Is my starter ok?

[BrionLax]

I was looking to fire up a brew day tomorrow so I decided I would try to make my first starter. I was looking at making a 2.5 gallon batch using White Labs WLP0004 Irish Ale yeast. I am going to be making a 2.5 gallon batch but since the yeast had a package date of back in March, I decided to try the starter.

So last I mixed up 50g of light DME into 500mL of water and boiled it up for 15 minutes. I sanitized everything with StarSan, cooled the wort to about 75, pitched the yeast and fired it on my DIY stirplate.

Here is my issue, I am 18+ hours on and I have had almost no krausen. I have had a small ring around the outside of the flask and there was a small bit about the top of the vortex for a while this morning. Is this working well enough or is there something I will need to do to get this working properly.

Here is what it currently looks like.

Cheers

 

[GrogNerd]

other than looking like an NEIPA, I'd say it's fine

krausen is a sign it is fermenting, which is not what you want. you want those yeast cells multiplying, they need oxygen, so make sure that foil isn't on too tight

 

[kh54s10]

On a stirplate you will most often get no krausen. The ring of bubbles around the flask is a good sign. The milky color is also. If it was clear I would be worried.

That one looks very good. I look for tiny bubbles rising in the starter, you might have to use a flashlight and look very closely. That would be co2 being produced.

 

[BrionLax]

Thanks for the input.

It is hard to see but when I look closely with a flashlight, there appears to be a ring around the outside that is about a half inch high that looks like a large amount of tiny bubbles. So I think that this is rolling and should be ready for tomorrow.

I appreciate the advice and I need to remember to RDWAHAHB!!

Cheers

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Some starters will give you krausen and some won't. I've had some blow right out of the top and some not even show a bubble. Also, sometimes it happens over night and you miss it. The main thing to look for is the change in color. When it gets that lighter milky yellow color, you know it's good.

 

[GrogNerd]

my first yeast starter. for a 1.125 barleywine

used a quart mason jar with a coffee filter held on by the lid ring, no stir plate. just swirled it around every so often

worked great.

 

[JonM]

I almost never see a krausen on starters. In fact, I'm at the point where I get weirded out when I DO see a krausen on a starter. The last one I did with WLP001 got a huge krausen that settled down into this clumpy meringue-looking layer for a day and I kept thinking "what the hell is that? Is it still good?"

Yours looks just fine. The milky appearance is key. I bet when you shut the stir plate off, you'll get a thick layer of yeast at the bottom.

 

[Morrey]

I almost never see a krausen on starters. In fact, I'm at the point where I get weirded out when I DO see a krausen on a starter. The last one I did with WLP001 got a huge krausen that settled down into this clumpy meringue-looking layer for a day and I kept thinking "what the hell is that? Is it still good?"

Yours looks just fine. The milky appearance is key. I bet when you shut the stir plate off, you'll get a thick layer of yeast at the bottom.

I keep seeing where folks are putting a few drops of Fermcap into the starter to keep krausen down. I scratch my head as this is something I rarely see....maybe once or twice in my time brewing but even then, the krausen was minimal.

 

[flars]

Creating a deep vortex when using a stir plate is not necessary with a well aerated starter wort. The stir bar only needs to turn at a speed to keep the yeast in suspension. There is some thought that using a stir plate can cause shear stress on the yeast and the shaken not stirred method is better to propagate healthy yeast cells.

Looks like the yeast in your starter is actively fermenting the wort.

 

[RedlegEd]

I almost never see a krausen on starters. In fact, I'm at the point where I get weirded out when I DO see a krausen on a starter.

+1^^^ this.

Yours looks just fine. The milky appearance is key. I bet when you shut the stir plate off, you'll get a thick layer of yeast at the bottom.

+1^^^ this as well. You're after that beautiful coffee with cream look, plus a nice bready-yeasty smell. Ed

 

[BrionLax]

Thanks for all the responses. They were very helpful to build my knowledge.

Unfortunately, life got in the way yesterday so I put it in the fridge and it looks like this

That looks to me like a very nice yeast cake just waiting for me to get busy and fire up a batch so they can get to work.

Cheers

 

[EcuPirate07]

Thanks for all the responses. They were very helpful to build my knowledge.

Unfortunately, life got in the way yesterday so I put it in the fridge and it looks like this

That looks to me like a very nice yeast cake just waiting for me to get busy and fire up a batch so they can get to work.

Cheers

No unfortunately! That's what you want if you put it in the fridge. I like to pull it out of the fridge on brew day to warm up to room temp. When I'm ready to pitch the yeast I decant (pour off 90% of the wort and then swirl like hell to get all the yeast of the bottom and dump it into my Fermentation vessel. Or you could just dump all of the wort in with the rest of it, up to you. Either way looks like you are on track. Happy brew day!

 

[redarmy990]

Do you guys leave the starter on the stirplate right until pitching or remove it before then and how long before.
thanks

 

[EcuPirate07]

Do you guys leave the starter on the stirplate right until pitching or remove it before then and how long before.
thanks

I leave mine on the stir plate until the night before and move it to the fridge to compact all the yeast. Then I do like I said in the post above. you could pitch right off of the stir plate if you want. Some people don't due to off flavors of the wort from the starter I've done it both ways.

 

[redarmy990]

Thanks, mines still on stirplate and im brewing in a few hours, Would it be worth refrigerating for 2-3 hours or not
This is the first one i have done so was following along.
Actualy its my second I forgot about the other one, that one i pitched straight from stirplate.

 

[EcuPirate07]

Thanks, mines still on stirplate and im brewing in a few hours, Would it be worth refrigerating for 2-3 hours or not
This is the first one i have done so was following along.
Actualy its my second I forgot about the other one, that one i pitched straight from stirplate.

Nah! Just let it ride now. 2-3 hrs won't do much and if you decanted after that time you would be throwing away most of your yeast cells that are still in suspension. Just pull it off the stir plate and dump it all in when you are ready to pitch.

 

[RedlegEd]

Nah! Just let it ride now. 2-3 hrs won't do much and if you decanted after that time you would be throwing away most of your yeast cells that are still in suspension. Just pull it off the stir plate and dump it all in when you are ready to pitch.

+1^^^ this. If you build your starters with very pale/plain DME, you'll likely not notice a difference in your finished beer because the amount is so small (~1qt into 20+.) It's nice to be able to cold crash, decant, and pitch the slurry, but when you can't, no problem. RDWHAHB! Ed

 

[BrionLax]

Well, I got my brew day in, first BIAB and I came very close to hitting me targets. I let the starter warm up to room temperature, decanted of the top layer, gave a good shake and had fired it into the wort.

And now, I sit back and wait for the magic to happen.

Cheers!

 

[redarmy990]

Hope you enjoy your brew.
Got my final extract done today before i move to all grain, it was a Pliny the Elder kit.

Everything done and in fermentor by 2.30, just went in to visit and airlock is showing signs of activity.
Quickest i have ever known.

 

[BrionLax]

Thanks redarmy. After about 15 hours I have a very nice krausen and good activity both in the beer and the airlock. And best of luck moving up to all grain.

Cheers

 

[BrionLax]

And to EcuPirate07, I did hang my head in shame for letting life get in the way of my brew day. I promise to never let thathappen again.......




unless life gets in the way.....lmao!!

Cheers

 

[redarmy990]

me too im thinking i may need a blow off tube, krausen is biggest i have ever seen it, must be the starter.

 

[BrionLax]

That could be a good idea. I do that for my full batches. I had a blocked airlock about 20 years ago and when it blew, it made a mess and the ex was none to happy with me.....

Fortunately I don't need to worry about that this time. This is only a 2.5 gallon batch to test out a recipe that I put together for my first BIAB so I have lots of head space in the carboy.

Cheers

 

[redarmy990]

Luckily for me we live in a apartment and my fermentation area is the spare walk in shower, so if it blows is easy clean up.

But definatley adding the blow off.