Yeast Starter done wrong

[richwerth]

So I started a starter with a smack pack and let it spin around for a little more than 24 hours.

420ml of H20
1/2 cup DME
Boiled for 15
chilled and then put the smack pack in and started stirring

Then I dumped it straight from the stirrer into 5 gallons of wort. It was a nice tan color.

I ruined it didn't i?

 

[Cambone]

yup, its ruined.

but seriously why do you think its ruined?

 

[Surly]

So I started a starter with a smack pack and let it spin around for a little more than 24 hours.

420ml of H20
1/2 cup DME
Boiled for 15
chilled and then put the smack pack in and started stirring

Then I dumped it straight from the stirrer into 5 gallons of wort. It was a nice tan color.

I ruined it didn't i?

The only thing I do differently, or, that you did not mention was to decant the beer from the top of the starter. Even if you did not you will be fine. Most people decant to eliminate the possibility of mixing the starter beer with the beer you are brewing. You will be fine.

 

[richwerth]

Well...

I did not let the starter start. Just took it off the plate and poured it in. no waiting for the yeast.

There was nothing to decant...

All the pictures I see of starters online have started fermenting

 

[BllShter]

Well...

I did not let the starter start. Just took it off the plate and poured it in. no waiting for the yeast.

There was nothing to decant...

All the pictures I see of starters online have started fermenting

If I'm reading correctly it is not that you didn't let the yeast start, it's that you didn't let the yeast settle, do you mean you didn't give the smack pack a chance to activate before you combined with starter material in the flask? Also I'm not sure how the yeast would respond to constant agitation from the whirlpool. But like everyone else has already said, you should still achieve fermentation, just watch the temps and ensure you get the level of attenuation you were hoping for. Every process, when it is new to us, will go through some level of tweaking just remember what you think you did wrong and work to correct next time, slainta

 

[richwerth]

Well I hope it goes well.

I did let the starter pack expand over night before I put it on the stirrer with the starter wort. Then spun it for 24+ hours and tossed it in the 75 degree wort that i aerated.

For the next time should i let it stand at room temp for a day, after spinning, before I put it into the batch of beer I'm making?

 

[michaeltrego]

I don't think you ruined anything, but you probably didn't grow much yeast in the starter. A typical starter should be a ratio of 10:1 water:dme, but in your case it was almost 3:1. So your starter gravity was a lot higher than optimal and probably didn't allow the yeast to get going.

Here' is a good article for making a yeast starter.

 

[Seven]

Some people like to chill the finished starter overnight then decant the spent wort just before pitching the yeast. But it's OK if you didn't do this.

 

[BllShter]

I don't think you ruined anything, but you probably didn't grow much yeast in the starter. A typical starter should be a ratio of 10:1 water:dme, but in your case it was almost 3:1. So your starter gravity was a lot higher than optimal and probably didn't allow the yeast to get going.

Here' is a good article for making a yeast starter.

What mike said, didn't even look at the numbers, good catch.

As far as settling, after you read the article you'll see that in most yeast starter instructions your advised to let settle for some period of time, as far as decanting, it's a matter of personal preference and whether you use the base malt used in the recipe your inoculating, and you comfort level with just dumping. Good luck.

 

[wyzazz]

Wow, that must have been a thick starter!

You didn't really ruin anything but you certainly didn't let your yeast start and grow to the proper numbers. You'll likely have some esters or the like from the yeast reproducing in large numbers in your beer but nothing that would really render it undrinkable. Heck, it may turn out just fine and be the best beer you've ever made! Relax and let it ride, give the yeast around 3-4 weeks in the primary to help clean up any off-flavors then keg/bottle.

 

[richwerth]

Thanks for the info.....That doc is very helpful. I will definitely do it a little different next time and just hope for the best on this one.

 

[randomsample]

Well I hope it goes well.

I did let the starter pack expand over night before I put it on the stirrer with the starter wort. Then spun it for 24+ hours and tossed it in the 75 degree wort that i aerated.

For the next time should i let it stand at room temp for a day, after spinning, before I put it into the batch of beer I'm making?

If you read the package, you're not supposed to let it sit that long. I bet that your beer is fine, but you did underpitch so you might get more estery/phenolic flavors than you were looking for.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Shameless plug on How to make a starter/yeast culturing.

M_C