only my second starter

[jimlin]

Planning to make my final extract brew before moving to AG. Picked up the ingredients a few weeks ago for a Stone IPA clone. Got a smack pack of Wyeast 1098 British Ale yeast. I used my flask and some DME to make a starter to salvage what turned out to be a very non-responsive smack pack (never inflated). Eventually I got a lot of activity in the flask over a couple days. Have one of those foam plugs in it. When it became obvious I wasn't going to be able to brew when I thought I would, I placed it in the fridge, where the yeast collected at the bottom, and decanted most of the liquid. The flask has been in the fridge for about 2 weeks now. I am hoping to brew either today or tomorrow. Should allow the starter to warm up to room temp and add some more boiled DME wort to it to wake it up? The same foam stopper is in the flask, so it's not air-tight, but nothing's getting in there either. Is the starter going to be any good?

[spiderwrangler]

I might consider a rinse and a repropagation in your flask if you feel you may be lacking in viable yeast.

[spiderwrangler]

I might consider a rinse and a repropagation in your flask if you feel you may be lacking in viable yeast.

[LukeD23]

"I am hoping to brew either today or tomorrow. Should allow the starter to warm up to room temp and add some more boiled DME wort to it to wake it up?"

Do exactly that, then taste the starter. If it is really rank in smell and taste don't use it. But it should be fine.

What color are the yeast in the flask? if they are brown they probably aren't good anymore. If they are tan to white they are still good.

[jimlin]

"I am hoping to brew either today or tomorrow. Should allow the starter to warm up to room temp and add some more boiled DME wort to it to wake it up?"

Do exactly that, then taste the starter. If it is really rank in smell and taste don't use it. But it should be fine.

What color are the yeast in the flask? if they are brown they probably aren't good anymore. If they are tan to white they are still good.

I initially got a nice white sediment in the flask. I took it out today and it was more tan than white. I decanted most of the remaining liquid and added fresh (boiled then cooled) DME/wort (2 cups water, 1/2 cup DME). Going to start setting up my kettle and ingredients while the flask sits and hopefully restarts that yeast cake.

[brewinhard]

You should be good to go after adding some fresh wort to wake them back up and ready them for the FEAST! Good luck!

[jimlin]

Got the Stone IPA extract clone in the bucket trying to get the temp down (immersion chiller only got it down to low 80s after a long time). It's in the basement, in a cold water bath. Down to about 76/77 right now.

So, I boiled up 2 cups water, 1/2 cup of DME and added to the decanted starter flask that had been in the fridge for a couple weeks. I think it's gonna be ok..

[jimlin]

The temp on the bucket was too high to pitch (76) so we headed out to do family stuff. I got home maybe 4 hours later to find the bucket at 65. Perfect. The flask was in the cooler necxt to the bucket (cooler also containing the growler for the blow off tube to feed). The krausen that had blown off the tin foil a couple times earlier in the day had all fallen. I shook and pitched into the bucket, and then gave the bucket a couple good shakes, setting it back into the water bath. This morning, temp still at 65 but no bubbling in the blowoff growler. It's now almost noon and still no bubbling. Fingers crossed. I pitched about 14 hrs ago with what had been a pretty active starter. Waiting to see... trying to be patient.

The OG was 1.060 @ 77°. Was shooting for 1.066, so I may have not boiled off as much as I anticipated. Either way, if yeast gets a move on, it should be ok. Recipe calls for dryhopping 1 oz of Centennial and 1/2 oz of Chinook. Will wait until the major fermatation activity (assuming it comes) dies down. BeerAlchemy called for an FG of 1.017, but wondering if it will finish a little less considering I didn't reach the anticipated OG.