No foam on yeast starter

I made my first yeast starter and after 18 hours I noticed there is no foam on it. I made a 1 lt starter and used a stir plate. It looks a lot clouder than when i started. How do I tell if it worked or not?

 

Take a gravity reading of the sample... if its low, then it fermented. Sometimes starters won't create much, if any, of a krausen. Plus, one packet of yeast is a lot for a 1L starter, likely it just fermented out super fast.

 

Also, did you use Fermcap when boiling? Fermcap also reduces krausen.

 

I've been doing starters for years and found it rare to see krausen.

One visual way to tell if it is working is to turn off the stirplate and view the white layer at the bottom of the flask. Is there more there than before? Not as accurate as gravity, but if it's a good starting gravity and good yeast, it will eat the sugar.

I start with a 1.040 starter fluid (DME) and usually make 1.2L of wort for 1 pkg or vial of yeast. Stir it up for 12-18 hrs. Decant and repeat if you need a big starter (lager or high gravity ales).

BannonB

 

Thanks for the tips. I checked the SG and it was done. Pitched it and the beer if fermenting nicely.

 

Sorry to thread jack, but is seems as the OP's question was satisfied l. Has it been you guy's experience that stir plate setup help to reduce kreausen in the starters?

 

Best way to tell, shake the flask and see if it foams. If you get foam, you got fermentation.