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redshift · 07-18-2011, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pola0502ds

How did u get a explosion? Unless you had the top completely covered with no way for co2 to escape.

Swirling too vigorously apparently released a bunch of CO2 suspended in the starter liquid. Looked like a shaken soda being opened.

blueridgebrews · 07-21-2011, 07:18 PM

So I am just getting back into brewing, after a year or so break during which point I got a couple of all grain recipe kits. The yeast has been sitting in the fridge. How big of a chance is it that it is dead? I understand I could do a starter to test it, but I don't think I have any dry malt extract, and I'd hate to get stuck with a wort and no good yeast!
Note: the yeast is between six months and a year old probably and I have both dry and smack packs.

kcweazle · 07-21-2011, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueridgebrews

So I am just getting back into brewing, after a year or so break during which point I got a couple of all grain recipe kits. The yeast has been sitting in the fridge. How big of a chance is it that it is dead? I understand I could do a starter to test it, but I don't think I have any dry malt extract, and I'd hate to get stuck with a wort and no good yeast!
Note: the yeast is between six months and a year old probably and I have both dry and smack packs.

There is very little chance that you have any viable liquid yeast left. I plugged in the numbers on the Mr Malty pitching calculator and after 1 year it only shows 1% of the yeast being viable. The only way to know for sure is to make a starter but I wouldn't bother if it were me. I would just get some new yeast for piece of mind and make a starter from that if needed. The dry yeast should still be fine but only shows 68% viability after 1 year.

BigJoeBrews · 07-21-2011, 07:52 PM

I would make a starter, if you can find a LHBS near you and get some DME. Else, just buy a new package of yeast. New yeast and DME will be within a couple dollars of each other, no extra time though!!

Flip side to that coin, I used year old yeasts before with great results. Don't let the expiration date make you lose hope. Bad yeast (non-viable yeast from a sealed package) will not ruin or make your beer taste bad, just no fermentation. Remember they are multipling anyway, 1% of a million/billion is still alot of viable yeast cells. They will get going, it just may take awhile. Make your batch, use your dry, and order new yeast same day. If the dry takes off, you got a great reason to brew another batch in the very near future!!!

Side Bar- I have used a very fresh vial of white labs (no starter) on a belgian double that took a week to get going, then exploded (not literally) into a fermentation frenzy... still baffles me to this day, but it tasted amazing....

Good luck!BigJoe

BigJoeBrews · 07-21-2011, 08:02 PM

Quote:

+1 on the foam stopper. I dunk mine in StarSan water squeeze it out really well and plug it in the flask.

I also wanted to add my two cents on krausen formation on a starter. I've seen a bunch of people who mention getting little or no krausen forming. I've made 4 different ones now, with 3 different kinds of yeast - I have yet to see any significant krausen formation. Just some CO2 bubbles in suspension and a layer of yeast forming up on the bottom.

Also, I saw someone mention before mention this, but be careful swirling! I had an explosion on my first starter when I picked it up and swirled it too vigorously. What a sticky mess

Sorry, this was posted by redshift-not sure how to correctly quote...

+1 on covering it with aluminium foil for me. no san needed, no extra steps! if you a 2000ml flask a little 7"X7" square is perfect, put it on before you boil, no worries!

I have seen a little krausen (more like a small layer of foam, not the same consistency/color as krausening) on my starters. I use a stir plate for 24 hours, then just let the yeast sit(no stir) for about 2-6 hours before pitching. During that settling time, the foam appears, about a quarter inch-no very dense like a krausen. Maybe its that co2 escaping like you had on your exploding starter!!
Just my .02

Bucks-04 · 08-04-2011, 05:57 PM

So i made two seperate yeast starters. One of them when I shake it it foams. The other one very little to none, is this OK?

Bucks-04 · 08-05-2011, 01:06 AM

Anyone?

**freshhoarse** · 08-05-2011, 02:47 AM

Same yeast strains?

Bucks-04 · 08-05-2011, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freshhoarse

Same yeast strains?

Wlp300 and 380

**Malstorme** · 08-06-2011, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathBrewer

i thought this picture might help out some newbies....

Nice post, wonder why it's not stickied... I've looked for it a couple times but you get a "few" results if you use the key words "yeast" and "starter", especially since I generally start by searching the "Yeast and Fermentation" subforum... Won't have trouble finding it now!

Mals