Brown layer of yeast in starter...bad?

I made a 2L starter for an upcoming batch of Maibock. I decided to mix the Wyeast Bavarian lager yeast and the White Labs German Lager yeast. I pitched both into a room temperature wort in the 2L flask. They fermented overnight, approximately 12 hours and had formed a nice, foamy head in the flask. I then split the starter into two sterilized (w/ Starsan) tupperware containers and chucked in the fridge.

Later today I checked on them and the yeast cake has a white/gray layer on top and a markedly darker/brown layer on bottom. I don't know if the bottom is dead yeast, or maybe one yeast strain is physically darker. Thanks for any input!

PS - I used the exact same method on a 1L starter for a Belgian yeast and it formed the normal, white/gray yeast cake on bottom.

Its mostly likely just break material from your dme you used to make the starter.... proceed as directed

I had kind of the same thing happen to me. I called White Labs and the guy said that yeast can turn different colors and not to worry. That yeast did really well and I had no issues when I used it.

Thanks so much for the input guys!

Frankiesurf said:

I had kind of the same thing happen to me. I called White Labs and the guy said that yeast can turn different colors and not to worry. That yeast did really well and I had no issues when I used it.

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Yeah i just stepped up my starter and before i added the new wort the yeast had a brownish color the next day the yeast was bright cream color..its a crazy little organisim

I had a starter that failed (the yeast sample was harvested a year previous) I refrigerated the wort until I could purchase a tube of replacement yeast. The bottom of the flask had brown material similar to what you described. I assume it was break material from the DME. The replacement yeast worked just fine.