DME starter, hops and krausen.

[TheRedDarren]

Hello,

I just started making my own starters and have found something unexpected that May effect my brew day tomorrow.

There was a recent thread asking whether to reuse stressed yeast or not, to which one of the replies was this by Myqul:

Here's a variation on what Slid does. I plan on using it soon. You can of course just use slurry instead of a bought liquid yeast

http://uk-homebrew.tripod.com/id45.html

I followed the instructions in the link to make a batch of yeast and split it to save money later on down the line.
It's all going well apart from the unexpected problem, which is this...

I plan to brew tomorrow and pitch yeast from the krausen of the starter/slurry I made as mentioned above, the problem is it hasn't yet thrown up a krausen, or indeed any sign of any foam at all, is it common on starters with no hop additions to not throw a krausen? Or is this just an idiosyncrasy of this particular strain?!

I could be in a pickle if I brew tomorrow as planned, as I anticipated to pitch from a krausen and now have no phial of yeast, krausen or finished slurry!
Failing that, could I just pitch a few 100ml of the fermenting DME?

 

[clibit]

Is there a layer of yeast at the bottom?

 

[TheRedDarren]

Not yet, it's still bubbling and very active. Nothing has settled out yet. There is a small layer of trub though, having never used DME before, this also surprised me.

 

[clibit]

You can decant the wort and pitch the yeast slurry, when it's formed.

 

[TheRedDarren]

Ah good thinking.

But does this mean you don't get a krausen without hop additions?

 

[clibit]

No. You probably just have a quirky fermentation. What yeast is it?

 

[TheRedDarren]

Wlp500.
Oh ok cool. Hopefully it'll chuck one up by pitching time tomorrow then!

 

[clibit]

A discussion about a similar experience...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/2kzkwh/wlp500_starter_annoying_me/

 

[TheRedDarren]

A discussion about a similar experience...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/2kzkwh/wlp500_starter_annoying_me/

Brilliant, thanks clibit.

Btw, just took a sample and had a taste. It's already about 50% through and surprisingly enough tastes amazing, that yeast has a great flavour and only after about 24 hours of active fermentation.
I'm using it to brew a dubbel which is my first effort at high gravity (og1074) so already very excited!

 

[clibit]

Good yeast well handled = good beer!

 

[TheRedDarren]

Ok so a quick update, I pitched some of this starter before it had finished into a Belgian dubbel, 24 hrs late it's produced a krausen, so I guess that an indication that a DME starter without hop additions won't produce a krausen?

 

[clibit]

I don't think so, you don't need hops to get a krausen. Don't worry about it, your brew is up and running....

 

[TheRedDarren]

Ah ok, thats what I was wondering about. Not worried, although I think the missus is, she's just counted over 120 bottles conditioning in the shed and two full FV's on the go.

 

[MyQul]

Tell her it's for 'research' purposes

 

[clibit]

Tell her it's for 'research' purposes

Then duck. :thumb: