Does my yeast starter look good?

Here is my yeast starter after 15 hours. Is this normal/acceptable?

It was just spun a little to aerate it. (since I have no stir plate).

V/R,
BrewTech

looks good

Yup, looks good.

Thank you! It is working quite amazingly! I am glad to have the support!

In the first 12-24 hours, the yeast focus on using up all the oxygen and building their colony. You'll see some activity during that time, but it will really take off after that. Also keep in mind that a starter can ferment out quite rapidly, potentially overnight. So, a krausen can rise and drop and you might not see it.

So my pumpkin ale O.G. was a little lower than my projected 1.065 and ended up at 1.050 or so. My yeast starter was pretty intense and the airlock looks like boiling water! Will this mean I will get a dry beer with a higher AbV?

It is still "boiling" currently. It's pretty cool.

Jaehnig said:

So my pumpkin ale O.G. was a little lower than my projected 1.065 and ended up at 1.050 or so. My yeast starter was pretty intense and the airlock looks like boiling water! Will this mean I will get a dry beer with a higher AbV?

It is still "boiling" currently. It's pretty cool.

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If it was an extract kit them most likely you got a bad mix with top off water and your OG was probably what was expected

If your OG actually was lower as in a full boil with no top off or an AG recipe then the lower OG means lower ABV, not higher

duboman said:

If it was an extract kit them most likely you got a bad mix with top off water and your OG was probably what was expected

If your OG actually was lower as in a full boil with no top off or an AG recipe then the lower OG means lower ABV, not higher

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Yes that is true. But I was more worried that my yeast would do some extra work and then turn my pumpkin ale dry. I guess I could taste before the secondary and add ingredients then?

If you overpitched a bit it does not mean the beer will finish dry. It does mean the yeast will not need to multiply as much before eating the wort.

I would think the yeast produced in this batch might be good to harvest and use for the next batch because they were not over worked and stressed.

Thank you for the help. Now another noob question... (once this first batch is out of the way I'll know what I'm looking at for next batch.

Attached are a couple pictures. Am I bring paranoid about infection? This is beginning of second day in the primary and I took a peek. (different colors due to flash being on in second picture)

Krausen and hops. Completely normal. RDWHAHB.

Thank you. Now I don't have to ask next time. Much appreciated. Unfortunately no home brews until this one is all set! I had a GLBC Burning River though!

Jaehnig said:

Thank you. Now I don't have to ask next time. Much appreciated. Unfortunately no home brews until this one is all set! I had a GLBC Burning River though!

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Good start, but next time less Ohio and more Michigan (Bell's, Founder's, etc.)

I'm from the U.P. so yes, I agree. New Holland brews are good too. Try their Ichabod Pumpkin Ale!

Nothing wrong. Look like hops in the krausen. I'm in Key West, but born a Yooper.

I see no foil on that starter so I assume you have an airlock on there? Ditch that and use foil next time. More oxygen = more yeast.

Just place tin foil over the opening? And yes I used an airlock on my starter.

Go Yoopers!

Jaehnig said:

Just place tin foil over the opening? And yes I used an airlock on my starter.

Go Yoopers!

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Yep. Sanitize a piece of foil and form it over the top of the flask loosely. Oxygen is critical for yeast growth in the early phase. Airlocks prevent that.

Dang, thanks for the info. Luckily my yeast seems to be doing a fantastic job! My starter didn't fair too badly, there looked to be plenty in there.

Next brew I'll use tin foil. Love having this forum.

Jaehnig said:

Dang, thanks for the info. Luckily my yeast seems to be doing a fantastic job! My starter didn't fair too badly, there looked to be plenty in there.

Next brew I'll use tin foil. Love having this forum.

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It's still better than nothing and lots of people use air locks, but really ideally you'd like to have foil or foam stopper and a stir plate. Best case scenario.

I plan to build my own stir plate eventually with an old computer fan and some small magnets! That ought to work well I think. I need a few other things first. Wort chiller and a proper thermometer.