Yeast Starter overflow!

Blackmuse

Blackmuse

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So this is a first for me.... I made a starter out of some (actually a lot of) slurry from my last batch and 4 hours later the thing had blown the aluminum right off the starter and had a HUGE krausen! Here's what I did:

sanitized some more foil and a measuring cup - scooped most of the krausen out, cleaned and recovered.

I wouldn't be worried except it had blown the foil right off of it and was exposed... Do you think it poses a serious chance for infection or do doubt it since it was scooped off and didn't fall back in?

When should I cold crash this? I was planning to brew on Monday night - should I just let it run til then?
 
Question: If you had a lot of slurry, why make the starter? The slurry is your starter. The purpose of using a starter is to propagate more yeast cells. You already have plenty.

That being said, if the foam was coming out, chances are nothing got in, and with that much yeast, the ability of a single bacteria or wild yeast taking over is slim. I'm not saying its impossible, just that I would worry about it. Ive had beer blow off the air lock and the top was exposed for days and if something got in it didn't effect the beer.

As far as the cold crash, I don't make many starters, as I prefer to use washed yeast slurry, but when I do, I make them a week ahead of time to allow the yeast to completely finish and drop out. I only get them cold if they are going into storage. As you are under the gun, time wise, chilling the yeast will make it drop, but make sure its done fermenting.
 
I had this happen a few months ago, 2L starter (DME) in a 2L flask went all crazy, pushed the foam stopper out and gushed out over the top of the flask. I cleaned it up, sanitized the stopper and put back on. It was fine. That beer turned out great. You shouldn't have any issue with it.

For brewing Monday night, I'd put it in the fridge some time today and pull out tomorrow afternoon. It should settle in that time.
 
Hate to be the voice of gloom and doom, but for brewing Monday I would head over to the lhbs and buy some dry yeast or multiple packs of liquid. One time a starter erupted on me and I replaced the foil and continued on, thinking the yeast was strong enough to repell any intruders. Wrong. The Belgian Blonde ended up with a final gravity of 1.002 and no flavor at all. Lots of alcohol, zero taste.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the feedback folks! I'm going to go ahead with the starter. I just moved it to the kegerator for a cold crash. I'll decant tomorrow and pitch. :)

In the end I knew I didn't really need the starter as I had plenty of slurry but I am brewing a 1.09 tomorrow and wanted to be on the safe side. I had more than enough room for head space on the stir plate jar - should have taken a picture - but I didn't realize it would take off the way it did. I guess I should have just pitched one vial of the slurry and just dumped the other vial in at pitching time. Lesson learned. :)

Thanks again for reassuring me.
 
I had the same thing happen to me... I wild Abbey Ale yeast (White Labs 530). I top cropped from a beer and put in a sanitized mason jar, and stored in the fridge for a couple weeks. I had about a quarter cup of slurry. Created a starter, because my next beer was a 1.090 OG. IL starter in the 2L Erlenmeyer flask with homemade stir plate. The starter went nuts, overflowed the flask. SO far so good with second beer fermentation. I didn't save any yeast that left the flask though.
 
Just wanted to let everyone know that things went well with that starter of overflowing yeast! The batch came out just fine - no infections and the same yeast was recently used again in a third Belgian Ale I brewed! The fermenter needed a blow off tube for this one! Crazy!

Thanks again for all the feedback.
 
Ahh...the yeast starter explosion. I echo all of the comments and add this as well. When I had my liquid surprise, I learned very quickly not to let the stir bar continue to spin on the plate as I, in a drunken stupor, went to bed. Ever since...no issues. You should have zero issues with your current starter and have a great beer. Cheers!
 
one thing to consider here, not knocking your procedure but the whole point of a starter is to grow yeast, not ferment, so it sounds like not enough stirring action or too warm to start with, remember even in yeast starters you should avoid light and especially florescent lights and the temperature should match your starting fermentation temp
 
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