Nottingham Starter Question

[TheHalfDime]

Quick question: I am working on my first starter and think that I may have run into an issue with temperature. I pitched about 6hrs ago and think that the stir plate is driving up my temp. It is sitting out on the kitchen counter at 73-74 deg room temp.

OG is about 1030 and I am using nottingham dry yeast. I am checking temp with 2 separate thermometers and am reading 80deg F. It climbed over the last several hrs.

Will this result in acytl-s or falvor issues or will it be cleaned up in the main fermentation?

Should I throw it out and redo in a temp controlled fridge?

Thoughts?

 

[Reelale]

Quick question: I am working on my first starter and think that I may have run into an issue with temperature. I pitched about 6hrs ago and think that the stir plate is driving up my temp. It is sitting out on the kitchen counter at 73-74 deg room temp.

OG is about 1030 and I am using nottingham dry yeast. I am checking temp with 2 separate thermometers and am reading 80deg F. It climbed over the last several hrs.

Will this result in acytl-s or falvor issues or will it be cleaned up in the main fermentation?

Should I throw it out and redo in a temp controlled fridge?

Thoughts?

You don't need a starter with dry yeast. There is enough cell count in those packets to get the job done. Just re-hydrate per directions on the packet.

 

[TheHalfDime]

Sure, but you get better flavor profile from batches with a starter. And with bigger beers a starter is necessary regardless.

The real question is about the temp. Not the need for a starter.

 

[joel4482]

Sure, but you get better flavor profile from batches with a starter. And with bigger beers a starter is necessary regardless.

The real question is about the temp. Not the need for a starter.

The temp is fine, if you were looking for better flavor profile from the yeast you would be using fresh not dry yeast. Dry yeast is not horrible but if you are looking for a certain flavor profile from the yeast there are numerous fresh yeasts to use.

 

[BackAlleyBrewingCo]

Quick question: I am working on my first starter and think that I may have run into an issue with temperature. I pitched about 6hrs ago and think that the stir plate is driving up my temp. It is sitting out on the kitchen counter at 73-74 deg room temp.

OG is about 1030 and I am using nottingham dry yeast. I am checking temp with 2 separate thermometers and am reading 80deg F. It climbed over the last several hrs.

Will this result in acytl-s or falvor issues or will it be cleaned up in the main fermentation?

Should I throw it out and redo in a temp controlled fridge?

Thoughts?

I don't think the off flavors will be cleaned up in the main fermentation, but depending on the size of the starter and the beer style they may not be detectable.

When I have time I like to let the starter finish, crash cool it in the fridge, and decant the starter beer before pitching the yeast.

I have to agree with others that it sure seems like a lot of work when a pack of notty runs $2.50. Though doing a starter does prove that the yeast is viable, I suppose.

TD

 

[TheHalfDime]

I'm using a starter for 2 reasons. 1) practice 2) recipe calls for a dry yeast and with a starter it will be the freshest possible.

 

[TheHalfDime]

Dry yeast is not horrible but if you are looking for a certain flavor profile from the yeast there are numerous fresh yeasts to use.

Yeah, I know. It is one of those see what happens experiments.

 

[theredben]

Are you pitching the whole starter or decanting? I always decant the starter prior to pitching, that way I don't have to think about the flavours produced. I am growing yeast, not making beer.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Quick question: I am working on my first starter and think that I may have run into an issue with temperature. I pitched about 6hrs ago and think that the stir plate is driving up my temp. It is sitting out on the kitchen counter at 73-74 deg room temp.

OG is about 1030 and I am using nottingham dry yeast. I am checking temp with 2 separate thermometers and am reading 80deg F. It climbed over the last several hrs.

Will this result in acytl-s or falvor issues or will it be cleaned up in the main fermentation?

Should I throw it out and redo in a temp controlled fridge?

Thoughts?

Doing starters with first-generation dry yeast is not usually recommended. Per Mr. Malty, a standard 11-gram satchel has about 200+ million cells in it, plenty for beers up to 1.060 in OG; in fact, I would use it up to 1.075 or so before pitching another satchel.
To get any meaningful reproduction out of a starter with that many yeast cells, you'd have to make one on the order of a gallon or larger, especially if you don't have a stirplate. With a smaller starter, especially if you pitched the yeast directly and didn't rehydrate, you are likely to end up with the same or fewer viable cells than you started out with. Buying another satchel is almost always going to be cheaper and much more convenient.

Yeast starters are commonly kept at 70-80+ degrees, since you want to maximize yeast reproduction, not flavor profile. It's common to decant most of the starter wort and only pitch the yeast slurry to minimize transfer of undesirable flavors from the starter.

 

[BackAlleyBrewingCo]

Yeah, I know. It is one of those see what happens experiments.

I'm curious - how big of a starter did you make? What are you brewing? Have you made a decision about what you're going to do with your starter?

TD

 

[TheHalfDime]

I'm curious - how big of a starter did you make? What are you brewing? Have you made a decision about what you're going to do with your starter?

TD

Nothing special. Just a 1060 generic malty beer. Similar to ed worts Haus Beer

 

[Tom]

Dry yeast are specially prepared for storage and fermentation. Starters can actually decrease their viability. Rehydrating the dry yeast before pitching will maximize their viability.
Check out the new book Yeast by White and Zainisheff for more info.

 

[wildwest450]

Dry yeast are specially prepared for storage and fermentation. Starters can actually decrease their viability. Rehydrating the dry yeast before pitching will maximize their viability.
Check out the new book Yeast by White and Zainisheff for more info.

+1, one pack would have been plenty for a .060 beer.


_

 

[TheHalfDime]

Doing starters with first-generation dry yeast is not usually recommended. Per Mr. Malty, a standard 11-gram satchel has about 200+ million cells in it, plenty for beers up to 1.060 in OG; in fact, I would use it up to 1.075 or so before pitching another satchel.
To get any meaningful reproduction out of a starter with that many yeast cells, you'd have to make one on the order of a gallon or larger, especially if you don't have a stirplate. With a smaller starter, especially if you pitched the yeast directly and didn't rehydrate, you are likely to end up with the same or fewer viable cells than you started out with. Buying another satchel is almost always going to be cheaper and much more convenient.

Yeast starters are commonly kept at 70-80+ degrees, since you want to maximize yeast reproduction, not flavor profile. It's common to decant most of the starter wort and only pitch the yeast slurry to minimize transfer of undesirable flavors from the starter.

Thanks for the input. Decanting the liquid would minimize flavor transfer. Makes sense that you want to grow the yeast and are not so much worried about the "product" liquid.

The starter that I made is 1.6L

 

[TheHalfDime]

So does anyone use a starter with dry yeast for a big beer 1080 or so?

Also, don't you get better fermentation and flavor after harvesting and repitching. Mr malty says the 3 generation is "magical". aren't you just getting closer to that when you make starters?

 

[SC_Ryan]

Nope, just pitch two packets. The price of the second packet is less than the cost of DME for a starter.

aren't you just getting closer to that when you make starters?

Starters don't count as generations (according to Jamil Z)

 

[Tom]

+1
and using starters with dry yeast decreases their viability