Eep! Did I kill my yeast starter???

[size]

So I brewed my yeast starter, everything was going well, and since it's a Saison yeast, I was aiming for an ambient temperature of about 75 F. So I stuck it in a cubbyhole, went and checked it a couple hours later, it was 80 degrees.

Thinking that just setting it in my basement would be cooler, I tried that. Came back, and it was NINETY degrees (we're talking ambient here).

Now I've set it in my temperature controlled room, where it's about 75, but I don't see any activity. It smells like the yeast has done something, but I don't think it near finished it's activity before it (maybe) died?

No yeast cake, a half inch of sediment in the bottom, and it's just sitting there. Did I kill it?

 

[Revvy]

Shouldn't have, I brewed my saison at about 90 degrees....

That sediments IS more than likely your yeastcake.

 

[size]

Oh wait is 3724 bottom fermenting? How could the yeast cake be on the bottom?

 

[shek]

After fermentation the yeast will settle out and make a cake (trub) at the bottom. This might be a good time to take a gravity reading.

 

[Revvy]

Oh wait is 3724 bottom fermenting? How could the yeast cake be on the bottom?

That's how you make starters, just like beers....the yeast flocculates to the bottom of the flask when it is done....if you have sediment, then you had flocculation.

 

[size]

Yeah but it only fermented for like 12 hours.... can that be right?

Is it because it's a starter? I thought the other few starters I've done have taken 2-3 days...

 

[PseudoChef]

Actually, optimal yeast cell growth conditions are around 30C (86F), so it's nothing to worry about.

 

[size]

Great! Thanks for the quick replies guys.