Liquid Wyeast Help (not Working) Starter

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Gout

Bentleigh Brau Haus
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I have got my Calf Lager Wyeast. swelled the pack, made up 2Lt starter and left it to bubble for 2 days, and it was going very well, I then split the 2Lt starter into 6 stubbies after giving it a swish to get the yeast into solution.

There was a big cake on the bottom of the 2Lt bottle so i left some liquid in it, added a tablespoon of malt and some water to fire it up for the brew. It never bubbled, and after 2.5 days its dead like. (kept at about 18-20Deg to get it started - never did)

I then took out a stubby from the fridge, placed it in the bottle with air lock. It has bubbled maybe once, and if i swish it around it will bubble for about 30 sec then stop with the pressure holding the air in the airlock at the bottom of the S bend. Just not bubbling though. its been 36 hours ay 18deg and still not fired up...... (this had a table spoon on malt in it... it hadn't bubbles so i added 2 teaspoons more hoping that might get here going

any idea's? The starter is about 800ml in a 2Lt bottle is this a problem all that "air" space?


As it is holding the pressure in the airlock does that mean all is good? or bad? or nothing

Should i pitch it into the brew tonight and hope it starts if not add my SAFLAGER packet?

Lastly there is no froth ontop of the starter.... altho there is a cake on the bottom of the glass bottle....


VERY LOST, not a good start to $15 liquid yeast :(
 
I think that 36 hours is too long...

I would add some of the wort from the fermenter to the 2ltr bottle.say at least 600ml.

Shake it all up....Dont refrigerate for this time....
leave for 1/2 hour...shake again....leave 15 mins then shake and pitch into fermeter.

Hope this helps and let me know how you go...
Ensure tight seal on fermenter lid and that the wort is well oxygenated.
 
Ken, the bottle has tape around its cap also to try and insure there is no gas leaking.

As of yet i have no wort (becuase i was not sure of the yeast) Should i make some and do as you say? or add some water and malt to see if the yeast starts then make the wort?

I have a Air stone and air pump as of yesterday should i put that into the wort for half an hour to make sure its airated once i make the work up?


Let me know if i should make a wort up and try as you said, or try with a DME starter again
 
Air stone and air pump....Nice.

If you are using an oxygen bottle....O2 saturation would be achieved in about 2mins.

I would store the starter in the fridge until the day before you make the beer.
Take out of the fridge and add dextrose...and let warm up.
Then following the instructions as listed in the previous post...should work out well.

my liquid yeasts are stored in an old fruit juice bottle...no airlocks etc.
I just release the lid...let air and sugar in and shake...
Works for me....
 
thanks mate i'll give it a go when i get home.

Also does anyone know the time for the ait pump and stone not using a O2 bottle just sucking in normal outside air (hope this does not cause infection)
 
Buy one of those cheap filter cartridge set ups - used for water.

Put a .5 micron filter cartridge in there and then suck the air in through that.

That should stop pretty much most nasties.

I would only aerate for 1/2 hour....that should be enough.

where and how much did you get the Aerate setup for?
 
ok i spent $40 at the shop (pump air stone and a heater (for PCB's))

so the pump and air stone was under $20 about $17 i think, and the tube from the pump to air stone was $1 for 1.5m

laughing!!!! Save my back and arms, and wont risk spilling the bugger when i would normally have to shake it up.

I got it at the local pet/fish shop


As a second issue do you filter your water? and where did you buy the filter, and how did you do it
 
Sounds like a good deal on the aerator....

Perhaps i should get you to get me one.

I dont filter my water...currently use rain water.

Only use my irrigation pre keg filter to get rid of any hop pellets from the secondary.

Should be able to get the plastic cartridge housing from bunnings - around 45.00...the cartridge insert should be 15.00...then need hose and clamps...

Hope this helps
 
If you want one, and cant find any let me know, but they are dime a dozen at fish shops, all the tanks to hold fish use these pumps, i went to 2 shops and they both had them similar prices, that said they range from about $17 to $200+ for big ponds etc

get the cheap one as its not going to be used non stop like a fish pump
 
How do you sterilise your air stone? I would have thought it would be difficult to clean with wort soaking into the stone?
 
I will tell you soon :) i have never used it before. You could just use the pipe and have bigger bubbles rather than lots of fine bubbles, I will soak it in water as soon as i take it our and to sterelize it i will try brew shield as it can be put into the brew with out any flavours
 
Yeah the pipe on its own would work or make something like a garden rose with lots of holes in it but easy to clean.

I just use water squirted viciously through a spray nozzle and add my wort to that. Seems to work if your tap water is ok.
 
i have had my starter not working before from a stubbie method like use i just add more dme and it was not desolved and do over the sink because within minutes the yeast goes mad and will actually start fermenting quicker
 
in my aquarium at home I have plastic airstones, that you can pull apart for cleaning. Any aquarium shop should have these. they would be quite easy to clean/sterilise

cheers
Moray
 
Well i did my mash last night (late night) and put the starter in hoping for the best but as of before work (~7hours latter) the yeast was not working.... If its not when i get home i will need to quickly figure somthing else.

I started another starter before work, with a 2nd stubby of liquid yeast and if that fires up i'll add it when i get home, otherwise I'll need to throw in the SAFLAGER pack


how long should a yeast take to start air through the air lock. Its at about 18deg constant to get it started then i'll put the temp down to ferment :(
 
i have had some that have taken upto 3 days to start.

Just make sure you have a good seal in the fermenter.

Remember - don't panic...relax and have a home brew.
 
if i place a finger onto the tub or the lid i see the air bubles move, it looks to be a good seal.

If its not moving when i get home should i add the packet of yeast or wait another day? just worried it might become infected
 
Ben said:
if i place a finger onto the tub or the lid i see the air bubles move, it looks to be a good seal.

If its not moving when i get home should i add the packet of yeast or wait another day? just worried it might become infected
This is my view.

If it is sealed you should be OK.

You have pitched millions of active yeast cells into the wort - the other yeast in their - from the air etc...
should and will be swamped by the yeast you put in.

I had a problem with ny mead...no activity after 3 days - add a whole 125ml smack pack of liquid mead yeast to it on the 4th day...bubbling the next morning....still dont know if i needed to add it or not.
 
GMK you were 100% correct got home after a dam long day today, (got stuck in a lab fixing machines while they were turned off eg every dam other person was at home)

anyway i got home opened the fridge.... looked at my new starter, hoping for the bottle to have expanded and *sob* it hadn't ..... feeling the madness running to my head i hear a blub.... i look and the air lock is alive and well at 17.5deg its alive, i am trying to move it down to 15deg currently (14-20 deg working range)

I am very happy, also now the starter bottle has expanded so i might slit it into stubbies and wack it in the fridge for next weeks coopers kit brew (for short term drinking/ cheap and easy quick brew)


Thanks again Ken for helping me out.....
 
Ben

Good to hear from a happy man.

What some of the guys do here when using lager yeasts are:
Pitch at 24 Celcius.
leave at this temp for 6 - 8 hours.
This gets the yeast cell count really high and going well.
then cool the wort down to 14/15 celcius over the next 24 hours...

Then rack...and lager at <10 celcius - your choice - some lager at 3, 4 & 5 celcius for periods of upto 1, 2 or 3 months.

Hope this helps
 

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