First starter...infected?

Hi everyone,
I just made my first starter with liquid yeast (Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager). I've done three batches before this and all I've used up until now was dry yeast, so I don't have much experience with liquid. Today is brew day, and when I checked the starter this morning, it appears that there is a growth hugging the bottom of the bottle. It is hard to describe. It looks like an uneven layer that is rounded in several spots at the top and is surrounded by a very thin outlining of white. Above this is a nice, even layer of dark matter (I assume yeast) and another nice, even layer of lighter matter (which I also assume is yeast) Does this sound okay to everyone, or do I have an infection?

I will try to post a photo here in about an hour. My digital camera isn't working, but my brew buddy is bringing his over so I can take a picture and put it up here. Please tell me what you think! I really wanna brew today, so any input would be greatly GREATLY appreciated! I do have some Safale American Ale Yeast on hand, but I am trying to make a Vienna Lager so I don't wanna use that. Anyway, thanks a lot in advance, and like I said, I will try to get a picture up soon.

Peace,
Wes

[edit] - Here is the link for a photo -[2nd edit...new pic, not blurry]
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=18696467&imageID=1479199844

that's probably the yeast dude

It looks normal to me, but it's sorta hard to tell with that blurry picture.

If the camera has a close-focusing macro mode, use it. If not, stand back far enough to allow the camera to focus properly, then use your photo editor to crop the pic down to the relevant part (yeast bottle) and scale it up for display.


(Hey, BeHoppy, I see it's your first post. Welcome to the forum.)

Sorry about the blurry pic, my friend and I were having some problems...not only that, but I didn't have any photo editing software... check this photo out and see what you think.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=18696467&imageID=1479199844

You can see it a lot better with this pic. Anyway, let me know if you think it is infected or not...I hope not, I am really looking forward to brewing that Vienna Lager....

And thanks for the quick response, BeHoppy & Beerforbreakfast! :fro:
Behoppy, Welcome! I hope this forum improves your knowledge of beer like it has for me

Wes, I don't think that is anything to worry about, but I'll admit I'm not positive. I'm sure others will comment on this later in the morning.

I've not seen anything like that in my starters, but I don't recall examining them all that closely either. I've also never used that yeast.

How did you make the starter (step by step process) and when?

How does it smell? If it smells like yeast you're good to go. If it smells sour, you might be on to something. By the looks of it, I think you're fine.

I pretty much followed the method for starters laid out by John Palmer. Here it is, step by step:

Friday night:
I made the starter by boiling a pint of water with 1/2 cup DME for 10 minutes. After cooling the covered solution in an ice bath, I poured it into a bottle I cleaned thoroughly and then sanitized with a bleach solution for 20 minutes. I sanitized the outside of the swollen smack pack with a bleach sanitizing spray, and after 20 minutes, cut it open with sanitized scissors (yes, bleach again) I poured the yeast into the bottle, covered with plastic wrap and the original cap, shook vigorously, and recapped with a airlock. It fermented vigorously through the night.

Saturday:
Checked the starter, it seemed fine. John Palmer suggests topping the starter off, but seeing as my bottle was already pretty full (I'll get a bigger bottle for my next starter) I left it alone.

Sunday:
I checked the starter and it looks like it does now.

That's about it, from beginning to end. The smack pack was delivered on Thursday already swollen, so I had to go ahead and make use of it. I hope that helps to clear up anything. Thanks a lot for your help, BeerforBreakfast . I am still preparing for the brew so I haven't yet decided if I'm going to use that or make a diferent beer with my dry American Ale yeast.

Wes said:

The smack pack was delivered on Thursday already swollen, so I had to go ahead and make use of it.

Click to expand...

That would concern me that it arrived swollen. That means that the inner package was already opened (smacked) before it got to you. Who knows for how long?

I will tell you that I lack sufficient experience to give you sound advice on this. How does it smell, as Brewsmith asked?

How about it Brewsmith, is there cause for concern that the pack was already swollen when Wes got it?

The smell seems okay, I mean it smells like yeast to me. Yea, the fact that it arrived swollen kind of concerned me too, but I figured I would put it to use since it was already activated and the weekend was coming up...perfect excuse to relax and brew

On a side note, you know you're addicted to brewing when yeast becomes your excuse not to do other things...

"Yea, sorry, I can't make it down this weekend...I have this yeast I have to use or it'll go to waste"

LOL! Yep, when concern for yeast outweighs other considerations in your life, you know you are hooked!

If it smells like yeast, I'd just go ahead and use it, Wes.

Don't worry, that looks mormal. If you are still in doubt, give it a taste. Just take a sample with a turkey baster. I oftentimes do this when I propate yeast harvested from previous batches just to make sure the yeast is still fine.

Kai

Yeah, looks normal to me too. The bottom layer is just trub. With the small starter you have pictured, you should pitch it all.