My starter smells funny

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iambeer

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I have two startrrrs going at the moment and one (basic american ale yeast) smells funny. Should I dump it?

They both have been startin' for 3 days from 6 month old slant samples.

The other one (european ale yeast) smells fine but it's a different yeast.
 
At this point I don't know how to describe what it smells like other than it's 'not right'...

It seemed to pick up quickly and there's a lot of carbonation and no signs of other bacteria.... It's currently in a 750 ml bottle about 2/3 full.



I guess I could describe it as a leather/vegetable smell. Just not at all what i would associate with yeast or beer.
 
Can't say that I've ever smelled a starter, but 3 days seems like a long time to leave it out. The growth phase is pretty much done in 24-36 hours at the most, then I would chill it until you are ready to use it or step it up.
 
Starters smell funny, its probably a normal smell. I have started to enjoy the funky starter smell. I think you would know if it was infected. i have questioned MANY starters but have always used them. Ive never had a problem.
 
yeast has a sour smell, kind of like sourdough bread, to me. That's probably it.
 
If you've got slants, I assume you've done enough starters to know what "normal" smells like. Trust yourself. If it doesn't smell right, it probably isn't. Cut your losses and start over with that one.
 
I agree with Bill. If you've made a lot of starters you should definitely be able to tell when one of them is just not smelling right.
 
Today it smells more obviously like... medicinal :( oh well.

Yep plenty more slants.. This is just a delay I don't want. I will just go to a local store and buy yeast for that one.
 
I didn't throw it out. I kept it. And then it smelled normal again. Kind of.

I will not use it though... don't want to risk good wort.

A stir plate is my next upgrade. It should be well known that a stir plate increases growth more than any other method of supplying oxygen to worth according to a well received study in the homebrewing world. It took me a while to catch on to it.
 

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