Starter seems slow to get going, could it be the yeast's viability?

[spatman]

Last night I made a starter with Wyeast 1028 London Ale. I did it as have had done the last two times, so no difference in technique.

With the previous starters, which were both for Wyeast 3944 Belgian, the fermentation was quite active 18-24 hours later, with a thick layer of krausen forming and plenty of tiny visible bubbles rising through the wort.

This starter, now at about 18 hours, is a lot less active with a little bubble activity, and about an inch thick layer of whitish foam on top.

Is this difference normal, possibly due to the different strains of yeast? Or should I be concerned that this yeast pack may not be viable and look at starting a new one from a different yeast pack?

 

[Revvy]

Different yeasts do different things. And I've rarely ever seen a krausen on any of my starters actually, maybe 3-4 out of hundreds.

Here's some basic info on starters and what to look for.

It doesn't matter one blip in your fermenter or your starter flask if the airlock bubbles or not (if you are using an airlock and not tinfoil if you are using tinfoil, you aren't getting bibbling anyway,) or if you see a krauzen. In fact starter fermentation are some of the fastest or slowest but most importantly, the most boring fermentations out there. Usually it's done withing a few hours of yeast pitch...usually overnight when we are sleeping, and the starter looks like nothing ever happened...except for the little band at the bottom. Or it can take awhile...but either way there's often no "activity" whatsoever....

I usually run my stirplate for the first 24 hours, then shut it down, if you are spinning your starter it is really hard to get a krausen to form anyway, since it's all spinning, and there's often a head of foam on it from the movement.


All that really matters is that creamy band o yeast at the bottom.

This is a chilled sample so it's flocculated, but even with an unchilled sample you should see a band of yeast at the bottom. Here's an unchilled version

Same thing, a band.

As it is I've only ever seen two or three krausens actually on my starter (one blew off a bunch of krausen and knocked the tinfoil off the flask,) and the evidence of one on the flask at the "waterline" once. But I've never not had a starter take off.

Look for the yeast at the bottom, don't worry what it looks like on top.

If you have yeast on the bottom....that's all you really need.

If it looks anything like that, your are ready to either feed it again, or use it.

 

[spatman]

That's a relief! Thanks for the post, Revvy.

 

[Revvy]

FYI, yeast viability doesn't really mean anyhthing, if you are making a starter. The main point of a starter is to reproduce the VIABLE cells. So if there is low viability (like trying to harvest from a bottle of beer) you just need to keep feeding it to build it up.

 

[DirtyPolock]

I've had starters take about 2-3 days before before I saw it producing CO2 in my flask. Just keep shaking up you starter (or leave the stir plate on if you are using one). If you leave it alone after about 4 days and then don't see the band that Revvy describes above, or you don't see any foaming after you shake it up (due to the co2 being released upon agitation) then I would start to get a little concerned. But I wouldn't worry at all after just 18 hours.

 

[Teaman]

Just had a starter made for 24 hrs and it had zero zilch activity.
Looked and smelled like a quart of sweet wort sitting in the growler with not one bubble of foam.
Pitched it anyway, what the heck, and sure enough after about 12 hours in the wort I am starting to get CO2 pushing airlock up.
This is now well over 36 hrs the yeast has been in sugar.
I guess my point is that mine looked deader than hell and is turning out fine.

HAVE FAITH IN THY YEASTIES

 

[spatman]

My faith in my yeasties has been restored.

Thanks, guys.