DIY Methods of Making a Yeast Starter:

First off, the materials you will need is as follows:

• Beer bottle or growler or 1 gallon glass gar. Your choice.
• DME (Dried Malt Extract)
• Yeast. liquid or dry. Your choice.
• Fermentation Lock – 1 piece or 3 piece. Your choice.
• Pot – to boil min-wort in
• Siphon (if you don’t have the skills to pour directly)
• No Rinse Sanitizer such as Iodophor, etc.
• Ice

Making a yeast starter is simple when using this method. The first step is to clean everything thoroughly, especially the glass vessel (whichever you chose..) Now bring 1 cup water to 1/2 cup DME (dried malt extract) to a boil. Immediately after boiling, put the lid on the pot and submerge in an ice bath so the wort can be cooled to 60 degrees. You should have the glass jar, siphon, and airlock in a sanitizer bucket. Take them out and pour the cooled wort into the glass jar (using the siphon if you don’t have the skills). Immediately add the yeast. Aerate by shaking the hell out of it. Yes you could use an aeration stone but I don’t see why you would bother for a starter. Don’t forget to attach the fermentation lock. Once the fermentation has completed there will be a nice layer of yeast on the bottom of the jar. Just pour out the liquid and pitch the yeast into your next homebrew! You could just swish it all together and pitch with the liquid.

Yeast is a member of the fungus family, and is a single celled organism capable of asexual reproduction. Yeast is responsible for the fermentation of the sweet wort into beer. It feeds on the sugar molecules from the wort and converts them into alcohol. It also excretes co2, which can actually be seen with the use of an airlock on the fermentation container. The yeast multiply by splitting in two. This asexual reproduction creates enough yeast cells to fully ferment wort into beer.

Malt, hops, and water composition all affect the flavor of the finished beer, but many people don’t realize that yeast also has a major impact on flavor. In the two species of beer yeast, there are many sub-species which all contribute different flavor compounds.

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (ale yeast) is top fermenting and prefers temperatures of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the warmer temperatures, this yeast provides a greater range of flavor compounds (esters) than the lager yeast strain.

Saccharomyces uvarum (lager yeast) is bottom fermenting and prefers much colder temperatures than ale yeast strains; around 38-50 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the colder temperatures, this yeast strain ferments without as many flavor compounds (esters) and makes for a cleaner, crisper beer flavor.

Ale yeast has been used since the beginning of beer brewing, but lager yeast has only been used recently. The use of modern refrigeration helped to promote this strain. It was actually isolated and developed by Danish brewers in the late 1800’s.

Please note that when using any any aeration method that it is advisable to use an inline sanitary filter to protect against the chance of bacterial contamination. The image to the left shows what it looks like. If you are using a tank of oxygen this is less necessary because of the unfavorable conditions inside the tank. Bacteria cannot live in those pressure conditions. Click the image for a larger view.

If you are just getting into home brewing, or are budget conscious, you can utilize the method described in many homebrewing books such as Charlie Papazian’s The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. This method is basically lifting up your fermenter and shaking the hell out of it until the wort is nice and frothy. This method works and some people stick with this method for their entire brewing careers, although if you want to step it up, or just don’t want to risk dropping 5 gallons of wort you can use an aeration stone and a very inexpensive aquarium pump.

The use of an aeration stone is simple. There are thousands of little pores on the stone which allows the oxygen to get pushed through. This whole setup is super cheap, works just was well as shaking the fermented, but there is obviously less risk of carboy bombs, breaking backs, or hernias. This setup can be compiled DIY from parts found locally, or you can spend a bit more and have everything shipped from a home brewing specialty store such as Northern Brewer or Williams Brewing.

If you want a slight upgrade from this system you could trash the aquarium air pump and get a can of oxygen or for an even higher upgrade you could get a medical grade oxygen tank (available on Ebay for sure..).

Here are two diagrams which illustrate two methods of wort aeration for homebrewing. Both require an oxygen stone and oxygen source (aquarium pump, oxygen tank). The use of a sanitary inline filter is recommended and would fit between the oxygen tank and aeration stone (not pictured in diagram. See image above).

If you are the type who wants to take it even one step further you could assemble an inline wort aerator. These can be purchased pre-fabricated online from a variety of vendors or you could just walk to the local hardware store and assemble the parts yourself. Here is a photo of the one I built from parts found at the local hardware store. The parts include a .5mm stainless diffusion stone, three brass nipples, and a brass T. All brass parts were soaked in a vinegar/hydrogen peroxide solution to remove surface lead. I have used mine many times and never had any problems with backflow into the oxygen in tube. This is a common criticism of this design, although I never experienced any problems. I also control flow rate of both wort to oxygen to get it just right. Criticism to this method quite possibly has to do with lack of flow rate control by the brewer. +

Here are some photos I found online of how other people accomplished aerating their wort inline (Photos from Oregon Brew Crew, ):

Adding oxygen to the cooled wort aids in yeast metabolism and decreases the lag time between yeast pitching and the noticeable start of fermentation. Without aeration the yeast struggle and fermentation starts very slowly. This is not desirable because of the stress it puts the yeast under. Decreasing lag time also decreases the chance of contamination by bacteria which may be growing in your sugary wort. The rapid start of fermentation makes conditions unpleasant for these bacteria, and kills them off.

Because aeration has a direct link to yeast metabolism, aeration or lack thereof, can have an impact on the final flavor of the beer. (1)

IBU’s can only be 100% accurate when tested in a lab using expensive equipment. Home brewers can come close to IBU numbers using calculations which were made from experimental data taken from various worts. There are three main calculations used by home brewers to determine IBU.(2) They are:

• Rager
• Tinseth
• Garetz

These three sets of calculations are similar except for how they determine hop utilization.

Utilization is the percentage measurement of hop’s alpha acids “utilized” during the boiling process. This gives you a formulated number to measure the bitterness of a final beer known as IBU’s (International Bittering units), AAU’s (Alpha Acid Units), or HBU’s (Home brew Bitterness Units). (2)

There are many factors determining hop utilization including:

• Boil length – A longer boil means more utilization, though after 90 minutes there is generally no more increase in utilization. 10-15 minute boils generally don’t contribute to any bitterness (just flavor/aroma), so utilization generally starts after this time. (3)
• Vigor of boil – the more vigorous the boil, the greater the utilization.
• Blow-off losses – The use of a blow-off tube during fermentation results in the loss of precious alpha-acids, which means less utilization.
• Trub / Proteins – Alpha acids have a slight electric charge which can cause them to bind to proteins and trub which will settle to the bottom of the fermenter during fermentation. The wort is racked off these settlements, resulting in alpha acid loss. (1)
• Absorbtion by yeast – The alpha acids can be taken in through the cell walls by yeast. When the yeast settles, the beer is racked off, resulting in alpha-acid loss. (1)

The three methods are quite different in how they determine IBU’s, and my best advice would be to just pick one that you think makes more sense, and stick with it. Remember that the homebrewer cannot accurately determine the total IBU’s and that all numbers are estimates. I personally use Glen Tinseth’s method, but know people who use the others and are completely satisfied. Whatever works best for you, stick with it, and adjust if necessary.

Glen Tinseth method:
This method is the newest of the three for determining IBU’s, and in my opinion the best because of the data backing up the equations, and his ability to use equipment and conduct research at Oregon State University (5). The graph of his data looks completely different than the other two methods, and seems to make more sense and be less random.

According to his method, you must first determine the amount of alpha acids (AA) added to the wort for EACH hop addition using the following equation:

After that calculation is done for each hop addition, you can use the following equation to determine the IBU’s for each addition:

The AA utilization that is needed in the IBU calculation can either be taken from the table found here, or by completing the utilization calculation.

The bigness factor can be determined by:

The Boil Time Factor can be determined by:

The equations may seem to be really confusing at first..(at least I was…) but once you get the hang of it, it is really simple. If you don’t feel like doing the math, there is an online calculator which will do it all for you. The calculator can be found by clicking this link.

• 1 oz @ 5% = 5 HBU.
• 2 oz @ 5% = 10 HBU
• 2 oz @ 4% = 8 HBU
• .5 oz @ 8% = 4 HBU

Lets say you have a recipe which calls for 10 HBU Cascade hops and you only have Columbus hops on hand…both having different alpha-acid levels, you could do the simple math to interchange them. Lets say (just for the sake of this tutorial) that the Columbus hops have 4% alpha acid, and that the Cascade called for in the recipe had 5%.

Or lets say you wanted to use something much more bitter, or you are trying to imitate the hops from the famous Founders Centennial IPA. Lets assume you still need only 10 HBU (for the sake of the tutorial…), and you only have Centennial hops on hand which have an alpha-acid content of 11%.

Once you get the hang of the math, its easy to do without even looking back at these tutorials. For those who are less math inclined, you may need a sheet of paper and a pencil. Many homebrewers state the amount of hops in terms of total HBU’s of a certain hop variety, where as others will just give you the amount of hops they used, and how much their alpha acid content was. Given this information the HBU’s can be determined very easily. Some recipes will only give you the amount of hops in ounces…Say 2.5 ounces Chinook hops @ 60 minutes. This is an incomplete recipe and will be hard to follow exactly because we have no idea the alpha acid content in the Chinook hops, therefor making HBU’s impossible to determine. Each year the values could be slightly different. Generally the alpha acid content in hops fall within a range of values.

As your brewing skills progress, you should ditch the HBU’s and start using IBU’s. Check out our article here.

How can home brewers determine how many hops are enough, or not enough? There are two different ways which they can accomplish this…neither being 100% accurate. They are good enough to be closer than ballpark range however.

HBU (Homebrew Bitterness Unit) is recommended for beginners, although any level of brewer could use this measurement if he/she wishes. IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is the standard in today’s brewing world, and is the measurement used by major breweries throughout the world. The mega-breweries have much more sophisticated and expensive equipment for determining IBU’s and can usually get extremely close. Home brewers can also use IBU, but with less accuracy. Many home brewers argue that they have greater accuracy duplicating a given recipe’s bitterness value using IBU’s instead of HBU’s. This is debated, but generally IBU’s are seen as the standard, unless you are new to brewing.

For both methods you will need to know the AAU (alpha acid units) of the hops. This is generally listed on the package they came in.

HBU’s (Homebrew Bitterness Units): What are they and how to I calculate them? – This is our article on HBU’s, what they are, and how to calculate them.

IBU’s (International Bitterness Units) – Our article on IBU’s, how to calculate them, and why you should switch from HBU’s after you get more advanced.

Introduction Into Extract Beer

Extract Beers are beers which have been produced with a pre-made malt extract. Malt extract is beer wort which has been dehydrated into a syrup or powder form. This eliminates the need for the brewer to mash malted barley, as this step is already done for the brewer. “Just add water” is basically the idea behind malt extract and extract beer. This saves time and the need for extra all grain equipment however there is a loss of creative control the brewer must sacrifice. The company that manufactures the malt extract for extract beers is ultimately responsible for many of the final characteristics of the beer.

Brewers must know the characteristics of their malt extract and by doing so will be able to craft a recipe to work with the flavor profiles developed from the extract rather than have it act against them. Good tasting extract beer can be crafted. It takes a skilled brewer to make a damn good tasting lighter colored extract beer!

Extract Brewing Criticism

We all know that malt extract is what beginners use to make beer. One major piece of criticism regarding malt extract beer is the quality of the malt extract itself. Malt extract is generally made for the baking industry first, and the brewing industry second. Companies which produce extract for malt extract beers aren’t even brewers.

Using malt extract for a light colored, medium body beer with medium alcohol is nearly impossible if you are trying to represent the beer style in its entirely. The flavor profile needed for such a delicate beer can’t be found in malt extract beer. Many brewers steep grains and use dried malt extract as the base for the beer while letting the other grains help develop the flavor profile.

Evolving Beyond Extract Brewing

All grain brewing gives the brewer more control over the final product (finished beer!). The mash has many variables which will affect things like head retention/stability, mouthfeel, and alcohol content. For more information on all grain brewing, check out our articles Brewing All Grain: An Introduction and Beginner’s Guide: Walk-through of an All Grain Brew Day. Unlike making malt extract beer, all grain beers can fully reproduce the flavor profiles of all the world beer styles. The companies who manufacture malted barely are usually passionate brewers or at least people who are passionate about working with brewers to get the best flavor from the grain possible.

Common ways to chill boiling hot wort:

• Stick the brewpot in a snowbank and cover it with snow
• Stick the brewpot in an ice bath
• Counter-flow chillers
• Plate chillers
• Immersion chillers
• Just leave it on the kitchen stove until it gets down to room temp
• The Whirlpool Chiller (AKA Jamil O Chiller)

From this list, the most common form of chilling are plate style wort chillers, immersion wort chillers, and counter-flow wort chillers. The others (with the exception of the whirlpool wort chiller) are what the beginners do when they are lacking equipment. My strong recommendation is that if you are going to invest in a wort chiller that you go with the whirlpool chiller. There are a few reasons for this, which you can read about below. Here are some photos and information on the different types of chillers:

Whirlpool Chiller (AKA: Jamil O Chiller)

Out of any wort chiller, this setup is, in my opinion, the most efficient way of chilling hot wort. Similar to a normal immersion chiller, although there is a third piece of copper tubing which is for re-circulating the wort. This achieves two things. First it keeps the wort circulating around the copper coils, allowing for maximum cooling speed. The second really neat feature about this is that the recirculated wort moves in a whirlpool motion inside the kettle. This forms a cone shaped pile at the bottom with all the hot/cold break, trub, and hop residue. This helps ensure that these debris don’t make it into the fermenter.

Just run the boiling wort through the lines when you start recirculating and this will sanitize everything. If you are worried about residue from the previous brew, just run hot water through it after each session.

Another reason I prefer this chilling method over any other is that it gets the entire wort down below the DMS (Dimethyl sulfide) production zone in an extremely short time. DMS can produce aromas and flavors of canned corn along with other off flavors which are undesirable.(1) When you are boiling the wort, SMM (S-Methylmethionine…found in certain malts) gets hydrolyzed to DMS.(2) Boiling evaporates some of this out, but a shorter 60 minute boil time will still leave some in the wort. Rapid chilling to below 140 degrees F will stop the SMM from being converted to DMS, therefor decreasing the chances of any off flavors in your brew. (2)

Counterflow Chillers:

Like the immersion chiller, these are extremely popular among home brewers. They can be crafted from parts purchased at any typical hardware store. The idea is simple. Hot wort enters spiral tubing which is inside a larger piece of tubing. Cold water goes in the larger tubing which completely surrounds the smaller tubing. This method of heat exchange is very efficient at cooling wort down to pitching temps. The downside is that it cools a small portion of the wort at a time, leaving the remaining wort at above DMS production temps. Even though this is true, I believe it to be the most popular chilling method, especially with advanced home-brewers. I also believe that if more people saw the Jamil-O-Chiller they would reconsider. Just my thoughts.

Plate Chillers can be purchased from many homebrewing stores. They are known for their small size and are the smallest heat exchanger for homebrewing. Like the counter-flow chillers, hot wort and cold water pass by each other. With the Plate chiller, the heat is exchanged through a series of metal plates. The cost is nearly $100 but saves you the hassle of building something from the hardware store. Northern Brewer is a good and reliable source.

In a final noteWhichever chilling method you choose, the main reason for doing so is to bring the wort to yeast pitching temperatures. Wort which is too hot will actually kill the yeast. Using some sort of heat exchanger will allow the cold-break to happen which is when the proteins show themselves and eventually settle to the bottom. With a counter flow and plate chiller, these proteins are carried into the fermenter. Another plus to the immersion style chiller is that these proteins can be left in the brew kettle. The Jamil-O-Chiller takes it one step further and because of the whirlpool lets the cold break to form a cone in the center of the kettle. This ensures that it stays away from the valve where the wort exits.

If you are interested in purchasing a prefabricated wort chiller, here are a few ideas.

• Natural Carbonation
• Force Carbonation

Natural carbonation is when you add a small amount of fermentable sugar to a fully fermented beer. This will result in a small fermentation in the bottle/keg because of the small presence of remaining yeast cells. Since there is no way for the CO2 (product of fermentation) to escape, it gets dissolved into the beer, resulting in carbonation. When bottled beer is carbonated this way it is often referred to as bottle conditioning. This method can be used in kegs and bottles. Home brewers often use corn sugar or dry malt extract (DME) as the fermentable sugar. DME will take longer but is still a popular choice. These fermentables must be boiled in water prior to pitching as to kill any contaminates that may be present. After boiling the ‘primer’ as it’s called, should be cooled. Then it can be added in small amounts to each bottle, or added to the beer as a whole. If adding to the beer, pour the primer into a carboy (or keg if you are kegging) and rack the beer on top. Some brewers simply add small amounts of corn sugar to each bottle and then rack the beer on top. This works, but can result in contamination from organisms in the corn sugar. Some people have reported that it is hard to determine how much corn sugar to add to each bottle, often resulting in over or under carbonation. The sanitation factor alone deters me from this method, although in my first batches I did use this method. Some batches were contaminated, possibly because of it.

Force Carbonation is done in the keg only. The brewer injects CO2 into the beer via a CO2 tank (part of the kegging setup). The gas in port is connected while the beer out port is not. This forces the CO2 into solution since there is no where for it to escape. The advantage of this method is speed at which the beer carbonates. A flat beer can be carbonated over night. Most brewers do this force carbonating in two or three days, resulting in a carbonation of a specific volume. Different beers should be carbonated differently. An American golden lager generally has more carbonation than a British pale ale for example. The drawback of force (artificial) carbonation is that it is more costly because of the need of a complete kegging setup. The cost is generally over $200.