First time making a yeast starter

[fatfloyd]

Hello, this is my first post. I made my first yeast starter today. I used 6 oz of a wheat DME since it was the only I had on hand, 2 quarts of water, whitelabs abbey yeast, and .5 tps of whitelabs yeast nutrients. I made two things that I am afraid that could be not good.

1) The DME extract that I used was a month old, and I never stored it on a ziplock, it was inside a box at a temperature of around 70 degrees. I am afraid that the quality of the malt extract might have degraded and ultimately affect the yeast.

2) After adding the yeast to the cooled wort. Since I didnt had a lid for my 1 gallon carboy, I used some food wrapping plastic to cover the 1 gallon glass carboy and shake it, but I forgot to sanitize it. I am very worried that this might have contaminated my starter.

Thanks for your time fellows

 

[Goolsbymd]

I think it should be fine. Is it on a stir plate or manually shaking?

 

[fatfloyd]

manually, i am not sure if i should be stirring every other hour or what. I just followed John palmers and "shaked vigorously" for a while. Then I placed the bung and airlock, and it has been sitting there for almost 2 hours now.

 

[flars]

manually, i am not sure if i should be stirring every other hour or what. I just followed John palmers and "shaked vigorously" for a while. Then I placed the bung and airlock, and it has been sitting there for almost 2 hours now.

Replace the bung and air lock with a sanitized foil cap. This will allow CO2 to escape and air to enter for aeration of the starter wort.
Shake and swirl every time you, or someone else, walks by.

Did you use a yeast calculator like this one to make sure the starter will propagate the number of cells needed.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

2 cups not 2 quarts and do not use an air lock!!!!

 

[fatfloyd]

OK guys, removed the airlock, and put a sanitized foil cap. Don't know how tight it should be. Left it a little bit loose. Also sorry for the confusion, I did not used 2 quarts of DME, only used 3/4 of a cup.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

OK guys, removed the airlock, and put a sanitized foil cap. Don't know how tight it should be. Left it a little bit loose. Also sorry for the confusion, I did not used 2 quarts of DME, only used 3/4 of a cup.

somebody correct me if I am wrong, but is it not 2 cups of water to 1/2 cup DME?

 

[fatfloyd]

Replace the bung and air lock with a sanitized foil cap. This will allow CO2 to escape and air to enter for aeration of the starter wort.
Shake and swirl every time you, or someone else, walks by.

Did you use a yeast calculator like this one to make sure the starter will propagate the number of cells needed.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

I could not figure out how to use those calculators. Care to explain for a future use? The recipe I am following used a 2L starter. I just then followed john Palmers instructions, and adjusted them for 2L.

 

[fatfloyd]

somebody correct me if I am wrong, but is it not 2 cups of water to 1/2 cup DME?

Yes, I messed up, anyway I can fix this? Boil more wort and add it?

 

[flars]

I could not figure out how to use those calculators. Care to explain for a future use? The recipe I am following used a 2L starter. I just then followed john Palmers instructions, and adjusted them for 2L.

Can do.
What is the OG of your beer?
What is your yeast?
What is the production date of the yeast or expiration date if it is White Labs?
Volume for recipe you plan to have in the fermentor?

 

[fatfloyd]

Can do.
What is the OG of your beer?
What is your yeast?
What is the production date of the yeast or expiration date if it is White Labs?
Volume for recipe you plan to have in the fermentor?

Ok, I am using this recipe

The OG is supposed to be 1.060, I substituted the Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity, for a Whitelabs WLP530 ABBEY ALE YEAST, best before June 3, 2014. 5.5 gallon volume.

But I think I messed up my starter. I added 3/4 cup of DME instead of 4 cups I should have. I used 2L of water. There is no way I can fix this right?

 

[flars]

Ok, I am using this recipe

The OG is supposed to be 1.060, I substituted the Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity, for a Whitelabs WLP530 ABBEY ALE YEAST, best before June 3, 2014. 5.5 gallon volume.

But I think I messed up my starter. I added 3/4 cup of DME instead of 4 cups I should have. I used 2L of water. There is no way I can fix this right?

For a single step starter you would have needed 14.1 ounces DME in 3.5 liters given the OG of 1.060 and yeast production date of 2/3/2014.

You have used approximately 3.2 ounces in 2 liters. You can make a new starter wort of 1.5 liters with 10.6 ounces of DME. That is a lot of DME for the volume. Take care bringing it to a boil. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Bring it back to a very gentle simmer for 5 minutes covered. Cool to same temp of current starter and add.

Shake and swirl as often as possible. This method may take 24 to 36 hours to finish fermenting out.

It will take at least 24 hours of refrigeration for most of the yeast to settle out. 3.5 liters would be to much starter wort to pitch in your beer. The 24 hours of chilling will make it possible to decant some of the starter wort.

Another option would be to make a separate starter of 0.5 liters with 2 ounces DME to ferment out quickly and add to the fermentor to get some fermentation started to help prevent infection. When the large starter is finished the full amount of yeast can be pitched.

Might work. I hope others have some ideas also.

Okay I'm an idiot. I had another post in mind where the beer was already in the fermentor. Bump your starter up to 3.5 liters and let it go to completion.

 

[fatfloyd]

For a single step starter you would have needed 14.1 ounces DME in 3.5 liters given the OG of 1.060 and yeast production date of 2/3/2014.

You have used approximately 3.2 ounces in 2 liters. You can make a new starter wort of 1.5 liters with 10.6 ounces of DME. That is a lot of DME for the volume. Take care bringing it to a boil. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Bring it back to a very gentle simmer for 5 minutes covered. Cool to same temp of current starter and add.

Shake and swirl as often as possible. This method may take 24 to 36 hours to finish fermenting out.

It will take at least 24 hours of refrigeration for most of the yeast to settle out. 3.5 liters would be to much starter wort to pitch in your beer. The 24 hours of chilling will make it possible to decant some of the starter wort.

Another option would be to make a separate starter of 0.5 liters with 2 ounces DME to ferment out quickly and add to the fermentor to get some fermentation started to help prevent infection. When the large starter is finished the full amount of yeast can be pitched.

Might work. I hope others have some ideas also.

Okay I'm an idiot. I had another post in mind where the beer was already in the fermentor. Bump your starter up to 3.5 liters and let it go to completion.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it. OK so to not mess it up again... lets recap. I used 6 oz of dme(3/4 cups = 6 oz right?), not 3.2 oz. I only have 4 oz left of DME, there is no way i can achive good results with that little DME right?

If that wont work, I'll have to wait till monday to buy some more DME. In that case, should I just do a new starter?

 

[flars]

I had weighed a cup of DME a while ago. The weight came out to be just over 4 ounces. My scale is not digital so it could be off.
You could let your current starter finish, cold crash and decant, and use the yeast.

 

[fatfloyd]

I had weighed a cup of DME a while ago. The weight came out to be just over 4 ounces. My scale is not digital so it could be off.

I think it would be better if I make a new starter wouldn't it? So disappointed and confused right now, sorry :smack:

 

[flars]

I think it would be better if I make a new starter wouldn't it? So disappointed and confused right now, sorry :smack:

I was looking over the numbers again. The 2 liter starter wort you made was approximately 1.016 to 1.021 SG. This would give you about 190 billion cells of the 230 billion needed.
Make up a 2 liter starter wort of 1.036 SG with 7.2 ounces of DME and add it to the yeast after decanting spent wort. This should give you approximately 389 billion cells. This will not result in an under pitch even if the final cell estimate is off a little.

My thinking that with a 2 step starter process there will be no chance of krausen over flow from the container you are using. A 3.5 liter starter wort would most likely result in an eruption during early active fermentation.

I weighed a cup of DME again. This time I used the scoop method of filling the cup. This method will compact the sugar more than spooning it into the cup. The weight came to approximately 5.6 ounces.

Your dilemma has convinced me I need to buy a digital scale.

 

[fatfloyd]

I was looking over the numbers again. The 2 liter starter wort you made was approximately 1.016 to 1.021 SG. This would give you about 190 billion cells of the 230 billion needed.
Make up a 2 liter starter wort of 1.036 SG with 7.2 ounces of DME and add it to the yeast after decanting spent wort. This should give you approximately 389 billion cells. This will not result in an under pitch even if the final cell estimate is off a little.

My thinking that with a 2 step starter process there will be no chance of krausen over flow from the container you are using. A 3.5 liter starter wort would most likely result in an eruption during early active fermentation.

I weighed a cup of DME again. This time I used the scoop method of filling the cup. This method will compact the sugar more than spooning it into the cup. The weight came to approximately 5.6 ounces.

Your dilemma has convinced me I need to buy a digital scale.

Really appreciate all your help! Thanks for taking the time for helping me!

Yesterday I gave up and just did a new starter with fresh DME, sanitized plastic wrap and correct measurements. I just felt that I should not risk a full batch if I was not sure the starter was good.