canned/processed yeast starter not working!?!?

[salty_dog_68]

I have an acetaldehyde problem that I am trying to get a handle on. Several of my recent batches are contaminated and I believe that I am not getting good fermentation. I have been only rehydrating the yeast to this point and decided to do a yeast starter to increase my pitch rate. I am a "canner" so I used my pressure canner to 1. sterilize some 1.5 quart jars and 2. process/sterilize some 1 pint jars of starter wort.

I poured the processed wort into the sterilized jar and then pitched a packet of -05 yeast into the starter this morning. It foamed a little the first 20 mins and now 5 hours later...nothing. There does not appear to be any activity. My question is this...is my yeast bad or is the processed/canned wort no good? When I processed the wort the temp of the wort would have been around 250deg for 30mins. Is it possible to overcook the wort??

I have inadvertently overprocessed jam in the past and it is still sweet. But all I can imagine is that the wort was overcooked and the sugars broken down to the point the yeast can not ferment. Has anyone ever tried canning/processing starter wort?? Thanks for any input.

 

[flars]

Starters should not be made with dry yeast. The sweet wort starts the yeast and then depletes the yeasts reserves.
Dry yeast can be rehydrated for best results. Up to moderate OG brews the dry yeast can be aded to the wort dry.

 

[BigFloyd]

I have inadvertently overprocessed jam in the past and it is still sweet. But all I can imagine is that the wort was overcooked and the sugars broken down to the point the yeast can not ferment. Has anyone ever tried canning/processing starter wort?? Thanks for any input.

I just canned 9 quart jars of 1.035 starter wort yesterday. 15 minutes at 250*F which is the same as what I've used in the past with no issues at all. I have never heard that you can break the sugars down at those temps to make them unfermentable.

When you toss dry yeast into starter wort without rehydrating it first, you can kill up to 1/2 the cells in the packet. I often make starters, but never with dry yeast.

I use a stirplate for my starters. It's not unusual at all to not see much krausen. One way you can test to see if it's producing CO2 is to replace the sanitized foil on the flask with some sanitized cling wrap. Put a rubber band around it to seal it. Give it a swirl, see if the cling wrap starts to bulge.

 

[salty_dog_68]

Thanks for the input! Very valuable! I will start rehydrating the yeast before pouring into the starter.

 

[salty_dog_68]

I think I have a good plan to put in action...process: water in the pint jars, wort in the quart jars, and sterilize the 64oz jars. rehydrate the yeast in the pint of sterile water and then pour both the rehydrated yeast and the quart of processed wort into the 64oz jar to ferment/start. thoughts...

 

[BigFloyd]

I think I have a good plan to put in action...process: water in the pint jars, wort in the quart jars, and sterilize the 64oz jars. rehydrate the yeast in the pint of sterile water and then pour both the rehydrated yeast and the quart of processed wort into the 64oz jar to ferment/start. thoughts...

Drop the amount of yeast rehydration water to 1/2 cup.

 

[salty_dog_68]

Ty!

 

[kombat]

Thanks for the input! Very valuable! I will start rehydrating the yeast before pouring into the starter.

You're still not getting it. Dry yeast should not be used in a starter at all.

Dry yeast are frozen in a state with the necessary reserves already built-in, such that they're ready to attack a full batch of beer right out of the gate. When you put them in a starter, they use up all those reserves fermenting the starter wort, and by the time they get to the main beer, they've depleted their reserves.

Do not use starters with dry yeast. Just pitch more (properly rehydrated) dry yeast.

 

[passedpawn]

Dry Yeast FAQ

 

[salty_dog_68]

Okay! Thanks for all the input and links. Rehydrated dry yeast for most of my brewing and save the canned starters for when I want to use liquid yeast. One more quick/generalized question while we are on the topic of yeast. At what gravity(o.g.) should I add an additional packet of dry yeast? anything over 1.060 (seems to be the general consensus)?? Thanks again!

 

[kombat]

At what gravity(o.g.) should I add an additional packet of dry yeast?

The general formula for required yeast cell count for ale fermentations is as follows:

Target yeast cell count = 4 billion * point of O.G. * # of 5 gallon batches

A packet of dry yeast, if properly rehydrated, will yield around 200 billion cells. Applying the above formula, that means a single packet is good for a 5 gallon batch of ale up to 50 points of gravity, or 1.050. Beyond that, you'd need additional packets of yeast.

Note that for lagers, you must double the calculation.