Epic fail or not

[Beer-lord]

I made a just under 2000ml yeast starter with 2 vials of my harvested 007 yeast which was 4 months old. The starter is at 1.038. After 14 hours, I have nothing going on. When I first started working with yeast, I had a few like this that I used anyway and they worked but not very well. Since I'm not going to be needing it for another 24 hours, I definitely have time to see what will happen but if I still see nothing, should I use it?
Other info is that I accidentally added a bit more Fermcap to my flask on the stove when making the starter. I've read it might lessen the krausen but don't know if it would eliminate it either.

Here's what it looks like after 14 hours as well as a 3 month old jar of the 007 from another beer I can add to the beer if it looks like this is a dead starter. Guess I could take a gravity reading before pitching and see where it is, that would tell me something.
Opinions requested.

IMG_1448 (Medium).JPG (123.59 KiB) Viewed 1035 times

IMG_1449 (Medium).JPG (131.89 KiB) Viewed 1035 times

[BigPapaG]

Four month old yeast may not be very viable as you know...

I would have started with a smaller 1.020 wort starter and after 24-36 hours, pitched it nto the 1.035-1.038 wort and run it another 24-36 hours... This has the effect of steping it up the first starter feeds but doesn't stress the yeast, allowing for reproduction to begin. The second takes over from there with the aclimated and new cells.

I would give it another 24-36 hours and see if there are any signs of life.

As far as adding Fermcap to a starter, I have never done that and probably would not.

BTW: Do you use Fermcap-S (which the FDA as decided requires filtering before drinking your beer) or Fermcap-AT (which the FDA says is fine to consume)?

[John Sand]

I don't know, but I am interested. Do you think it would do any harm? If not, you have some back-up yeast. But I would hesitate to pitch anything that might result in poor beer.

[Beer-lord]

Well, 45 minutes later, a very small, white lining is forming around the edge. I've posted to another forum that has some serious yeast harvesters and they all say it's way to early. But, I've used this yeast as old as 7 months before and it is usually very chunky-funky in 15 hours and finished in 24. I really think the excessive Fermcap is the culprit. From what I've read, it doesn't hurt the yeast, just inhibits the foam.
My dropper went to shizz and I greatly overdid it in the flask. I knew it the minute it happened then I could see the lack of any boilover at all which, with 2 drops, I still see some slight rising while boiling the starter wort.

The bottle is listed as Fermcap-S from a reputable beer vendor. I never knew that and since I'm on the way to the LHBS, I'm gonna see what they can tell me about it. Why would a decent shop sell something that isn't really up to snuff? You gave me yet another OCD conundrum.

It's all good, I'm impatient and have done this too long to even waste a minute worrying about anything beerage. Move on, nothing to see here!

And, I have oodles of dry yeast begging to take a turn if needed.

[BlackDuck]

And, I have oodles of dry yeast begging to take a turn if needed.

Always good to have a back-up!!!

[Beer-lord]

Boy was I wrong about this yeast. The fastest pitch to activity in my brewing life.......just a bit more than 4 hours and I have activity in the airlock.
You'd think being married for so long I'd be used to be wrong all the time.

[russki]

Fermcap-S is the same stuff as Gas-X or infant gas drops (Simethicone). It's totally inert and is not absorbed by your body. If it's safe to give to infants, it's safe to use in beer.

Do you cook your steaks to 165F? FDA says you should.

[Beer-lord]

I can definitely say it works since I've used it for almost 2 years in my starters and since I use the flask directly on a gas stove, it's never given me trouble. 2 drops is what I usually use and with my failing dropper, at least 5 drops went into it this time.

[Kealia]

Just saw this thread and it seems like your experience with harvested 007 is the same as mine. For something that old I would have either done a 1L step-up or waited about 36-48 hours to see anything happening. Sounds like that is just about where you landed. I've never had any issue once it got going, though.

[Beer-lord]

It's a pretty ugly starter. Big globs of funky looking stuff after it gets going. I wish they could make the yeast different colors so you can turn out the lights and see a light show sort of like the 60's psychodelic days.
I'm pretty weird, huh?

[RickS]

Want Funky Lights? Put a compact disk in the microwave for a minute or two.

[Beer-lord]

I have a yeast infection............I mean affection!

[braukasper]

I have a yeast infection............I mean affection!

you are going to see a doc about that

[Beer-lord]

Tomorrow while I'm there for my knee, I'll have him help me with my affection.