How NOT to make a starter; a cautionary tale

Zacharomyces · 08-18-2009, 04:02 PM

So I had 1200Ml's of starter going in a flask on my stove. Near the end of a few minutes of boiling I realize that I have neglected to throw the stir bar in. No biggie, or so I thought. Tilted the flask to one side, slid the stir bar in and BLAMO!

The wort instantly goes full boil and shoots out of the flask like a freight train running late, (I'm not sure that this is an actual saying, but it fits) covering my wall, stovetop and floor. Of the 1200Ml that were in there, only about 800 were left. Huge mess, lesson learned. DONT let this happen to you, kids. Also, stay in school and dont do drugs!

**Yooper** · 08-18-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zscalf

So I had 1200Ml's of starter going in a flask on my stove. Near the end of a few minutes of boiling I realize that I have neglected to throw the stir bar in. No biggie, or so I thought. Tilted the flask to one side, slid the stir bar in and BLAMO!

The wort instantly goes full boil and shoots out of the flask like a freight train running late, (I'm not sure that this is an actual saying, but it fits) covering my wall, stovetop and floor. Of the 1200Ml that were in there, only about 800 were left. Huge mess, lesson learned. DONT let this happen to you, kids. Also, stay in school and dont do drugs!

Well, you could consider it a demonstration of "nucleation points", so there is some scientific lesson there for the rest of us.

Zacharomyces · 08-18-2009, 04:09 PM

Update: There's some on the ceiling as well. Good thing this was pointed to opposite direction of my face!

Ryan_PA · 08-19-2009, 03:42 PM

I remember seeing a story on like 20/20 about microwaving water in a glass bowl, then adding a spoon. It essentially caused the superheated water to "explode". I remember thinking 'you have to have a perfect scenario to replicate this in life', thanks for proving me wrong.

Droot · 08-19-2009, 10:33 PM

I had bad luck boiling the stir bar. The bar got hot and the wort boiled off of that making a lot of small bubbles. Next thing the flask foaming out the top and all the wort was not boiling. This was on an electric stove.

Now I spray it with star san and gently drop it in when cool.
David

carbon111 · 08-19-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droot

Now I spray it with star san and gently drop it in when cool.

+1 on this approach.

Jamo99 · 08-20-2009, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zscalf

like a freight train running late, (I'm not sure that this is an actual saying, but it fits)

This thread is now the first google result for "like a freight train running late", so congratulations on a new actual saying!!

greenleer · 08-20-2009, 08:36 PM

Mythbusters covered this as well. Season 1, Episode 4: Microwave Madness

Tonedef131 · 08-20-2009, 08:43 PM

Consider yourself lucky, I had a flask base blow out on me. But not while it was over the burner, oh no it waited till I was carrying it over to the sink to chill. I don't know who was more pissed, my wife because this hobby of mine had once again made a mess/consumed my evening...or me who had to make another starter that night with the pan/gallon jug method, clean up the mess, and buy another flask. It was on carpet too, so I had to spend $50 renting a carpet shampooer and the whole weekend doing the rest of the floors.

Edit: I still make starters for every batch :hardcore:

**Picobrew** · 08-20-2009, 08:50 PM

Sorry about your mess, that's a good lesson. This is motivating me to get my stir plate finally working, i just need a potentiometer with less resistance (hopefully). After work I'm going to speed over to radio shack like a freight train running late.