WLP500 Yeast Starter -- Extremely Slow Start or Is This Normal??

[mister704]

So I am brewing my pumpkin tripel using WLP500.

First time using WLP500 but I make a 1.5L starter. Used 2 cups of DME and pitched onto my stir plate roughly 48 hrs ago.

Never really seen any activity. I only saw a small thin line of white tight bubbles for a few hours(not sure how long they went through the night). I heard this strand of yeast is slow at starting but I smell the banana esters and saw the little foam.

Question is after 48hrs + can I take it off the stir plate now and refrigerate? I plan to pour off some of the decant and pitch in the morning into my wort at 62F.

Reason I am asking because usually after like 24hrs, I see a very good separation of the liquid and the yeast that has settled at the bottom of my starter. I dont see anything at the bottom of my flask, its still just cycloning away.

All help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Here it is after 48hrs. ***Definitely orange in color and has the banana esters. Went from brown DME color to what you see here***

 

[Hermit]

Sounds like you've answered your own question. That thing looks full of yeast for me.

 

[Celt]

Just did the same yeast and it looked the same. Pitched it in my Tripel threat and it went to work almost imediately

 

[mister704]

Thanks for the response. I was really a little worried. Crazy enough, this morning after taking it out the fridge, it was essentially looking exactly the same as it did on the stir plate. I dunno if that means it was all yeast or what.

It only had a small amount that had fallen to the bottom of the flask. Basically, I had nothing to decant...which also was ANOTHER first for me.

I hooked up the aerator and new stone and it bubbled until it basically blew the top off and I pitched it at 62 degrees. I am feeling really good about this brew.

 

[Heineken]

Did you happen to notice the date on the yeast package? If the yeast is 2+ months old, it might take a while to get rolling. I've had plenty of slow take-offs and they always end up fine.

 

[mister704]

Did you happen to notice the date on the yeast package? If the yeast is 2+ months old, it might take a while to get rolling. I've had plenty of slow take-offs and they always end up fine.

Nah I didn't even look at it but I know this store usually keeps very fresh items. So I don't think that would be it.

For now, I am going to wait and see how it goes. I will know by the time I get home if it is going to take. I pitched with about 5 inches of thick foam across the wort. So we shall see.

 

[mister704]

Just an update she is just bubbling along like crazy right now. Inside the ferm chamber I hear it going nuts. That's basically after about 9hrs after being pitched. No idea when she really started. Glad it worked out.

All smiles right now.