i know this has been asked many of times but do i make a starter with Lacto just like i do with Saccharomyces?
I can my starter in 2 quart jars. For wy5335 lacto I just open a jar and dump the lacto in. No shake or O2. I put foil over it and put the lid band back on. I set the jar on a small heat pad on low (~100º) for a week. I smell check and pitch the whole thing. Or, this upcoming brew day got delayed due to life getting in the way, so its sitting in the fridge. That one I’ll decant because its all setteling to the bottom nicely.
Yep, pretty much like a yeast starter excepting to avoid any aeration or oxygen contact. Pre-acidifying the wort to around 4.5 pH also helps reduce any infection opportunity.
If you haven’t tried it yet, the handful of grain inoculation can be an inexpensive way to produce a lacto starter. With pre-acidification and checking the aroma, you can be relatively assured that your starter is suited for use and the only thing you could lose with that method is some wort or extract. The real benefit of this method is that the sour flavors are broader and more complex, unlike the single note sourness that you may get with a commercial lacto strain.