Starter yeast blowover

[Kleggo]

Hi all,

Need some input on brew day.... I made a slightly less than 2L starter of WLP001 for an Imperial IPA. Yesterday, I came home to see the flask covered in a thick gunky goo, presumably yeast. Also, the stirplate was coated in about 1/8" of the stuff. I cleaned it without disturbing the aluminum foil covered top, then put it in the fridge to crash and later decant. A couple of concerns....

Should I use the remaining yeast, and will it be enough? I know, tough question, as I tried to count the individual yeast cells, but it turns out they are slight smaller than my eye can see. In the 2L flask, I have what looks to be 1/4-3/8" of yeast on the bottom.

Am I risking an infection in using the yeast because of the blowover?

Should I toss it all and go grab a couple vials of WLP001 or Safale-05? It seems that WLP001 only has about 55 billion cells, and BrewSmith is telling me I need closer to 260 billion. I kind of don't want to buy 5 vials of yeast, so 2 packs of S-05 should do the trick. The stickler is, I was trying to replicate a previously made beer in which I used the WLP001.

Will the S-05 exhibit a different character than WLP001 and how will that show up in an IIPA?

Some of you might suggest to make another starter and brew on Sunday, but I took the day off from work to brew, and damnit, I'm going to brew!

Thoughts or other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[JakeFegely]

If you have 1/4 to 3/8 inch over the entire bottom of the 2L flask you are probably fine. You could calculate the volume. The area of the bottom is 3.14 (pie) times the radius squared. Take that times .25 or .375 to get a ballpark idea of your volume. You can then compare that to the volume of a White Labs vial. White Labs typically claims about 100 billion cells per vial (not sure where the 55 billion number came from).

As long as it looks like you are close, I wouldn't bother buying 2 more vials of yeast.

I recently have had similar problems with starters - looks like I may need to start using a blow-off tube!

 

[Mpavlik22]

I would go ahead and use the starter. I've had many starters foam over and used with no recourse. I have since started using Antifoam in my starters. Works well.

 

[Kleggo]

White Labs typically claims about 100 billion cells per vial (not sure where the 55 billion number came from).

BrewSmith defaults to 55 billion. I do see on White Labs that they range from 70-140 billion.

Think I'll go ahead and pitch what I have and watch what happens.

Thanks.

 

[mburnett274]

Keggo I agree I think you have enough yeast

I'm currenty having the same problem. Why do some starters over flow with foam and others don't?
I have a starter of WLP041 Pacific ale yeast going and I had to turn my stur plate off to stop the over flow. This is not the first starter I made from this yeast but it is the first time it has over flowed.
Any ideas?

 

[JakeFegely]

When you make a starter you are making a low OG beer. The starter produces kreusen just like beer does - apparently more so when conditions are ideal - stir plates oxygen, etc. It's not a problem, it just needs to be anticipated.

 

[Kleggo]

I pitched last night, and now I have a nice krausen forming. It will interesting to see how this turns out.

 

[Kleggo]

Update

Drank the first sample (or 7) after a week of keg carbing. Bottom line is it turned out great! Those yeasties took it all the way to 1.010.

Amazing how many ways I try to screw up brewing and still end up with beer.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Try using a 1 gallon glass jug for your starter vessel. They are pretty easy to find and cost next to nothing. They work great with a stir plate and you can make a pretty big starter without having to worry about blow off.

 

[Kleggo]

Brilliant. Thanks for the tip!