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Author Topic: Gack! Fuzzy starter!  (Read 2149 times)

Offline enso

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Gack! Fuzzy starter!
« on: April 17, 2010, 02:17:35 pm »
So I have been trying to brew some saisons for a couple of weeks (well longer actually) and made a starter a week and a half ago.  I actually ended up splitting it and making two starters.  One on a stirplate the other next to it.

I am mashing right now.  I just looked at the one on the stir plate.  I had turned the stir plate off 2 days ago.  It was getting fuzzy, maybe a pellicle? on top.

I poured off the wort on both and added some fresh starter wort.  I am still going to pitch it.  Just curious what was going on?
Dave Brush

Offline Matt B

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Re: Gack! Fuzzy starter!
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2010, 06:58:06 pm »
Could be a small krausen?

I would give it a good whiff and pour a bit off to taste. It'll taste like rear end, but it should taste like a yeast's rear end. If it doesn't smell like yeast and doesn't taste yeasty or has more of a 'bite' to it, then toss it, chill your wort as cold as you can and if you've got a fridge for fermentation, get it colder in there, and run out and grab a new vial and pitch it, if your sanitation is good, it should be fine till tomorrow. I would hate to see your Saison turn into a bad rendition of a lambic.

My experience is that if it doesn't look like foamy krausen but more of a silky set of bubbles or skin, it's bacteria.



Offline Hokerer

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Re: Gack! Fuzzy starter!
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2010, 08:00:09 pm »
Agreed.  Most likely just a small krausen.  I've even gone so far as to, a few hours after turning off the stir plate, come back to a starter flask in full blowoff mode.
Joe

Offline enso

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Re: Gack! Fuzzy starter!
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2010, 07:39:40 am »
No, not krauesen.  It was certainly another form of life.  Webby looking.

It was a huge pitch of yeast.  So, I am hoping for the best.  I am not going to freak about it.  It did not smell funky.  Well, it did, but in a Belgian saison kind of funky.  I did not think to taste the wort before dumping it.

I guess I was just wondering what other form of life had begun to grow.
Dave Brush

Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: Gack! Fuzzy starter!
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2010, 10:08:01 am »
If it is fuzzy ot could be mold.
Na Zdravie

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http://www.lazymonkbrewing.com

Offline enso

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Re: Gack! Fuzzy starter!
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2010, 12:50:45 pm »
If it is fuzzy ot could be mold.

That is kind of what I thought.  It had only just started to be recognizable as something growing.

Saisons are chugging away nicely anyways.  Smell awesome!  I love sniffing the airlock!   ;D
Dave Brush