Starter FAIL, Why?

[43North]

I tried to pioneer a new starter. I had new new packs of Imperial Yeast and as I was boiling my water I was shocked to see my bags had partially froze in the bottom of my frig. I cancelled brewday and tried to make a yeast starter or in my case a Yeast resurrecter. Didn't have the Dried malt extract so I substituted 150g of Carnation Malted Milk in 1400 ml of boiling water. I had no yeast nutrient so I boiled a pack of bread yeast in a cup of water for 10 minuted to kill the active yeast. Cooled everything down to 80 degrees and mixed everything together.

So the yeast was going crazy to the point where I worried about overflow so I quickly rinsed and sanitized
a 5L flask, soon after transferring my mix from a 2L flask to a 5L flask, all activity stopped. I rinsed out my flask with Star San in chlorinated tap water, could a few ml of this water have killed all my yeast in a matter of minutes?

Help

 

[IslandLizard]

Looks like a milkshake with malt and now yeast flavor too!
https://www.nestleprofessional.us/n...n-original-malted-milk-canister-6-x-25-pounds
I don't see how much malt is actually in the mix, but if I understand correctly, all sugars combined make up 55%, although carbohydrates are listed at 76.3%. Maybe the extra 21% is from the wheat flour?
Then also 6.7% fats and 11.5% protein (whey?).

I rinsed out my flask with Star San in chlorinated tap water, could a few ml of this water have killed all my yeast in a matter of minutes?

Definitely not a problem!
Even if you'd use all chlorinated tap water for making your starter, the Chlorine (or Chloramine) content is still very low, a few ppm usually, limited at 4 ppm by the CDC. Some of that will blow off during heating too when preparing your starter.

I'd never consider using malted milk for yeast starters, but why not, it contains sugars, likely some maltose? There will be quite a bit of carryover of the reconstituted milk products, as well as fats, wheat flour, etc. into your beer, even after crashing and decanting.

I don't have a clue why the apparent activity stopped after transferring to the larger vessel. Maybe it will pick up again after a few hours?

 

[43North]

I let is swirl for 20 hours and then dumped it down the drain.

 

[bracconiere]

i would have said it was done? did you take a refrac reading of the starter? or at 5L hydro sample?


and i gotta say using malted milk mix for a starter cracked me up! i mean hell looking through the cupboard, thinking..."Well it's got malt in the name?"

sorry brew day didn't happen!

(i would have gone for molasses or something myself, brown sugar maybe?)

 

[IslandLizard]

I let is swirl for 20 hours and then dumped it down the drain.

Maybe for the best...

But you missed out for sake of science. Some of us can be curious about such experiments.
We already have Celebration, but you could have invented Carnation, your healthy malted milk ale.

Kidding aside, get some DME for making yeast starters.
Or save out extra wort from a batch, and freeze it until you're ready to use. Reboil to re-pasteurize, and dilute to starter gravity 1.037-1.040. Chill to 70-80F, pitch your yeast, and stir away.

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't have a clue why the apparent activity stopped after transferring to the larger vessel. Maybe it will pick up again after a few hours?

Oh wait, perhaps I do: The sugars were all used up, yeast had gone dormant!
Could have added some more to verify the yeast being alive and well.

 

[bracconiere]

Oh wait, perhaps I do: The sugars were all used up, yeast had gone dormant!
Could have added some more to verify the yeast being alive and well.

that's what bracc said!

(but honestly i would be concerned with possible food poisoning with using milk powder? not sure though?)

 

[43North]

Thanks everyone..... Going to get some extra DME and yeast nutrient.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Even though I have switched over to dry yeast, I have made a few starters.
I'd recomnend switching to "real" malt extract for your starters.

 

[BobAthanasidy]

I have to plus 1 on any idea that suggests saving the last of your all grain sparge. After my wort fills my kettle to volume/gravity target from the mash tun, I run the line to a one gallon wine jug and collect the last runnings. I’ll get anywhere from a pint to >half gallon. Gravity is often a measurable @1.020+ and can easily be boiled down and/or supplemented to 1.040 for later use. Invert sugar and molasses are great supplementing additives if no DME. Rarely has a yeast not “returned from the dead”, so long as it was kept clean and no funky stuff was growing in your flask instead!

 

[McMullan]

Brewer's yeast haven't evolved to ferment cow juice. I think that was the main issue. And it's probably a good thing. I mean, the outcome would be unfortunate really, wouldn't it?

 

[bracconiere]

well anyway i had a funny animated gif of a newborn calf first walking to add... aparently animated gifs don't work anymore though?

 

[McMullan]

I could be wrong, to be honest. It seems to be more common than I might have assumed. This one's definitely progressed beyond all expectations.

 

[bracconiere]

I could be wrong, to be honest. It seems to be more common than I might have assumed. This one's definitely progressed beyond all expectations.
View attachment 764398

i'll laugh while i can! looks like a fine british lad!

(you know us acting like jackasses just creates more work for the mods though! )

 

[McMullan]

 

[bracconiere]

for teething!