Argggh. I think I ruined my starter.

[Topher]

I am making my first lager, and also my first starter.

So for my starter I used some left over wort, but I just realised I stuffed up the dilution. The interweb tells me that it should be between 1030 and 1040, so I wanted to make it a bit above 1030, but I have a new hydrometer so I must have readit wrong.

So my yeast has been sitting all day in 1020 wort. And there is no action.

I boiled for 15mins and everything was sanitary.

Can I just add some sugar? If so, how much? Or have I killed the lovely little yeasties?

I hate it when the f*** up fairy visits.

 

[Yob]

Not sugar, have any dme?

 

[Topher]

Nope. Dextrose or caster sugar or raw sugar.

The wort is in a cube so it can wait for pitching, just keen to not waste a smack pack.

 

[manticle]

I am making my first lager, and also my first starter.

So for my starter I used some left over wort, but I just realised I stuffed up the dilution. The interweb tells me that it should be between 1030 and 1040, so I wanted to make it a bit above 1030, but I have a new hydrometer so I must have readit wrong.

So my yeast has been sitting all day in 1020 wort. And there is no action.

I boiled for 15mins and everything was sanitary.

Can I just add some sugar? If so, how much? Or have I killed the lovely little yeasties?

I hate it when the f*** up fairy visits.

There's no way you have killed them - they might have fermented quickly and shown no action. Measure the gravity of the starter and see if it's dropped.

You have no chilled so the wort is fine while you get it sorted. You want a good size, healthy starter for a lager so take your time and get it right.

 

[Yob]

What's the gravity of the wort you're pitching to? 1020 ain't gunna hurt your yeast, but you won't get the growth either, if you are below 1070, carry on.

 

[Topher]

Cool, so should I fridge it until I can sort some malt extract out? Or let it ferment out and start again then? (if indeed it is fermenting, I'll take another reading tomorrow to check).

Wort will be 1048.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Topher]

An update:

Didn't end up using this batch of yeast, I made a small starter out of s189 and pitched an extra pack instead. Beer tastes yum so far.

....but I just left the failed starter in the fridge since then. Am I safe to decant the wort off the top, and then make a new Starter and pour into same container on top of the sleepy yeasties? Is this an infection risk? Or do I get the slurry into a new clean container?
Don't want to stuff this up a second time,

 

[mosto]

Let the yeast warm up to room temp and they'll be fine to use in another starter. If the current container was clean and sanitary to begin with, and it it was sealed while in the fridge, it will be fine to use as well. If in doubt, use a another container.

 

[Spiesy]

What temperature was the "failed" starter? Was it on a stir plate? What yeast?

Adding yeast to wort that's too cold for said yeast, and not keeping it in suspension, means it's likely to go to sleep. Not sure if this was the problem or not.

 

[Topher]

Nah, the problem was I made a miscalculation somehow and made a starter with 1020 wort instead of 1035.

 

[rheffera]

Sounds fine, but you really need to feed them healthy (DME) food rather than junk (anything else) otherwise they'll grow up to be lazy dole bludgers.