please help with yeast decision

I made a starter yesterday evening out of white labs california ale that i was planning on using for a apa i am brewing tommorow, but the yeast was bad,(i guess that is what it get from ordering yeast from austin homebrew when live in sc) but anyway all i have in the fridge is some danstar windsor would this work for an apa or should i just wait until i can order some more?

kjones said:

I made a starter yesterday evening out of white labs california ale that i was planning on using for a apa i am brewing tommorow, but the yeast was bad,(i guess that is what it get from ordering yeast from austin homebrew when live in sc) but anyway all i have in the fridge is some danstar windsor would this work for an apa or should i just wait until i can order some more?

Click to expand...

well i did some reading and think i might just go with it bc i really dont wanna call off my brew day but i dont wanna ruin a apa either i dont know it might be worth giving it a shot

why do you think the yeast is bad? you haven't poured the starter out have you? many starters never krausen. I would leave it alone then smell it in the morning. if its beginning to smell like beer its probably ok. How long did it take to ship to you? post what makes you think its bad.

beerthirty said:

why do you think the yeast is bad? you haven't poured the starter out have you? many starters never krausen. I would leave it alone then smell it in the morning. if its beginning to smell like beer its probably ok. How long did it take to ship to you? post what makes you think its bad.

Click to expand...

well i am kinda a newbie and starters, the last one i made bubbled and had foam it has been like 26 hours since i made it and absolutley nothing i had it on the stirplate last night, and it took like 4 days to get to me and it was warm when i took it out of teh box

at four days you might have problems. I would still let it sit overnight and see what happens. also place it in the sink before bedtime, it might save you a clean up. stirplates can break down the Krausen(foam). Give it a sniff in the morning, but be prepared to use an alternate yeast if you must brew tomorrow. I would also look for a closer place to buy your yeast. also think about washing used yeast that way you have a constant supply.

beerthirty said:

at four days you might have problems. I would still let it sit overnight and see what happens. also place it in the sink before bedtime, it might save you a clean up. stirplates can break down the Krausen(foam). Give it a sniff in the morning, but be prepared to use an alternate yeast if you must brew tomorrow. I would also look for a closer place to buy your yeast. also think about washing used yeast that way you have a constant supply.

Click to expand...

thats the bad part, i have no one that is close to me, usually when i order from nb it is still cool, but the only reason i like to order from austin homebrew it bc they let you buy fractional amounts of grain, but anyway do you think the danstar windsor will make an american pale ale taste good

I am still learning about various yeast strains and know nothing of that one. what little knowledge I have is about propagation and storage. I plan on learning the strains as I brew, wash and freeze different seasonal strains. I wish I could help you on that question. ok I googled it I think it is the wrong choice for an american ale. its designed for british ale which carries a higher ester profile. The beer might come out a little fruity(it would still be drinkable just not quite to style), you might be able to reduce the ester profile by fermenting it cooler. here is the link so you can decide for yourself.http://www.homebrewit.com/Windsor_facts.pdf

yeah i prob just need to be more patient and wait, if not i will just order some more on monday, but hey at least in the meantime i am about to go in the kitchen and make a batch of apfelwein, so i will have something fermenting

The yeast I got from AHS was warm (box sat in sun all day where UPS left it) and I put it in the fridge immediately, then when I made my starter I let it come up to room temp, and then made a starter. It still took from wed-friday to reall start chugging, and it was not krasening at all. I had to slurry it up a few times over the three days(stir plate probably would have helped)

I just came up with a solution... I ordered Safale US-05

Check the starter. If it smell good and has the layer of yeast at the bottom, it will probably be fine. It's a good idea on any count to always have some packets of dry yeast available just in case. I use Nottingham quite often.

yeah, i should of had the right one on hand but i think i will start trying to use more dry yeast though as i stated i live no where close to a supply shop so i have to mail order everything, also the price is like 5 to 6 x more than dry, i guess its just there is a whole lot more variety in liquid, but for now i think i will use dry until cooler weather....

here is what they say about the us-05

A dried American Ale strain with fermentation properties resembling that of Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale). Produces well-balanced beers with low diacetyl and a very clean, crisp palate. Sedimentation is low to medium, and final gravity is medium. Optimum temp: 59°-75° F

so i think it will work good plus it was just a little over a buck as opposed to 7

i woke up this morning and couldnt believe it, it has foam and there is airlock activity, i almost dumped it last night!

NEVER count on airlock activity as a fermentation indicator. Some fermenters aren't perfectly airtight, so CO2 can find its way out through tiny leaks.

Krausen and decreasing SG are ALWAYS signs of fermentation.

Leave your beer alone!

Yuri_Rage said:

NEVER count on airlock activity as a fermentation indicator. Some fermenters aren't perfectly airtight, so CO2 can find its way out through tiny leaks.

Krausen and decreasing SG are ALWAYS signs of fermentation.

Leave your beer alone!

Click to expand...

haha, lmao!!

congrats. I checked my fridge last night for some 05 that I would have sent to you and realized I had screwed myself( I was out!!) so this mornings brew(terrapin rye) had to be pitched with my refrigerated yeast longevity experiment. It was a british ale yeast that I had made a starter of 3 weeks ago and just tossed back in the fridge. I really wanted to keep it in there for a month before trying to restart it. well I decanted the beer and put 800 ml of fresh wort on top. this morning I was cleaning my counters. I have to get some fermencap.

hey yuri, why the change to the panther? the other was way better