Creating a wort starter guarantees that your yeast will go to work right away.  No more delayed fermentation starts.  It also helps having a healthy starter in high gravity batches.

Things you will need

• Beer yeast – dried or liquid
• Dried malt extract
• Erlenmeyer flask
• Stir plate and stir bar
• One Step Sanitizer
• Stopper and airlock
• Ice

When dealing directly with yeast you must keep everything sanitary.  Everything must be surgery grade clean.  Prepare a bucket of sanitizer or a container large enough to soak your Erlenmeyer flask, stir bar, airlock, and stopper. 

Once everything is clean fill the flask with 2 cups of water and begin heating the flask on the stove.  Once the water is boiling, add 1/4 cup malt extract while off the stove.  Stir well until the malt is dissolved.  Boil the solution for another 3 minutes and remove from the heat.  You will need to quickly cool the solution.  Prepare a bath of ice to rapidly cool the wort.  The faster the wort gets cooled, the less the chance of infection.  Place an airlock and stopper onto the flask and place the flask into the ice.  Let it sit long enough to cool down to room temperature.  Now it is time to pitch the yeast and stirbar.  Carefully pour the yeast into the flask and add the sanitized stir bar.  Quickly replace the stopper and airlock.  Next place the flask on the stir plate and turn to medium.  Let the plate run until it is time to pitch the yeast.  You should notice a change in color of the wort.  After 24 hours the yeast has increased in volume and should be ready to put into your latest batch.