Sweet/sour smelling starter

david_the_greek · 09-02-2007, 02:03 AM

I made a starter from a English ale yeast and I let it spin for two days on my stir plate. I wanted to step this guy up large enough that I could pitch some, and store the rest. I emptied my starter into a separatory funnel and all of what I thought to be the yeast sunk to the bottom. It looked almost like chunks in my starter and I was a little worried. What really set me back a little was the smell. An aroma of sweet with a bit of sour to it. I tasted a little bit of the "beer" that I was throwing out from on top and it was sourish sweet as well. I am concerned and don't want to have to buy more yeast/drive 40 minutes each way to the LHBS that is open on sundays. I also saved a small amount in an auto-clavable glass sample jar, does the yeast content at the bottom look to be large enough to be pitched into a 5 gallon wort? The mid way line on the bottle is I think 100ml, making that what somewhere around 20ml of yeast with some other particles? So what does the peanut gallery think? Look alright for a white labs yeast or have I created a monster? Thanks guys.

Here are some links from photobucket, they are the "direct link"
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z221/david_the_greek/DSCF0439.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z221/david_the_greek/DSCF0435.jpg
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http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z221/david_the_greek/DSCF0438.jpg

Iordz · 09-02-2007, 02:10 AM

I would err on the side of caution; if you have doubts don't do it. What temp was your starter fermenting around. There might have been excessive ester production, which gave it that slightly sour taste/aroma.

**ajf** · 09-02-2007, 02:56 AM

IMHO if an English yeast could ever be described as sour, then it is infected and should be discarded.
-a.

david_the_greek · 09-02-2007, 04:41 PM

ARGGGG! gosh darn it. I'm not throwing it out yet. I very well may, but I'm not going to just yet. Come on is everyone thinking this stuff is a goner? It just has a strange smell to it. I tried to contribute it to a yeasty smell but I really don't think it is..... granted I have never smelled English ale yeast before. There are not other visible signs of something going astray. No mold, no films, no creatures crawling out and cornering me, drunken and alone, in the basement. Everything was sanitized in Iodophore, perhaps in a solution stronger than the standard recommendation. The only thing I can think of is that my Erlenmeyer flask was not sanitized, but it did have boiling water and then boiling wort so I think that would have solved itself.

Now lets say that indeed this yeast has gone a stray and been led to the dark side. I have a packet in Munton's dry brewing yeast in the fridge. I believe it came with my brewers hefeweizen kit (well wheat kit, then I bought some real hefeweizen yeast). Would this be an adequate substitute in my DFH 60 clone?

Iordz · 09-02-2007, 09:16 PM

Hang on, you really don't want to use any English yeast for an American IPA. I wouldn't use it, you'll get more esters and, worst of all, a malty beer (English yeast attenuates less). You definitely want American ale yeast, it will give you a dry, neutral finish, that lets the hops shine above the malt.
You can use the English yeast for a mild, bitter, porter, etc.