Should I have not started off of the stir plate?

[Tactical-Brewer]

So I'm trying my hand at harvesting yeast from am Anchor Brewing Liberty Ale 6 pack.

Yesterday evening, I made 1.020 starter wort, let it cool, put it in my flask (Walmart vase) and let it spin.

I waited until I had 2 beers with about an inch left in the bottom at room temperature and poured them in. Over the course of the evening and as I would drink a beer, leaving the inch in the bottom, and by the time it was ready to get another the beer with the little bit of beer would be room temp and ready to pitch in the starter.

Anyways, I did this with all 6 beers. Today I put some yeast energizer and nutrient in the stir plate but no real signs of fermentation. Should I have just put it in a plastic bottle with an air lock to start as opposed to the stir plate?

Thanks,
Tac

 

[beergolf]

Sometimes making a starter from bottle dregs can take a while to take off. No worries. Just give it some more time.

 

[brewerdoc]

So I'm trying my hand at harvesting yeast from am Anchor Brewing Liberty Ale 6 pack.

Yesterday evening, I made 1.020 starter wort, let it cool, put it in my flask (Walmart vase) and let it spin.

I waited until I had 2 beers with about an inch left in the bottom at room temperature and poured them in. Over the course of the evening and as I would drink a beer, leaving the inch in the bottom, and by the time it was ready to get another the beer with the little bit of beer would be room temp and ready to pitch in the starter.

Anyways, I did this with all 6 beers. Today I put some yeast energizer and nutrient in the stir plate but no real signs of fermentation. Should I have just put it in a plastic bottle with an air lock to start as opposed to the stir plate?

Thanks,
Tac

There are several reasons this might not be working.

1. the yeast in the beer bottle you had were dead and or not viable
2. the pitch rate was too small to have a visual effect on your starter just yet and you need to give it more time. Lets say the lag phase is 4 hours. The doubling time of this yeast is probably about 5-6 hours based on some of the studies I have been reading (since we don't know the exact strain of the yeast and I'm just ballparking here). This means that your yeast present after 24 hours might only be 3 times what you pitched. Just give it more time
3. something may be inhibiting the yeast growth. This could be a toxin or even microbes from your mouth that you had in at the bottom of the bottle (backwash)

Give it more time, see what happens. If you repeat this experiment next time pour the beer out (decant the liquid) except for the inch or so above the more solid part at the bottom of the bottle. that way you dont risk back wash or bugs getting into your starter.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

@brewerdoc yep, I poured it into a glass and let it set till room temp.