That would certainly explain the sluggishness of the starter. But it is
responding, albeit slowly.
Steven Leof
Mel Heimo <mellian@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>I understand more about yeast from being a home brewer than actually from
>creating starters. Alcohol is the waste product of yeast. After
>fermentation, the alcohol will eventually kill off the yeast cells.
>Fermentation is nothing more than yeast eating the sugars and excreting
>alcohol.
>
>I would be doubtful if the starter smells like alcohol if the yeast is
>still alive. It has probably consumed all the sugars in the starter and
>has contaminated it with alcohol.