Yeast Starter - Didn't Boil DME

[stephenabney]

I made a yeast starter yesterday, and for some reason, duh, added the DME to the cooled water instead of boiling it. I guess there's a chance now of contamination? It smells awesome and looks nice, so I think I'm good. It was a freshly opened bag of DME so maybe that is a positive. Would this scare anyone to the point they wouldn't risk using it? Everything else I did in the process was solid I think.

 

[LBussy]

I made a yeast starter yesterday, and for some reason, duh, added the DME to the cooled water instead of boiling it. I guess there's a chance now of contamination? It smells awesome and looks nice, so I think I'm good. It was a freshly opened bag of DME so maybe that is a positive. Would this scare anyone to the point they wouldn't risk using it? Everything else I did in the process was solid I think.

If you ever toured a place that dealt with things like this, either in manufacturing or storage, you'd really appreciate that boil. Will it work? Probably. It almost certainly has something other than your intended yeast in it however; whether that expresses itself is a crapshoot.

If you are going to wait till someone tells you it will be okay I'm sure you will soon be rewarded. However, this is not a ruined batch it is a ruined starter. Start over now so you don't turn it into a 5 gallon science project.

 

[MathiasMicrobrew]

I think u shld be ok. From my knowledge, the beer u are making might possibly be contaminated, but the yeast wld still propagate and make a healthy culture. RDWHHB!

Cheers

 

[MathiasMicrobrew]

I would think DME would be somewhat sterile, like table sugar. But you really shldnt take things for granted. It's a toss up really. You cld make the best beer you have ever had, or make a breeding house for bacterial growth.

 

[LBussy]

I would think DME would be somewhat sterile, like table sugar. But you really shldnt take things for granted. It's a toss up really. You cld make the best beer you have ever had, or make a breeding house for bacterial growth.

There is a difference between sterile and stable. Table sugar can have things in it too but it is dry and inhospitable to growth. Add suitable water and let it sit and I'm betting you get something. Perfect case in point is honey. As it sits it is stable, even a natural antiseptic. Add water and something is going to grow.

The right answer is toss the starter and start over before propagating a mistake. If it's already pitched into the beer, well, I guess you wait and see.

 

[billl]

" Would this scare anyone to the point they wouldn't risk using it?"

Yes, I would just toss it. I wouldn't risk the chance that a batch slowly sours just for the cost of yeast.

Could it be OK? Sure. You would likely be able to tell by now if you had a raging infection. What you wouldn't be able to tell is if you had some small amount of contaminant that will slowly grow over the next month or so.

 

[stephenabney]

I haven't pitched it yet and I have other jars of yeast I can use. I don't think I want to contribute yet another good story to this forum, so this one ends kinda boring. Playing it safe and starting over.

Thanks Lee.