First yeast starter

[stever1000]

I started my first yeast starter (1L with wyeast 3056 yeast) on Thursday afternoon.

I swirled it a lot thursday night, then it rested until the morning.
In the morning I noticed some dark things settled on the bottom (because of fermentation I assume)
When I came home from work this evening, the yeast had settled and the starter looked like beer.

Thursday it was very foamy everytime I swirled it.

How long should I wait until I put it in the fridge? I haven't seen any krausen or much activity besides the foam and the dark specks on the bottom over night. But this is my first yeast starter so i have no clue what to expect.

Any help would be great, I am anxious and don't want to mess this up

 

[jbord37]

Foam is good. If you used one of the online pitch rate calculators you should be fine to refrigerate it once you get to the desired count. If you're brewing a high gravity beer I would probably just let it ride if you're brewing the beer this weekend.

 

[mmlipps]

Sometimes a starter can be quick. Could do its thing overnight and you never see the action. I have a stirrer and to verify it is done I usually turn off the stir plate and wait 20 min. If there is still action there will be bubbles floating to the type. Otherwise it will be stagnant. Usually I get to see some of the action, but it depends on the size of the starter and the yeast you use. How much DME did you use and how much did you boil it?

 

[brewkinger]

Yeah, your good to chill that starter.
Make sure you keep it covered with a sanitary piece of foil.

Now for phase 2: when are you brewing?
What are you brewing?

You may have enough yeast for a normal gravity batch of beer depending on the expiration date on the package of yeast.

If it were me and I was not brewing this weekend, I'd chill that sucker and then make another 2L starter a day or so in advance of brewing.
I like the soldiers to be fully charged and ready to go from the moment they arrive.

If your plan is to make a bigger beer 1.060 or better, then I would definitely step it up at least once. Again, a lot depends on the viability of the original yeast.

 

[Singletrack]

Are you brewing a German wheat beer, by chance? I have not used this yeast, so take what follows with a grain of barley.

Were the yeast mostly dead when you bought them? I ask that because a 1 liter starter without a stir plate doesn't accomplish much unless you are building up from a very small count. Anyway...

I wouldn't expect the "dark things." Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! Or maybe that's just some hot break.

Look for tiny bubbles rising to the surface. If that happened and then stopped and the yeast settled, then you can refrigerate. Since it is only one liter, you could dump the whole thing in this weekend without refrigerating and decanting. Maybe that is safest.

However, I don't really like the sound of your starter's invisible fermentation. You should be ready with a backup plan if your beer doesn't show signs of fermentation. Maybe an extra pouch of 3056 or some dry yeast to save the day.

Maybe try a starter using 1056 or another common yeast if this one doesn't work out.

Good luck!

 

[stever1000]

Today when i swirl it i dont see the co2 bubbles escape like I did yesterday so maybe its done like you said?
I used ~1L of water and ~150g of LME
after boiling for ~15 mins i added 200ml to reach 1L again

 

[stever1000]

Yes i am making a hefe
The yeast smack pack date was feb28 and within 3 hours of smacking the yeast package it was swollen liske a balloon

 

[stever1000]

Obviously the picture is blurry because I only have 2 hands.... but this is the dark matter on the bottom. I assumed it was formed during fermentation...trub or something?

 

[Singletrack]

Looks good. Make some beer!

 

[BigFloyd]

The dark bits may be a little gunk from when you boiled the starter wort. I'd not worry about it.

 

[stever1000]

Awesome! Hefe tomorrow it is

 

[DatsyukianDeke]

You could chill that to settle the yeast, pour off the spent wort then add another equal amount of new wort to the slurry and get even more yest cells.

 

[brewkinger]

Now that I see the picture I can say with certainty that you are good to go.
That's all yeast my friend, perhaps with a few chunks of break material mixed in.

Like deke said above, I would make another small starter (if not too late) just to bring the cell count up a little bit more.

 

[AndyRN]

The dark bits may be a little gunk from when you boiled the starter wort. I'd not worry about it.

I agree. The Wyeast guy said 18-24 hours for a starter then chill then decant, so that's what I do and i have a large, healthy yeast slurry on the bottom. Too much time, stresses the yeast and will deplete their energy stores.

 

[stever1000]

Ok, I followed everyones advice and made another 1L starter and I'll push my brew day until Monday

My yeast was clumped together after sitting in the fridge, I imagine after a lot of swirling it will all separate, right?

 

[BigFloyd]

Ok, I followed everyones advice and made another 1L starter and I'll push my brew day until Monday

My yeast was clumped together after sitting in the fridge, I imagine after a lot of swirling it will all separate, right?

Yep. Same with when you let it warm up.

I like to use that tendency for yeast to clump together when I cold crash the primary. It makes the yeast cake more firm and harder to suck up into the siphon.

 

[stever1000]

The second step of the starter is already active and foaming. Seems like I will be ready for brewing tomorrow!

 

[Singletrack]

Yes, no more delaying on this. Pitch into beer! Happy brewing!

 

[stever1000]

I used the starter last night and already (12hrs later) the blow off tube has a lot of activity!

Thanks for the help