yeast starter inept

Brewing processes and methods. How to brew using extract, partial or all-grain. Tips and tricks.

Moderator: slothrob

Post Reply
Radler
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:47 pm

yeast starter inept

Post by Radler »

I made a starter yesterday with 32 oz of water to just shy of one cup of DME and picthed the yeast-Wyeast Scottish ale- at 11 pm last night, at 8.30 this morning I have very minimal activity. Very minimal means almost no pretty foam on the top and almost a centimeter of sediment on the bottom. Is this normal for 9.5 hours or should I be worried. I was not worrying and homebrewing it all night but the starter apparently doesn't care. Pitched 80 deg. yeast into 80 deg wort. Help please. Thanks.
cubangoose
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:57 pm
Contact:

Starter

Post by cubangoose »

I have had 32oz starters take 24 hours to start. Just wait a day, it will get goin'.
Radler
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:47 pm

me overreacation ,yeast underreaction?

Post by Radler »

Ok, so now I've boiled up some more DME and cooled it and pitched (12 o'clock today) and it sedimented within 2 hours. It's around 80 deg. in there and while there are bubbles coming up through the wort they are not forming a foam on the top and the airlock is bubbling perhaps once a minute. I had wanted to brew today but that doesn't look like a good (possible) idea. Is this, a lost cause/overreaction/bad but saveable/within yeast norms. I just have trouble beleiving that although I saw no huge head and not lots of activity that now it is just sitting on the bottom sleeping and all that within a few hours. Is it still possible that it will go out of sedimentation and start jumping around again? Also, how do I know if a starter is contaminated, so I don't throw it into a whole batch and ruin that? I need a lower stress hobby.
BillyBock
Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout
Posts: 561
Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

Don't Worry

Post by BillyBock »

You don't need a lower stress hobby...just relax. As long as you followed good sanitation practices when making your starter, it'll be fine.

I've had starters throw up a huge head, and others that didn't. It just depends on the yeast strain. If you're in doubt, look at the bottom of the starter. If there's more yeast in there than what you put in, the starter worked.
User avatar
KBrau
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2001 10:13 pm
Location: Melville, NY
Contact:

Lower Stress

Post by KBrau »

There is no such thing as a lower stress hobby, just a lower stress approach. Don't worry about it, I am sure your beer will turn out fine. If not, you have a perfect excuse to brew again. Make sure that you don't drive the fun out of brewing with technical details. I see that a lot in this forum. Leave the worrying for the professional brewers whose jobs depend on good beer. Good Luck.

Rich
Post Reply