Brett C starter acetone smell..help!!!

Auto-correct strikes again!

 

Apple cider?

 

Perhaps too long on the stir plate? Sounds like oxidation of fully fermented wort imo.

 

Acetobacter?

 

I got punched in the nose with acetone from my kvass sour starter. 1 qt wort (from DME, boiled, then cooled), 1 cup in-crushed Maris Otter, let it sit for 4 days at 100F. BAM!!!

 

You could try to cold crash and decant most of the starter wort from the yeast, and then pitch. Not sure Brett C will cold crash very quickly. Or cross your fingers and hope that when you pitch the whole thing into your beer (or cider, or iPad ), the objectionable aroma compounds are sufficiently diluted or further transformed.

 

I can recall putting a batch into a bucket for primary, not seeing the airlock bubble. Then I popped it open and took a deep breath. I experienced what is best described as CO poisoning - painful burn in the sinus, eyes watering et cetera. I was hoping to detect an infection which wasn't there. There were a couple of new variables for me, unfamiliar yeast and gluten-free fermentables. I was worried for naught - the batch turned out fine.

 

Not quite, but it IS esterification of acetic acid and ethanol into ethyl acetate which only occurs in aerobic conditions. If the OP pitches the starter into his main wort and keeps it anaerobic, this will not happen. The "problem" is that brettanomyces sp. grow better in an aerobic environment. For more on this see Negative Pasteur Effect or Custers Effect.