WLP029 Starter won't start

Gonna brew a Kolsch this weekend and made up a starter yesterday afternoon with 5 oz of DME. It's been about 16 hours and there has barely been any action - just a little gassing, but no foam or any significant sign of fermentation. I shake it up often so it has been getting plenty of oxygen. The Best Before date on the vial is Aug 4, 2012 so I don't think that has anything to do with it. On the White Labs website they state the optimal fermentation temp is 65 to 69 degrees. My growler is sitting in the kitchen where the temp stays around 66.

I've never used this yeast before. Is it usually a slow starter?

Thoughts...

Is there a layer of yeast on the bottom of the flask? It should be getting bigger.

They want the temp over 75 until fermentation starts iirc .... maybe let it warm up some

That's what I was thinking. I've been warming it up for the last hour and I'm seeing just a little activity. Hopefully it will kick into gear soon.

If you have an airlock on there, take it off and cover it with sanitized foil. You're not going to get much oxygen in there otherwise.

i made a starter with this yeast not long ago, and it was pretty quiet. it fermented out in under 48 hours with little sign of fermentation. this was on a stir plate though.

I've had foil on it the whole time. It's now at 75 but still no action.

Yup,

I had the same issue with Wyeast. I pitched it as normal & it was slow to start. Just let it set in within 72 hours it started big time.

I next used a smack pak on my next batch, and it took off from the get go. Previously I had used dry yeast, Knottingham, and it took off great gangbusters too. I'm thinking Wyeast I'll leave on the counter next time.

The white labs kolsch seems to start very fast for me, but when fermentation slows, it seems to take a week or more to drop the last few points.

I went ahead and pitched it late yesterday afternoon and it took off within six hours. This morning it is chugging along with a nice krausen and pretty significant activity. Wierd how the starter barely had any signs of fermentation, but when it's pitched into 5.5 gals of wort it takes off like crazy. Go figure.

TrubDog said:

I went ahead and pitched it late yesterday afternoon and it took off within six hours. This morning it is chugging along with a nice krausen and pretty significant activity. Wierd how the starter barely had any signs of fermentation, but when it's pitched into 5.5 gals of wort it takes off like crazy. Go figure.

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What was the temp of wort when you pitched into carboy?

I had a very sluggish start with 029 as well. I used it for an altbier, and even with a starter it lagged alot. Also produced some serious sulfur smells for a few days. In the long run, beer turned out great though

I pitched it at 72 degrees. It's in the garage and the ambient temp is around 58. By the time it started getting active the temp fell to 68 and it is holding there ever since.

TrubDog said:

I went ahead and pitched it late yesterday afternoon and it took off within six hours. This morning it is chugging along with a nice krausen and pretty significant activity. Wierd how the starter barely had any signs of fermentation, but when it's pitched into 5.5 gals of wort it takes off like crazy. Go figure.

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That`s 029 for ya.I have a kolsch that I will rack to secondary today
brewed on 4-19-12.I made a 1600 ml starter at 70 degrees with 0
activity.I dropped the starter down to 64 and ended up with a 1/2 "
krausen after 24 hours.Pitched in to 64 degree wort and it took off
in six hours.It basically finished in 5 days.I have found that getting
the starter temp down to about 65 will give you quicker activity.It
is a great yeast but a bit temperamental.

Cheers