Wyeast Starter Question

[TrendyGuy]

Hey all,

Well here is another Wyeast smack pack problem. This is my first time working with liquid yeast and I think it might be dead. I received my yeast through the mail two days ago and decided to try it out yesterday morning. Taking it out of the box I noticed the package has a lot of air in it. It made it extremely difficult to break the nutrient packet open. After letting it sit for nearly 3 hours there was not even the slightest sign of activity. After reading some forum posts I decided to go ahead and continue making the starter. I added a 1/2 cup of DME to 1 pint of water. Boiled for 20 minutes, brought the temperature down to 70 degrees, poured into a sanitized container, and then opened the package and added the yeast. I noticed that there were two packets of nutrient inside and only one had opened. I popped that open and added it to the starter as well. Shook that up a little and now I am sitting at 24 hours later and there is still absolutely no activity.

Should I assume the yeast is dead or let it sit for another 24 hours? Did I do anything wrong? Any advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

90% of the time, you won't notice any activity with starters. I'd suggest stepping up the starter a few times just to be safe. Pitch it in your wort when needed, but have a backup on hand. I'd highly suggest trying out dry yeast if it suits the style you're brewing. It's much easier to use than liquid and there's no need for a starter.

 

[TrendyGuy]

what exactly should I be looking for to know that the yeast is still good?

 

[Revvy]

What "activity" are you looking for?

Just like in the fermenter, starter fermentation isn't always dynamic...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,) 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.

As it is I've only ever seen two krausens actually on my starter, and the evidence of one on the flask at the "waterline" once. But I've never not had a starter take off.

Also you donn't even "need" the nutrient pack, or the pack to inflate at all.

From the Wyeast FAQ website:

3. Does the package need to be fully swollen before pitching?

No, The package can be pitched before activating, or at anytime during the activation process. The activation process "jump starts" the culture's metabolism, minimizing the lag phase.

Relax!

 

[TrendyGuy]

Thanks for the post! I will try to relax and just continue as planned. I just don't want to ruin a whole 5gal batch cause the yeast is dead.

 

[BeerJorge]

Yep... I've never seen bubbles in my starter's airlock...

That picture up there is pretty much what my starters look like and krausen (if it forms at all) is just a thin, thin, I mean thin layer of foam...

What you want is the slurry at the bottom..

 

[steinsato]

I've always been under the impression that airlocks on starters are not a good idea. You want oxygen for starters don't you? I just use aluminum foil and actually let the air get into the bottle when I swirl the starter now and then.

 

[a10t2]

You also made your starter at ~1.070 specific gravity, so it might take the yeast a little longer to get started in the high-stress environment. For future reference, a quart is about the minimum practical size for yeast growth, and you want to use 3 oz of DME (which I think is about half a cup) per quart.

I've always been under the impression that airlocks on starters are not a good idea. You want oxygen for starters don't you?

Yes!

 

[TrendyGuy]

You also made your starter at ~1.070 specific gravity, so it might take the yeast a little longer to get started in the high-stress environment. For future reference, a quart is about the minimum practical size for yeast growth, and you want to use 3 oz of DME (which I think is about half a cup) per quart.



Yes!

Ahh... Thanks for pointing that out.

I currently put an airlock on the bottle I used for this. Should I take it off? And for future starters what should I put on top of the bottle in place of a airlock?

 

[Revvy]

The tinfoil vs airlock thing is relitively new in the brewing community. I started using tinfoil in the last year, and I will say it do now see more "signs of fermentation" on them. I've had a couple krauzens and a faster noticing of sediment (yeast) since doing that. THere's a ton of good discussions about foil on starters on here.

 

[steinsato]

just take some aluminum foil and sanitize it. then kind of place it over the flask/growler whatever it is you use. I usually shoot for a gravity of 1.030 for my starters.