Starter eruption

[jtkratzer]

I had a vial of White Labs WLP001 from a previous batch of beer that I decided to use a dry yeast for. It's been in the fridge for a few months and MrMalty said its vitality rate is 30-35% and would require two vials for anything less than a 2 liter starter.

I don't have a big enough flask for 2 liters, so I did a 1.5L starter with 200 grams of extra light DME and have that 48 hours on the stir plate. Yesterday, I chilled it to get the yeast to drop while I got another 1.5 liters and 200 grams of DME boiled and chilled. I dumped the liquid off the starter, let it warm up, and then dumped the new wort onto the yeast and put it back on the stir plate.

This morning at 5 am, I got up to find it had started foaming over the top. Got it cleaned up and moved it to a cooler part of the house and put a cookie tray under it to contain any more disasters.

Got home tonight to a "lava flow" of yeast. Got it all cleaned up, back on the stir plate, and within 5-10 minutes, this is where it's at. It looks like I should have plenty of yeast for the beer, EdWort's Haus Pale Ale, and hopefully I won't be over pitching, but clearly the yeast are active and ready to go. This was the first I ever stepped up a starter and it will make me rethink how I do it next time.

I'd like to let this thing ferment out and then chill it. I'm hoping it's under control for when I go to bed tonight.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

two vials of slurry and minimal liquid?!? That's a LOT of yeast cells, no wonder you had a volcanic eruption! if it was two vials filled at the normal White Labs level, it wouldn't have been so much of a problem.

M_C

 

[dawgmatic]

well at least the yeast is still kickin

 

[jtkratzer]

two vials of slurry and minimal liquid?!? That's a LOT of yeast cells, no wonder you had a volcanic eruption! if it was two vials filled at the normal White Labs level, it wouldn't have been so much of a problem.

M_C

I only used one old vial of yeast rated at 35% vital, not two. I did one vial on the stir plate, and then added more wort after dumping the first batch if liquid off.

 

[Clementine]

Vitality calcs are a guess, but besides that I have found I need at least 60% additional head space minimum on starters, so your 2L starter or even 1.6L in a 2L flask is asking for trouble. I try to only go 1.2L in a 2L flask.

The bad news is that ale yeast such as 001 is a top fermenter so you loose more yeast than you realize. I made a blow off tube for my flasks so I could catch the over flow. I found a significant amount of yeast captured in the blow off container so either try out some fermcap in your starters or get a larger container.

Clem

 

[jtkratzer]

I think I'm going to put a 5L Erlenmeyer flask on my Christmas list. Looks like there is a lot of yeast left in the flask. I should be good. I'm not going to stress some yeast loss. The beer is only a 1.050 or so. I just wanted to ensure the vial was healthy and the yeast were good.