Making a Beer Yeast Starter

Follow these steps to make a beer yeast starter:

1. Calculate the beer yeast starter volume required to achieve the number of cells required for the desired pitching rate.

2. For each quart of beer yeast starter required, add 3.5 ounces (1 cup) of DME and 1/40 teaspoon yeast nutrient to a quart of potable water.

3. Boil for 20 minutes to sterilize.

4. Cool to 70°F.

5. Pour into a sanitized container with a stopper and airlock.

6. Shake well.

7. Add yeast culture.

8. Let the starter ferment at or near your target fermentation temperature for 24–36 hours.

9. Periodically agitate the beer yeast starter to resuspend the yeast, aerate, and remove CO₂.

10. Chill the beer yeast starter for 24 hours to flocculate all of the yeast.

11. Decant the beer from the yeast cake.

12. Allow the yeast cake to warm to fermentation temperature.

13. Swirl the container to suspend the yeast in a slurry.

14. Inoculate the target wort using the slurry.