Starter too funky to use?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by redgorillabreath, Jan 27, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. redgorillabreath

    redgorillabreath Zealot (511) Mar 29, 2015 Pennsylvania

    Making this post in case others have experience with this situation...

    Planning to brew a 10 gallon Belgian Pale Ale tomorrow, using the harvested yeast from a previous batch. The yeast is WLP565, harvested 2 weeks ago, 400 ml of slurry, NOT washed. It was nearly 100% free of trub, etc.

    As of last night, the mason jar of yeast smelled "good".

    I prepared 1quart of wort with DME and yeast nutrient, cooled, aerated with sanitized stone in a very sanitized gallon jug, and added the slurry.

    As of this morning, there is activity in the starter, as expected. I smell the same aromas as in the slurry, which aside from some hops aroma, is the same as the 1st gen starter. But I also smell some funk.

    Maybe the funk is coming from unwashed yeast?

    The big question is whether it's safe to ferment with this if it's not 100% "normal"??? Maybe somebody has been down this road already?

    Thanks / Cheers!
     
    #1 redgorillabreath, Jan 27, 2017
  2. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,831) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    This is gonna be a tough one (one man's funk may be another man's delight). I re-start yeast all the time. Once active, you should always have a pleasant aroma. Not necessarily the finished product aroma but a nice grassy or lemony or hay or something that's nice to have around. Even 1056 (basically a neutral yeast) has always given me a distinctively pleasant aroma. I recently tossed a starter from Heady Topper dregs because it had a heavy vinegar aroma (major disappointment) . . . but it had obviously failed and better to move on.

    But your description of Funk might be someone else's idea of pleasantness. Here's where your judgment comes in . . . take the risk or play it safe with new yeast. To make it more complicated, I've had infected yeast batches that morph'ed over a period of several brews. It's possible the Funk may improve your brew . . . it's likely to over-attenuate which makes planning difficult. I had a Westmalle yeast that gradually became more and more infected (aa>90%) but along the way it produced a Best of Show beer.

    So no it doesn't have to be 100% normal to be used, but you're pitching an unknown yeast. You have to determine how valuable a brew-cycle is to you. You feel lucky?
     
    #2 PortLargo, Jan 27, 2017
    Soneast likes this.
  3. redgorillabreath

    redgorillabreath Zealot (511) Mar 29, 2015 Pennsylvania

    :sunglasses:

    Update: after a half dozen shake cycles this morning, the normal aroma is coming to the top. Maybe my sinuses waking up is helping too.

    Starting to feel lucky. I wonder what kind of shape it will be in when I get home from work?
     
    #3 redgorillabreath, Jan 27, 2017
  4. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    My starters always smell off.
     
    #4 SFACRKnight, Jan 27, 2017
    GreenKrusty101 likes this.
  5. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,891) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    Can you describe the 'funk'? I would expect a starter of saison yeast to smell a bit funky, but like PortLargo said one man's description of funk may be different from another's. I would describe a good funky saison yeast to have banana, spice, maybe even some overripe fruit smells coming through. Any of those descriptors happening with your's? It sounds like you're on the right track, and I definitely wouldn't overthink this. If I were you, I'd use it.
     
    #5 Lukass, Jan 27, 2017
  6. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    WLP-565: I say go for it :slight_smile:
     
    #6 GreenKrusty101, Jan 28, 2017
    SFACRKnight likes this.
  7. redgorillabreath

    redgorillabreath Zealot (511) Mar 29, 2015 Pennsylvania

    At the risk of coming across as making a mountain out of a molehill...

    My reference is the smell of the starter I made the first time around. Comparing now to then, there's a dirty socks smell mixed in the Saison aromas. But maybe it's just the smell of dirty yeast, which must have some trub, etc.

    Earlier in the day, when the yeast was really active, it was smelling more like it did the first time around.

    I still smell the "original" aromas, among with a little "sour".

    I don't add hops to my starters. Maybe what I'm picking up on is a little bit of hops aroma.
     
    #7 redgorillabreath, Jan 28, 2017
    Lukass likes this.
  8. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,891) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    The only starter I got some 'dirty socks' smell from was the yeast bay's amalgamation, which is a blend of various brett b strains. It had me a bit worried, but turned out to be awesome - super fruity if given enough time. Not saying you have brett or any sort of wild yeast for that matter in your starter, but just saying that I'm sure it'll turn out great. A little funk in a saison isn't a bad thing!
     
    #8 Lukass, Jan 28, 2017
  9. redgorillabreath

    redgorillabreath Zealot (511) Mar 29, 2015 Pennsylvania

    It's a go!!!

    Thanks to all for the comments.

    Cheers!
     
    #9 redgorillabreath, Jan 28, 2017
    BigIslandfarmer likes this.
  10. redgorillabreath

    redgorillabreath Zealot (511) Mar 29, 2015 Pennsylvania

    For those of you who've been on the edge of your seats for the last 3 weeks, this came great. Post boil OG=1.059, added 2# of honey on 1 gallons during fermentation, finished at 1.006@ 73F.

    Much stronger Saison character than the 1st gen of this yeast, finished up noticeably dryer.

    Collected the yeast from the fermenters, and will have another go with gen 3 some day.

    Cheers!
     
    #10 redgorillabreath, Feb 19, 2017
    Lukass and Soneast like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.