Screwed up a starter?

[Grinch]

I think I messed up... was going to make a 1.5 liter starter for a beer with 1.055 OG but I used 9ounces of DME... am I hosed or what?

 

[Grinch]

Just pitched the yeast about 30 minutes ago... anything I can do now?

 

[bottlebomber]

Its fine... you should have used 150 grams of DME and you used 250 so its probably close to the gravity of your beer, maybe like 1.060. Im sure someone here would know exactly.... you could just add distilled water or boil and cool some water and bring it up to 2 liters, 2.5 ideally. That's a hell of a starter for a 1.055 beer. Its guaranteed to attenuate properly

 

[Grinch]

I did add some more water... Probably at about 3/4 gallon. When I shake the jug this morning it does foam but not like starters I've made in the past. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Grinch]

Okay, so now that I have a starter that's about 3/4 of a gallon would you think it would be ready to use tomorrow night? I've got to chill it still correct?

 

[bottlebomber]

Okay, so now that I have a starter that's about 3/4 of a gallon would you think it would be ready to use tomorrow night? I've got to chill it still correct?

You could either do that, which will probably take at least 12 hours for those yeast to drop since they wont have attenuated that amount of wort in two days... remember if you do that you need to let the slurry come up to room temp before you pitch or you'll shock the yeast. But what I would do, is (five gallon batch) make the recipe with about 4 1/4 gallons and just pitch the whole thing. Its not too far off from the gravity of your beer.

 

[Grinch]

Thank you for the advice! Been stressing out since last night!

 

[Montanaandy]

You didn't screw anything up and you will be fine. Certainly no need to dilute anything.

 

[Montanaandy]

You absolutely do not need to let the yeast get to room temp. Shock the yeast? No. Much better to pitch cold.

 

[bottlebomber]

You absolutely do not need to let the yeast get to room temp. Shock the yeast? No. Much better to pitch cold.

Well it does say on both the white labs vials and also on the smack packs to remove from the refrigerator 3-6 hours before use... when you think about logic dictates that this would be gentler on the cells than going from 38 degrees in the fridge to wort that it up to 40 degrees warmer instantly. Would you care to add a little more information for our understanding?

 

[Montanaandy]

Well it does say on both the white labs vials and also on the smack packs to remove from the refrigerator 3-6 hours before use... when you think about logic dictates that this would be gentler on the cells than going from 38 degrees in the fridge to wort that it up to 40 degrees warmer instantly. Would you care to add a little more information for our understanding?

Wyeast recommends allowing the smack pack several hours at room temp after smacking/before pitching. I was not referring to that.

Search this site or the BN site re: cold pitching. Every microbrewery I know pitches cold. I have pitched cold for ages after reading articles detailing the advantages (smoother fermentation for one). Try it and see if you prefer it nor not. You will most certainly not hurt the viability of the yeast.

 

[CompassBrewing]

"It is best to keep your starter around the general temperature you're going to pitch, if you're going to pitch the complete starter into the beer. According to Dr. Clayton Cone, one of the foremost experts on yeast, the yeast should be within 15F of the wort they're being pitched into. Neva Parker, the Laboratory Manger at White Labs, suggests a maximum swing of 10F and ideally 5F. I agree with Neva 100%. Besides shocking and stressing the yeast, pitching warm yeast into a cool wort can cause many of the yeast to produce petite mutants, which will never grow or ferment properly and they can produce excessive H2S. You can add small amounts of the cool wort to the starter, to bring the temperature down gradually, but it is really better to keep everything at fermentation temperatures or below. Any time yeast senses a big drop in temperature, it tends to slow down and drop out. Any time yeast senses a warm up in temperature, it tends to get more active. Which do you think is better for your beer?"
That was taken from mrmalty.com.

 

[bottlebomber]

Thanks for the post Compass. And welcome to HBT

 

[Montanaandy]

"Besides shocking and stressing the yeast, pitching warm yeast into a cool wort can cause many of the yeast to produce petite mutants, which will never grow or ferment properly and they can produce excessive H2S."

My point exactly.

I think Denny (Wyeast named Denny's Favorite after him) put it best when he stated: "I'm sure Neva knows much more about the science of yeast than I ever will, but I know what works for my beers and my tastes. I have that advantage over her."

 

[Montanaandy]

I also decant the starter and just use the yeast cake rather than pitching the entire starter. I guess that if I was going to throw everything in then it would behoove me to allow it to get to room temperature but I don't brew that way.