Demonstration of Why A Yeast Starter Helps (with Photos!)

[QuietKeith]

Last weekend I did double-duty and brewed two extract batches in a single afternoon. Having only one growler around, I created a yeast starter for the first batch, and pitched just a smack-pack for the second. The difference in "takeoff" of the two was quite dramatic.

The primary with the starter was at full krausen after 24 days, so much that foam was blowing up into the airlock. I let things go for awhile - with the foam blowing out it didn't seem like any infection would have a chance to get in. However, once the foam blowing slowed down, the foam hardened and restricted the outgassing of CO2, causing the top of the ferementer to bulge! So, I sanitized a fresh airlock, closed my eyes, and pulled the gunked up fermenter out. No problems - just CO2 came whooshing out. Within 24 hours the whole process started up again, and I'll have to switch out a fresh airlock again soon.

The second batch took off more slowly, not really seeing any activity for 48 hours, and not seeing a really vigorous bubbling in the airlock until day three.

So, for any skeptics out there, I'd say using a yeast starter makes a big difference!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20554975@N00/272605209/

 

[JeanLucD]

Wow thats pretty cool, but it makes sense that a starter helps... (they were both the same recipe/yeast right?) - though I don't know if I would want such a mess, haha.

 

[Brewno]

Then again, on the other hand I used a smack pack the other day and had bubbling within 7 hours. When I came home from work the next day I had brew coming out of the airlock and had to change it. This was with 5 gals in a 6.5 gal carboy. That's a lot of airspace and I still had blowoff. Now that's an active fermentation if you ask me.

Tommy

 

[QuietKeith]

Luckily the mess isn't as bad as it looks. The overflow is happening in slow motion, so I have plenty of time to catch it before it gets onto the floor.

The recipies were different - the one that's overflowing is an APA using Wyeast American Ale. The other is Wyeast Irish Ale. Both started out with 6lb of DME, but the Irish Ale has two pounds of specialty grains vs. one pound for the APA. Not sure that could account for the difference.

Also, the yeast for the APA that went into the starter was only about three weeks old (based on manufacturer date). The Irish Ale yeast was closer to seven weeks old.

 

[JeanLucD]

Yea I doubt that such a small amount of difference like that would create such a different reaction, but the age of the yeast might. Then again I'm a noob, I must say I was quite glad yesterday when I made my first batch (ever) and I got some airlock activity after about 4 hours. All I did wsa rehydrate the yeast too, I should hopefully have a decent beer in 6 weeks :rockin:

 

[Bernie Brewer]

In my sig you'll notice one carboy of Hefe, and one carboy of American Wheat. I actually used wort from the same ten gallon batch, just used different yeasts, kind of an experiment, to see the difference yeast can make. Only thing was, I was able to make a starter frome saved/washed American Ale yeast that I had in my fridge. I didn't have time to do this with the White Labs pitchable Hefe that I got from the LHBS, so I just pitched the vial. The results were predictable. The American (with the starter) took off in under 12 hours and has now fermented out. The Hefe had three days of lag time, finally took off, and is still fermenting after two weeks+. The moral of the story ? Make a starter.