Stuff in Yeast

[DaksBrew]

I just finished a yeast starter for my American IPA partial mash from my LHBS. It's sitting on top of my fridge now (it's a glass 1000ml beaker). I just noticed some black stuff on the bottom of the beaker. It looks like little black grains of sand. They do not cover the entire bottom tho.

My guess is that either some of the DME mini wort for the yeast starter had some caramelization OR the pot I used to boil it was perhaps unclean with gunk in it. I'm leaning towards the first one as I tend to be s neat freak and clean well and check EVERYTHING.

What I'm hoping to find out is if this has happened to anyone else? If so, what is it? Should I start over? I used White labs California Ale liquid yeast. The IPA recipe called for it (and I am still a newb... Only about 5 brews in), but I have a Wyeast Smack Pack American Ale yeast. Just wondering if this is worth risking putting in my beer? Or should I do a new one with the American Ale yeast for my IPA partial mash kit.

All help is appreciated!!

 

[pwndabear]

ok all together now: what is the most popular homebrewer slogan? this is something i would not worry about in the very least.

RELAX
DONT
WORRY
HAVE
A
HOME-
BREW

In all honesty, they are probably pieces of dark matter and if agitated at the correct frequency will cause a disruption in the space-time contiuum in your beer. this can either lead to A) a black hole which will destroy the earth, B) an infection, or C) your beer travelling forward in time thus finishing immediately.

man, i wish i had pieces of darkmatter in my starter. i'd be banking on C all the time.

 

[SD-SLIM]

I would see if the yeast becomes active (see the bubbles), if it does then smell it, if you get any other smell than strong yeast dump it....if nothing but yeast smell than you should be fine, try to pour the yeast without the black stuff in to the wort.
Did you by chance use a tephlon pan? If you did and it's old or you used a metal utensil to stir with, then chances are it's tephlon pieces, tephlon will settle to the bottom of the trub and you will be ok.
But if you think you will loose sleep over it, toss it and start over!!!

 

[PT Ray]

Actually, I burned some extract in my flask the other week. Went ahead and rolled with it. I don't remember any black debris, I was just wondering how I was going to get the flask cleaned.