7. Put on your airlock or loosely put on the cap to the container.
  8. Set it aside until brewing day!