newb starter question

Planning on brewing a hefe later this evening (extract) with Wyeast 3056. A buddy of mine who quit homebrewing gave me a couple of jars of what were labelled "wheat wort" and a mini-carboy and gave me directions for mixing the liquid yeast and wort in the jug.
I'm wondering if there is something wrong because ive seen no activity (did this 14 hours ago)
There is a thin film of white stuff floating on the top and another on the bottom but not the swirling type of fermenting i was expecting.
Is there something wrong? I was hoping to brew tonight because i was told 24 hours would be enough time for the starter. Do i have to wait another day? I'm worried about throwing something infected into my wort when i brew tonight. Thanks guys

Well I don't know how old the Wheat wort he gave you may be, or how it was stored...Most people just boil up fresh extract when they make a starter.

But...Of over a dozen starters with tubes, smakc packs or bottle harvesting, I have ever only seen one Krauzen or "activity ring" and usually no other "activity."

Just like in the fermenter, fermentation isn't always dynamic...It doesn't matter one blip in your fermenter or your starter flask if the airlock bubbles or not (if you are using an airlock and not tinfoil,) or if you see a krauzen.

All that really matters is that creamy band o yeast at the bottom.



If you wanna read my take on how I think the idea of "bad yeast" is really a rarity and we need to relax more and learn to trust them, look here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/1513865-post10.html

Do you have any sediment?

revvy.
yes, there is a small amount of sediment at the bottom of the jug.(looks similar to the picture you posted) I am using tinfoil so im not looking for airlock activity obviously. The wort is i beleive around a year old and he had it kept in a small, mason jar type of glass container with the airtight lids that pop when you open them.
I take it as long as there is some sediment i should be good to pitch tonight when i boil? Shouldi keepo the starter in the fridge as you have done?
Thanks

exbrit said:

revvy.
yes, there is a small amount of sediment at the bottom of the jug.(looks similar to the picture you posted) I am using tinfoil so im not looking for airlock activity obviously. The wort is i beleive around a year old and he had it kept in a small, mason jar type of glass container with the airtight lids that pop when you open them.
I take it as long as there is some sediment i should be good to pitch tonight when i boil? Shouldi keepo the starter in the fridge as you have done?
Thanks

Click to expand...

That's just web picture. Whoever took it more than likely crash cooled the flask to get the yeast out of suspension.

I'm really concerned about this year old wheat wort you used. Was this extract? Was it home canned? Did you boil it up before adding the yeast to it?

No, don't put it in the fridge. Keep it at room temperature which will allow the yeast to reproduce, and give it a quick swirl every hour or so. When it comes time to pitch, just pitch the whole thing. Some people ferment their starters for a few days, then put them in the fridge to force the yeast to settle, decant the clear liquid, and then just pitch the slurry, but you don't have time for that.

Edit. Yes I'd be concerned about the year old wort as well.
-a.

I have to admit that i'm guessing that it's a year old. I'm trying to call my buddy to find out. He went all grain a few years ago so i don't think it's extract. No, i didn't boil it up before hand. He even told me not to worry about smaking the pack since the wort would do that job anyway. I took it pretty much straight out of the fridge, cut the package ope, and dumped the whole thing, including the packet into the (santitized of course) mini-carboy then swirled it around for a while and popped some tinfoil on the top of it.

I always truested what he told me before about brewing. Should i be concerned that i've wasted the smack pack?

exbrit said:

I have to admit that i'm guessing that it's a year old. I'm trying to call my buddy to find out. He went all grain a few years ago so i don't think it's extract. No, i didn't boil it up before hand. He even told me not to worry about smaking the pack since the wort would do that job anyway. I took it pretty much straight out of the fridge, cut the package ope, and dumped the whole thing, including the packet into the (santitized of course) mini-carboy then swirled it around for a while and popped some tinfoil on the top of it.

I always truested what he told me before about brewing. Should i be concerned that i've wasted the smack pack?

Click to expand...

Simple answer...Yeah, I'd be concerned.

That's some of the worst advice I have heard.

You should boil the wort to sanitize it....to kill off anything living in there and to make the most sterile environment for the yeast possible.

If it was year old canned wort I most assuredly would boil it.

The smackpack should be smacked so that the yeast energizer will help the yeast, and also swelling, even partially, helps give you an indication that the yeast are active.

Ok revvy. I was hoping to brew with this starter around 9 or 10 tonight. If you were in my shoes right now, what would you do?

exbrit said:

Ok revvy. I was hoping to brew with this starter around 9 or 10 tonight. If you were in my shoes right now, what would you do?

Click to expand...

Cross the border, run to cap n cork and get some fresh yeast....Since you don't have time for a starter, I would get two packs, and use both, smack them at the store to get them started...

Unless you have an HBS on your side of the border that is open on Sundays...


Or call them, have them smack two for you ahead of time. (586) 286-5202

exbrit said:

There is a thin film of white stuff floating on the top and another on the bottom

Click to expand...

Waitaminute....I missed this.

Can you post a picture?

You might be fine.

You might have krausen and sediment.

I dont have a HBS here in Windsor at all. Let alone one open on Sundays.
Thanks for the advice revvy. I'll try to get over before they close. otherwise it will have to wait till next weekend.

One final question in regards to this topic. Is there anyway at all that you would use this starter? You mentioned the sediment on the bottom. Is having that a guarantee that things are ok?
Can i take a hydrometer reading? Or give it up completely?

ok..working on getting picutre. brb

exbrit said:

I dont have a HBS here in Windsor at all. Let alone one open on Sundays.
Thanks for the advice revvy. I'll try to get over before they close. otherwise it will have to wait till next weekend.

One final question in regards to this topic. Is there anyway at all that you would use this starter? You mentioned the sediment on the bottom. Is having that a guarantee that things are ok?
Can i take a hydrometer reading? Or give it up completely?

Click to expand...

Well like I said, I caught that you said you had a layer on top a bottom...Depending on how it smelled, if it looked like you had action I would use...I am honestly a little nervous about the fact that you didn't boil the wort...and how it has been stored by the previous owner.....

Here are a couple of photos.

I have to say though that i swirled the starter around a fair bit about 30 minutes before i took this photo. When i first looked at the container (about 14 hours after pitching) there appeared to be some sediment on the bottom also although this isn't evident in the pics

IMG_0508 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
IMG_0507 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Sorry buddy, since you swirled, those pics are really inconclusive...Normally I believe that yeasts are hardier than we give them credit....but since none of the circumstances of making the starter were "normal" (possibly old, non boiled wort, not smacked pack of yeast) I really can't hazard a guess...

I really want to save you making an emergency cross border trip, but I really can't say whether or not you are okay.

You could take a grav reading, but since we don't know much about the starter wort you were given we won't have an accurate OG to compare it with.

ok revvy.. appreciate you taking a look though. Perhaps i'll leave it alone for several hours and take a couple more and if you're around you can take a look at them then.
Hopefully by then there will be more evidence as to which way it's going.