All Yeasted-Up and Nothing to Ferment

hunter_le five · Jun 30, 2014

Forgive me if this has already been covered, but my Google-Fu has failed me.

I was planning on brewing an altbier on Sunday (June 29), and after I got home from the LHBS last week, I noticed that the Wyeast packet they sold me was really old (January mfg date). Mr Malty estimated only 10% viability, so I decided to make a 2L starter on Thursday morning, cold crash Friday morning, and step up in another 2L starter Friday night and cold crash again Saturday night to decant after Sunday's brew day.

Long story short, SWMBO's sister ended up being hospitalized Saturday night and I spent all day Sunday in the hospital, so I made the yeast starter/stepped it up but never got to brew.

I went ahead and just left the flask of yeast in the fridge with the intention of maybe pitching it this upcoming weekend, hopefully Saturday. I assume that should work okay, correct?

My biggest concern is that during the second starter phase, the foaming got pretty violent (in spite of a liberal dose of Fermcap) and blew the foil cover off the flask while I was asleep. It was left like that all night, uncovered. Additionally the stir bar was thrown and it wasn't spinning at all for an extended period of time. Now there are dried bits of krausen and yeast all over the interior neck of the flask. I was in a hurry to get to the hospital so I just replaced the foil and put the flask straight into the fridge after I discovered the mess the next morning.

Should I be worried that the starter might be infected at this point and just buy new yeast? Or should I just stop being paranoid and just use it?

WayFrae · Jun 30, 2014

It might be okay to use but if I were you, I would just buy more yeast. It isn't really worth the chance of infection in my opinion.

Summerland · Jun 30, 2014

I wouldn't worry about it, the co2 produced would have kept anything from falling into the starter, and the foaming just served to reassure you the yeast is viable. I say use it!

Inkleg · Jun 30, 2014

If it was mine, I'd pitch that monster.

KangerBrew6 · Jul 1, 2014

Yeast in good numbers is more resilient than many give it credit. Man has used it to make healthy drinking beverage for a long long time. Think marine exploration and their endeavours. Ha Cook Endeavours .

hunter_le five · Jul 8, 2014

Whelp, after sitting for the better part of a week in the fridge I ended up stepping it up again, chilling/decanting, and pitching on Sunday evening. By monday evening it was bubbling along steadily, and when I woke up to go to the gym this morning before dawn the fermentation had grown so violent that it blew out the airlock and was spewing krausen all over the top of my fermenter like a volcano.

I didn't have time to rig up a blowoff tube so I just draped some foil over it and let it do its thing.

I've never had such a violent ferment with this yeast (especially fermenting at 59*F wort temp), but this was my first time using pure O2 instead of air, so maybe I'll chalk it up to that.

I added 10 drops of fermcap after pitching, but this yeast just don't give a $#!t.