First yeast starter....No Fireworks!!!! WTF??

[duffman2]

Just tried my first yeast starter for an oatmeal stout and did NOT get the desired effects......yet. Had 1000ml flask and used 3/4 cup DME for about 750ml water.

Have electric stove so heating in flask was stupid (Didnt want to heat directly on glass, so put in pot of water on stove and the boiling bubbles rocked the flask all over).

When I let it sit, no visible krausen appeared, I swirled every few hours (no stir plate yet) and the only sign of life was small carbonation like bubbling rising to the top.

When I pitched in my wort, starter was room temp, 74, and wort was chilling at about 60...... Shook the hell out of bucket, let sit, and.......nothing!! After 24 hours took gravity reading and it had not dropped. After another 24 hours, I stirred, shook and took another reading and it had dropped from 1.052 to 1.050. It then bubbled slightly for a couple hours and then.....nothing.

Sorry for the long post, but this being my first starter I was hoping for fireworks, a big bang bucket blowoff, and great vigorous fermentation!!! So far this has been my slowest ferment yet. You guys know what went wrong? Any tips for the next one, or just get back on the horse and believe, believe in the powers of starters???? What do ya guys think??

 

[Deebee]

I had a similar problem with a packet of yeast.

basically i found out that the starter was not big enough. Get a paint mixer that can be used on a normal drill sterilize it then re aerate the wort with that to resuspend the yeast. If there is stiill no action pitch more yeast.

 

[duffman2]

Thanks for the quick response...

It has actually now been 7 days in the bucket. Is it still a good idea to shake up with a paint stirrer?? Or just pitch more yeast??

 

[Reedwalker]

Did you pitch the yeast into a cooled starter?

Did you aerate the starter?

Did you aerate your wort?

Here's a nice podcast about aeration. Basic Brewing Radio It's worth the time, even if your answers are all yes.

I'm a bit fuzzy on your process with the starter yet. Seems to me you could do it a lot faster if you boiled the wort in a pot, cooled it, then placed it into a sanitized flask, aerate (aka shake the hell out of it), and finally pitch.

 

[Hang Glider]

After 7 days in the bucket, I would not aerate any more. After 24 hours the gravity dropped - how about after 7 days? You may be surprised.

You probably didn't get fireworks because you were in the cool range of the yeast - (Wort was at 60F) - but I bet you'll like the end result.

take a gravity reading, if it's not as low as you wanted, warm it up a bit - say 65F and let it sit another week.

 

[Revvy]

Of over a dozen starters with tubes, smakc packs or bottle harvesting, I have ever only seen one Krauzen or "activity ring"

Just like in the fermenter, fermentation isn't always dynamic...It doesn't matter one blip in your fermenter or your starter flask if the airlock bubbles or not (if you are using an airlock and not tinfoil,) or if you see a krauzen.In fact starter fermentation are some of the fastes and most boring fermentations out there. Usually it's done withing a few hours of yeast pitch...usually overnight when we are sleeping, and the starter looks like nothing ever happened...except for the little band at the bottom.


All that really matters is that creamy band o yeast at the bottom.

If you wanna read my take on how I think the idea of "bad yeast" is really a rarity and we need to relax more and learn to trust them, look here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/1513865-post10.html

 

[user 30639]

Yeah, I made my first yeast starter this weekend and didn't have any Krauzen. Fortunately, some helpful threads told me not to expect one and not to panic. This place is great

 

[duffman2]

Allright guys, I'm gonna take ur advice and keep on keeping on with the starters. I guess my slow fermentation was just coincidental and had nothing to do (hopefully) with my starter. Just wanna let you know that you guys rock and I read this site every day and learn something new EVERY DAY!! Thanks again and a Big Cheers to HBT