How to Make a Yeast Starter, Part 2

I had a recent event that caused me to think about the yeast starter in more detail than I had previously.

I started a small batch of metheglin (mead with spices) and made a yeast starter using Renaissance TR-313 yeast. The starter consisted of 3.2 g TR-313, 1/2 tsp Fermax yeast nutrient, and 1 Tbsp sugar in 1 cup of 95 F water. Normally I see activity within 30 minutes.

This one did nothing obvious for hours. I decided to wait until the following morning to make a decision.

The following morning there was no evidence of life, so I dumped it. My thought was I took the yeast from a cold fridge and put it in water that is 60 F higher, and killed it. So I let the yeast rest on the counter for 30 minutes to acclimate, and made another starter.

Thirty minutes later there was no activity, so I added a packet of Lalvin QA23. Within 15 minute it was foaming like crazy, and 4 hours later I inoculated. That wine is now in a secondary container.

I’ve discussed this with compatriots who are using TR-313, and reported very little foaming, but successful ferments. Ok … maybe I reacted too quickly.

I purchased another 10 pounds of honey and started a new batch, which will be blended into the first one (might as well fill a 23 liter carboy, right?).

Repeating the process, I kept an eye on the wine bottle the starter is in, and noticed there was minimal activity. I also noticed that the starter is opaque, milky looking.

If the starter had failed, all solids would drop to the bottom of the bottle. The liquid would not necessarily be clear, but it would not be milky.

The moral of this story? Don’t react too quickly if a starter appears to not be working. Look at it carefully and consider if it’s actually ok, if the yeast being used is just not one that is into public displays.