Krausen Explosion In My Starter

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Truman42

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I made a 2 litre starter last night with 2 liters of my wort and a previous starter of American Ale yeast 1272 made last week (Poured of the beer and pitched the yeast)

This morning I went into the kitchen and the krausen had pushed the foil cap off the flask and was all over the kitchen bench.

What to do..? My wort was at pitching temps and I didnt have any other yeast and had to get to work. The air was still in the kitchen overnight, no fans on etc and the krausen should have pushed out any nasties that may have settled on top anyway.

So I wiped off a layer of krausen with my finger and pitched it into my wort.

Would you have done the same? Is the infection risk minimal given the circumstances or have I taken a big risk on this one? Only time will tell I suppose.
 
Wouldn't use my finger, but would've pitched the yeast all the same.
 
Had the same with two litre starter and 1272. I use cling wrap on my flask I just pushed down on it till krausen went back in then dumped the whole lot into fermenter.
 
Spray the top with starsan instead of wiping with finger.
Yes you'll kill a few yeasties at the top, but better than introducing infection.
 
I should have said that I always wipe my hands with liquid sanitiser before doing any infection risk activities so my finger was clean when i wiped the Krausen off.

Well it sounds like I should be right then. Thanks gents.
 
I made a 2 litre starter last night with 2 liters of my wort and a previous starter of American Ale yeast 1272 made last week (Poured of the beer and pitched the yeast)

This morning I went into the kitchen and the krausen had pushed the foil cap off the flask and was all over the kitchen bench.

What to do..? My wort was at pitching temps and I didnt have any other yeast and had to get to work. The air was still in the kitchen overnight, no fans on etc and the krausen should have pushed out any nasties that may have settled on top anyway.

So I wiped off a layer of krausen with my finger and pitched it into my wort.

Would you have done the same? Is the infection risk minimal given the circumstances or have I taken a big risk on this one? Only time will tell I suppose.


Absolutely would have done the same. Your yeast had a cycle only last week so would have been in great shape, showed it's happiness eh! Pitching this healthy active starter, your ferment will be going gang busters by the time you get home!

Screwy
 
Your finger is never clean. Watch surgeons scrubbing up some day ... then they put gloves on.

There are 10 times more bacterial cells in/on your body than human cells.
 
I think nick is 100% correct, but in this instance, pitching straight away a huge starter, i'd be pretty certain the billions of yeast will beat any few million left on your finger to the sweet sweet nectar of life we call wort. Should be fine mate.
 
Your finger is never clean. Watch surgeons scrubbing up some day ... then they put gloves on.

There are 10 times more bacterial cells in/on your body than human cells.


Okay well lesson learnt, next time I wont touch it with my fingers.

@Screwy....Yeh thats going to be another problem, when I poured the starter in the fermenter was almost full. I use gladwrap over my fermenter and I can guess Im going to go home to find Krausen has pushed the gladwrap off and is spewing out all over the bottom of my fermenting fridge.

If thats the case should I spray the top of the Krausen with starsan, wipe the fermenter and just replace the glad wrap again?
 
Yep but obviously the starsan comes after the wiping.
 
Don't stress, the thing will be producing so much protective Co2 that risk is low. And yes like Nick says there is bacteria everywhere, some bad some meeh! some which may cause spoilage and some even pathogenic. Any normal ferment will contain some!

When using a flask I only ever spray the open top with starsan and cover with foil. When using 3L plastic juice bottles I back the lid off a little to allow C02 to escape. None of us are going to have a grow room or anything even close to a hermetic seal when it comes to home brewing starters.

Doubt if it would be out of the fermenter by the time you get home if at 19C or thereabouts, but you never know, it seems to be a happy little domesticated fungi colony that you have there :lol:

Is it posible to fit a lit and blow off tube to your fermenter.

Screwy
 
I keep my stirplate in a plastic tub type thing, prevents krausen on the carpet ;)

Never had the foil come completely off, but I just spray the edges with starsan and clean up.

A few drops of fermcap really help too if I have the flask too full
 

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