lager yeast

[KuntzBrewing]

I made a half gallon starter with a 1/3 cup DME and a packet of munich lager yeast and shook it all up but don't seem to have much action going on, if I shake it it realeases CO2 but not a rigoruos ferment, its been 2 days, and I'm wanting to pitch into my 6 gallon doppelbock today? Any advice?

 

[Cowbizzoy]

I'm not certain but 1/3 cup in half gallon sounds really weak, thats probably not helping too much. I'm not even sure half gallon is really an adequate starter for a lager.

Did you take a gravity reading before you pitched into the starter? (that'd be good info)

I'm a gambler, I'd probably pitch it anyway.

 

[dragonbreath11]

Starters normally don't exhibit violent fermentations especially if the yeast aren't robust to begin with. If there's CO2 coming out, it's fermenting. Generally speaking, lager yeasts are poor flocculators and you may not see a compact yeast for some time. If it's been 2 days, and you're ready to pitch, then pitch the yeast. Also like the poster above says 1/3 cup of DME in 1/2 gallon will make a really weak wort 1.015 ish. Shoot for a SG of your starter wort between 1.030-1.045. If you're brewing a Doppelbock, a big lager beer, you'll need a nice big healthy starter that's pitched preferably at high kreusen.

 

[krumb]

you did boil this mixture sans yeast, right? you didn't just toss in water, dme, and yeast, shake, and then wait?

just saying...it's not very clear.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

I went ahead and pitched today, but to poster above, I boiled water and dme then cooled it to 60s and pitched yeast, but on another note my wort didn't evaporate as much water as I would have liked and adding half gallon starter has thus dropped my sg to 1.061ish which isn't quite close to the 1.080+ I was looking for, did a double decoction and its basically gave me a 62% efficency with 19lbs of grain

 

[tangofoxtrot308]

Out of the several starters I've done none have shown life till around 48 hours. This 12hr explosion everyone talks about is a myth to me. The best I get is a lot of fizzing then it's done. Saw a lab starter at a brewery and it looked like one of mine so I don't feel bad.

 

[TromboneGuy]

I did a starter in a quart jar for my last batch of wit. something like a cup of DME in 2 cups of water, boiled, cooled, pitched in a vial of Belgian golden ale yeast. That was at roughly 9pm.

Next morning it was bubbling away, happy as a pig in mud. No stir plate necessary.

 

[Cowbizzoy]

so is it fermenting away or what?

 

[boo boo]

When I make starters, I usually get a nice krausen, even with lager yeasts. But I let it go and it builds up a nice yeast layer. I decant the spent beer on top and pitch only the yeast.
But I'm patient and always let the starter dictate when I can brew.

 

[makomachine]

When I make starters, I usually get a nice krausen, even with lager yeasts. But I let it go and it builds up a nice yeast layer. I decant the spent beer on top and pitch only the yeast.
But I'm patient and always let the starter dictate when I can brew.

1/2 gallon starter for a dopplebock isn't adequate IMO. Lagers need BIG starters and 1/2 gallon is 'average ale size', not lager sized. Mr Malty is your friend and an excellent resource to insure you are pitching adequately. Metric is your friend as well when figuring out DME to water ratios - 100 grams of DME for every liter of water - following the recommended pitch/ starter size per your particular beer.

That said, boo boo nailed it IMO. In my experience with stirplate starters, your starter will have a very discernible color change when it's ready - if you can't see it, you haven't gone long enough. Assuming that translates to a clear settled layer of yeast in a non-stir plate starter.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

I'm not worried about it anymore I pitched the halfgal and after one day it was fermenting like crazy! First lager I've made but from what I hear this is usually not the case usually it takes 3-4 days to start up