so i've been looking into getting a flask in which to make starters. previously i've just been using a growler for my starters, but i like the idea of being able to boil right in the flask for sanitation purposes (i figure in the very long run it will save me money on starsan). So i have 2 questions about the flasks: 1.) I have an electric stovetop. the flask will be fine on that, right? 2.) with my previous starters i've been boiling in a pot and then putting the pot either in my fridge or an ice bath to cool it down. if i boil directly in the flask, will moving it to an ice bath or the fridge mess with the flask because of the quick and extreme temperature change? i don't want an exploding glass flask because I took it from boiling and put it directly on ice thanks in advance for any info
1. No, it is always advised not to do that, or make a trivet to get the flask off of the element. 2. You can boil the starter in the flask. I let it cool a little, then it goes into a water bath. The good ones are borosilicate which stands up to the thermal shock.
I put mine on electric stove. I didn't know that was frowned upon. I gradually increase the heat though, not sure if that helps. I've been doing this for a couple years now. I also let it cool a little before putting in ice bath. Another tip if you get a flask: invest in some fermcap or other foam inhibitor. It's easy to boil over without.
I too have just been putting my flask on my electric stove for years, on high immediately. It is the glass top kind of stove though, so that could be acting as a bit of a buffer. I also just put that thing right in the ice bath. I always assumed Erlenmeyer flasks would be borosilicate. Mine must be. Definitely get some Fermcap though. Erlenmeyer flasks will boil over REALLY fast and standing there staring at them with your 'Ove Glove' on is no fun.
So I'm not trying to hijack the discussion, but where do people stand on the safety of FermCap? A few years ago I read some criticisms on this forum but I always disregarded them as self-interested (the manufacturer of some competing product seemed to be fear-mongering). But since then, I've heard that the feds don't allow FermCap to be used in commercial breweries. (I might have that wrong - it's just something I remember hearing at some point.) The feds are obviously not infallible, but it certainly gives me pause. Does anyone have a view on this?
I consider FermCap pretty safe for 2 reasons: It's the same thing as Gas-X and people have been swallowing a lot of that for many years without too many problems. Second, most of it will be discarded with the sediment after fermentation so very little of the original addition, which is small (2-3 drops is plenty for a 10 gallon batch) will end up in the packaged beer. Fermcap is definitely allowed in commercial breweries and is very popular. The federal position is that no measurable quantity ends up in the finished beer, therefore it is not an 'additive'. You can research this on probrewer.com.
Glass top stove surfaces would be better than on the coil heating elements. The advice was to make a trivet for a coil element. There was a presentation on toxic beer ingredients at NHC. The Fermcap dose was so small, it was not a problem. The dose makes the poison. At recommended rate for a batch of beer, he says you would have to drink 1400 glasses of beer a day for the Fermcap to be a risk! See the presentation by Paul Hanlon here if you are an AHA member.
That's good to hear. I never boil in the flask, and sure as hell never trusted to thow it in an ice bath. Mine doesn't say Anchor or Pyrex, so I still don't trust it. That's why I use it every time.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! Also, I boil in the flask and go straight to the ice bath, but my flask is pyrex, so it's good to go.
