My First Starter - Is This Normal?

This is my first starter. I boiled about 1500ml of water and mixed in about 3/4 cup of DME. After cooling to about 70˚, I pitched my Wyeast and started the DIY stir plate. It has been 3 days since I pitched and this photo shows what I have now. I only ran the stir plate for a day because I wanted to see what was going on with the fermentation.

Should I have more activity than this? Also I have a white layer at the bottom of the flask. Is this my yeast or protiens from the hot break. Thanks.



Just a little more info: I put the yeast in my refridgerator and I think it partly froze. It wasn't solid but it felt like a few ice crystals in one corner. My LHBS said that it would be fine. I would loose some yeast but it wasn't a total loss. Also, I failed to break the yeast nutrient pack inside the smack pack. I thought I did but when I opened the package, it was still intact. I poured the nutrient pack into the flask and stirred. The ambient temp of the room is 70˚.

The white layer on the bottom of the flask should be yeast. You should be fine.

MachineShopBrewing said:

The white layer on the bottom of the flask should be yeast. You should be fine.

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I just thought I should be seeing more activity by now. I guess I should crank up the stir plate again. It's not really stirring as vigorously as the ones that I see on the internet. I should have gone with the smaller stir bar.

I am not sure how the stir plate affects the "signs" of fermentation. However, that looks like mine do once high-krausen has passed.

And yes, the white layer at the bottom is yeast.

I didn't get to the krausen phase yet. Should I resuspend the yeast?

Yep white layer= yeast. You prob. missed the main fermentation.

The krausen (if it happens at all) in a starter doesn't last very long at all. The active fermentation period probably passed while you weren't looking.

Read this!

http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.htm

OK, assuming that I did miss the main fermentation what do I do at this point? I thought the purpose was to pitch the yeast while fermentation was still active and vigorous.

TRainH2o said:

OK, assuming that I did miss the main fermentation what do I do at this point? I thought the purpose was to pitch the yeast while fermentation was still active and vigorous.

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you can pitch at high krausen or not. The starter is to increase your cell count and proof the yeast. All of my starters I refrigerate and decant the liquid let it warm to the wort temp and pitch the slurry. I do this because I make the starter well in advance of my brew day.

You should leave the stir plate on at all times. It doesn't need to have a monster vortex to be effective. I NEVER pitch at high krausen. My brewing schedule dictates my yeast pitching. For ales I plan on doing a starter 3 days before. Then place in the fridge the night before brewing. Then simply decant warm, swirl and pitch.

I usually refrigerate and decant my starters after I have the required cell count. On brew day though I make a small amount (1 cup water, 1/4 cup DME) of wort and pour that onto the slurry in the flask. Since I am doing extract still, by the time I am done brewing, the yeast is at high-krausen.

Well I finally brewed last night. It was about 9PM when I pitched my yeast. When I woke up this morning, the airlock was bubbling away. I get a bubble at least every second, even now at nearly 3PM.

This was my first starter and I must say, this is the fastest and most vigorous airlock activity I have had to date. I am now hooked on starters. I am going to tweak my stir plate a bit and start another starter to brew this weekend. Thanks all !!!!!!