Holy Krausen, What a difference a starter makes! (w/pics)

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KCBrewer

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Made my first starter on Saturday for brewing another batch of NB Cream Ale (great lighter beer btw, 5G didn't last long with friends). I saved the yeast from the first batch and used it for this one. Same recipe, but this time a much more active fermentation. The first batch had about a 2" krausen. I expected the same being the same recipe, so I put an airlock on and called it good. Here's a shot of it this morning (36 hrs into fermentation) when I had to add a blow off tube.

cream-ale-krausen.JPG


I'm planning to brew another batch of NB Dry Irish Stout tonight, which had a fermentation similar to this. I wonder how much blowoff I'll have from it using a starter!
 
Just be careful with a blow-off rig like that. If you have any hop particles in the wort it will easily clog the small tube. I speak from experience. My ceiling still has a stain.
 
I was a bit worried about that happening. It was coming out the airlock in loads when I pulled the cap. This was at 7:00 am, walking out the door to work, and happened to see it when I went downstairs to get my boots. That was the only tubing I had, so I slapped it on and ran out the door hoping I wouldn't come home to a mess.

I had a rather funny (not funny at the time) yeast explosion. It was my first batch. I rushed it and transferred to secondary before fermentation was complete, not knowing better. I saved the yeast cake/trub in a gatorade bottle because I heard you could reuse it. I never got around to washing it, so I came across this swollen bottle full of greenish funk a couple months later. I could tell it had pressure, so I started letting the cap off slowly into the sink. It kept clogging up, and after a few turns, BANG! The sink made it like when the faucet hits a spoon and splashes back up at you and all over. Me, the ceiling, cabinets (underside and inside cracks of doors) about 30 empty bottles, all of the liquor bottles and bar glasses, etc.... Basically it splattered an 8-10' diameter from ceiling to floor with a substance similar in color and smell to baby pooh, and I don't think it missed a square inch. Nasty, and took quite some time to clean up.

So, I definitely don't need any more explosive situations.;)
 
kcbrewman said:
I was a bit worried about that happening. It was coming out the airlock in loads when I pulled the cap. This was at 7:00 am, walking out the door to work, and happened to see it when I went downstairs to get my boots. That was the only tubing I had, so I slapped it on and ran out the door hoping I wouldn't come home to a mess.

I had a rather funny (not funny at the time) yeast explosion. It was my first batch. I rushed it and transferred to secondary before fermentation was complete, not knowing better. I saved the yeast cake/trub in a gatorade bottle because I heard you could reuse it. I never got around to washing it, so I came across this swollen bottle full of greenish funk a couple months later. I could tell it had pressure, so I started letting the cap off slowly into the sink. It kept clogging up, and after a few turns, BANG! The sink made it like when the faucet hits a spoon and splashes back up at you and all over. Me, the ceiling, cabinets (underside and inside cracks of doors) about 30 empty bottles, all of the liquor bottles and bar glasses, etc.... Basically it splattered an 8-10' diameter from ceiling to floor with a substance similar in color and smell to baby pooh, and I don't think it missed a square inch. Nasty, and took quite some time to clean up.

So, I definitely don't need any more explosive situations.;)
Click to expand...

GEEZ! Sounds like a helluva time.... How much did that explosion cost you?
 
I'm brewing my 2nd ever batch this week. A Northern Brewer extract kit... DK Belgian Pale Ale... My first was a cream ale from NB. Pitched dry yeast in that one had very high Krausen too like your pic. Used a big ass blow off hose though... This time I'm using the wyeast liquid slap pack and I just bought a yeast starter so I was gonna go that route so I can get well versed for when I start doing some Imperial IPAs and the like. Did you use a stir plate w/ this yeast starter? Have any of you guys made a starter w/ & w/o a stir plate and had considerable difference in fermentation?
 
otownpyle said:
GEEZ! Sounds like a helluva time.... How much did that explosion cost you?
Click to expand...

Nothing more than about 2 hours of my time cleaning every crack and crevice. I'm just glad it happened in the basement bar/kitchen (the man cave), cause swmbo would have flipped if it were in the upstairs kitchen. I should have taken a picture so you could all have a good laugh. I had to stand back for a minute just to take in what had just happened, and was in total disbelief that a 32oz bottle was capable of that. It was like a yeast/hop/trub grenade had exploded.

Regarding the starter, I did use a stir plate. It was a slapped together homemade deal, but it worked. I've only done 2 starters now, both on stir plates, so I couldn't tell you if it makes a difference vs. doing it without one. I know plenty of people here do it without a stir plate though, and just shake/stir it by hand every so often to keep it aerated.
 
kcbrewman said:
I was a bit worried about that happening. It was coming out the airlock in loads when I pulled the cap. This was at 7:00 am, walking out the door to work, and happened to see it when I went downstairs to get my boots. That was the only tubing I had, so I slapped it on and ran out the door hoping I wouldn't come home to a mess.

I had a rather funny (not funny at the time) yeast explosion. It was my first batch. I rushed it and transferred to secondary before fermentation was complete, not knowing better. I saved the yeast cake/trub in a gatorade bottle because I heard you could reuse it. I never got around to washing it, so I came across this swollen bottle full of greenish funk a couple months later. I could tell it had pressure, so I started letting the cap off slowly into the sink. It kept clogging up, and after a few turns, BANG! The sink made it like when the faucet hits a spoon and splashes back up at you and all over. Me, the ceiling, cabinets (underside and inside cracks of doors) about 30 empty bottles, all of the liquor bottles and bar glasses, etc.... Basically it splattered an 8-10' diameter from ceiling to floor with a substance similar in color and smell to baby pooh, and I don't think it missed a square inch. Nasty, and took quite some time to clean up.

So, I definitely don't need any more explosive situations.;)
Click to expand...

awww man. i imagine you standing there like one of the old warner bros cartoons when bomb goes off. although instead of being black and charred, you are covered in yeast/trub.
 

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