So, 12 days ago, I made a single malt tripel (all base malt) with 2 lbs of light BCS. I had a vigorous fermentation, and I decided it would be wise and necessary to install blow-off equipment to my carboy.
So, I made a solution of FUNCTIONAL Star-San solution. ( I use pH strips to test the sanitizing solution I make in 5 gallon buckets when necessary) The pH of this particular batch was 3.0 on the money.
I then had the blow-off normally installed from the carboy into a 1 gallon mason jar full of this solution, and inserted the end of the blow-off assembly inside the jar with the solution.
Vigorous fermentation, vigorous blow-off. Not only did I have a lot of really fermentable sugars (Mashed at 150), but it was very well aerated. Fermentation kicked off 4 hours post-pitch.
I started noticing that as this mad fermentation persisted, I was getting a considerable amount of yeast in the mason jar-- enough to discolor the solution, and deposit a considerable (1/4 inch) yeast cake on the bottom of the blow-off vessel!
Since the color was changing, I figured that the yeast contribution was in fact diluting the sanitizer concentration. It was! About 5 days into the fermentation, I took a pH reading and it was at 3.3. I knew that if the pH rises above 3.5, the star-san solution would
A.) Be a considerable yeast nutrient
B.) Be of low enough pH that it would make it very hard for bacteria to grow in the solution (but not impossible)
I had also figured that the first yeast cells that made it inside of the blow-off container were SURELY dead. But what use are dead yeast cells?
Yeast nutrients for the ones that may have survived!
So what did I have on my hands YESTERDAY, when I tested the pH and made a mini-starter?
A considerable amount of yeast, all of which could be dead, in a nutrient-dense environment with a pH of 3.8 that had been kept sanitary for days
So, I took a sanitized SS spoon, and scooped up some of the slurry from the bottom of the mason jar, made a very light starter at 1.028 OG, pitched the yeast, and this is what I have!
The smell has changed from the starter from slightly sour in the beginning (more than likely from all the dead yeast), to guess what? Beer!
Prost!
So, I made a solution of FUNCTIONAL Star-San solution. ( I use pH strips to test the sanitizing solution I make in 5 gallon buckets when necessary) The pH of this particular batch was 3.0 on the money.
I then had the blow-off normally installed from the carboy into a 1 gallon mason jar full of this solution, and inserted the end of the blow-off assembly inside the jar with the solution.
Vigorous fermentation, vigorous blow-off. Not only did I have a lot of really fermentable sugars (Mashed at 150), but it was very well aerated. Fermentation kicked off 4 hours post-pitch.
I started noticing that as this mad fermentation persisted, I was getting a considerable amount of yeast in the mason jar-- enough to discolor the solution, and deposit a considerable (1/4 inch) yeast cake on the bottom of the blow-off vessel!
Since the color was changing, I figured that the yeast contribution was in fact diluting the sanitizer concentration. It was! About 5 days into the fermentation, I took a pH reading and it was at 3.3. I knew that if the pH rises above 3.5, the star-san solution would
A.) Be a considerable yeast nutrient
B.) Be of low enough pH that it would make it very hard for bacteria to grow in the solution (but not impossible)
I had also figured that the first yeast cells that made it inside of the blow-off container were SURELY dead. But what use are dead yeast cells?
Yeast nutrients for the ones that may have survived!
So what did I have on my hands YESTERDAY, when I tested the pH and made a mini-starter?
A considerable amount of yeast, all of which could be dead, in a nutrient-dense environment with a pH of 3.8 that had been kept sanitary for days
So, I took a sanitized SS spoon, and scooped up some of the slurry from the bottom of the mason jar, made a very light starter at 1.028 OG, pitched the yeast, and this is what I have!
The smell has changed from the starter from slightly sour in the beginning (more than likely from all the dead yeast), to guess what? Beer!
Prost!
