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**CharlosCarlies** · 01-21-2013, 03:58 AM

Quote:

six hours is not "really, really " short.

It's significantly shorter than average, so in that sense...yes it is really, really short.

Putting it another way: telling an obviously new(ish) brewer that a 6 hour lag time is "normal", is absolutely ridiculous.

**helibrewer** · 01-21-2013, 04:17 AM

I always use a starter and typically have good activity the morning after I pitch (I usually pitch in the evening after my wort is down to about 65F (Ales).

**CharlosCarlies** · 01-21-2013, 04:23 AM

Quote:

have good activity

That's the other issue. "Activity" is completely relative. Just because somebody isn't seeing signs of fermentation doesn't mean it hasn't started.

Hermit · 01-21-2013, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calder

I'm of the opinion that you really don't want it starting before 6 hours. I get concerned if it starts too quickly, that I've over-pitched and the yeast have not properly created all the pre-cursers for the esters.

My beers generally start between 8 and 14 hours, but I've had them start as quick as 3.

I've been thinking about re-reading my yeast book cuz of this. I'm pretty sure White says that too short of a lag time is sub-optimal. I think another cause is too little oxygen in the wort causing it to go anaerobic too soon.

chanson16 · 01-21-2013, 05:58 PM

Thanks for all the input. It was going pretty strong this morning. Since I had never done a starter I just assumed it would take off faster. I pitched at about the same temp as the starter fermentation temp. The starter was 1.75L from rinsed yeast.

**MBTB** · 01-21-2013, 06:03 PM

It's a beautiful thing, ENJOY!

thewalkingboss · 01-21-2013, 07:38 PM

I made a 1 1/2 Liter starter with the 2308 Munich Lager yeast and pitched it 24 yours later when there was obvious activity in the airlock on the flask and a good bit of sediment (I occasionally took the airlock off and swirled it around good to get some oxygen in, the airlock is mostly so I know if there is activity). I pitched the entire starter and had activity in the wort within an hour. It went into the 50 degree fridge immediately.

On the other hand, before I knew about starters, I once pitched a pack of the 2206 Bavarian Lager directly into a wort and got activity, finally, about 3 days later. That was the beer I called the "diacetyl disaster".

Etnabrews · 02-12-2013, 03:57 PM

A couple things:

I made a wort the other day with a OG of 1.077, a Lager, I made a starter the day before using s-23
and kept in my refrigerator so that it would be at optimal temperature. I cooled my wort to high 60s before
pitching the starter, which was still showing excellent activity. I put the beer in my bulkhead (which keeps beers around the low end of lagering range, indicated on those stick on thermometers) and left for three days.
I came home and the beer was showing no movement in the airlock, not swirling of yeasties, and no kraussen.
There were lots of what appeared to be floating clumps of yeast on top. Not knowing what to do I pitched
a dry packet of 34/70 because I happened to have in the fridge. the beer is fermenting now but what happend to my starter? shock?

also:

Why would dry pitching a yeast like walkingboss said with limited activity give you diacetyl problems?