incredibly slow starter

[matc]

This is my 1st time using london ale wyeast and I'm a bit puzzled...The yeast was manufactured on september 8th and I made a 1.5L, 1.040 starter to boost it. It's been on a the stir plate since Friday afternoon and as of Sunday early afternoon, the og was still at 1.035 with no visible yeast clumps. All my previous starters were much quicker using different yeasts. Is london ale yeast a slow one ?

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, the two yeast calculators I checked claimed roughly 25% viability after that four months. So a slow start isn't surprising - though two days with no SG change at all would have me looking for an alternative just in case that condition persists. And even if it finally gets going I'd definitely plan on a second step...

Cheers!

 

[Jaybird]

London is not necessarily a slow starter even at a 4 month old pack you should be OK really after doing a starter. You started at about 25-30% viability but doing a starter (if done right) should have brought you back to reasonable pitch rates. What is your ferment temps?

Cheers
Jay

 

[matc]

day tripper, which calculator are you using ? Mr malty gave me like 26 however, beersmith and yeastcalculator.com both gave me 42%

 

[ncsuwerewolf]

It happens. Sometimes when im about to giv up on a yeast, ill stop stiring it and let it rest to some back to a full fledged krausen. Its a living thing and can behave odd ll on its own.

 

[day_trippr]

day tripper, which calculator are you using ? Mr malty gave me like 26 however, beersmith and yeastcalculator.com both gave me 42%

MrMalty and Brewers Friend were in the same ballpark.

Cheers!

 

[matc]

it's weird, I mean 26 and 42 is not in the same ballpark, I wonder which one should thrust

 

[day_trippr]

I'd call that 42 the outlier and use the more pessimistic numbers...

Cheers!