Don't know if my yeast are alive.

[Grateful Dan]

I made a starter 1.040. I chilled it to 66f and shook very well to airiate. Pitched imperial barbarian and kept it around 67f, shaking it a few times. I never seen any action and it's been 3 days. When I shake it, it just foams up. There is a white cake at the bottom that will not mix when shaking hard. Brewing now but thinking I should pitch a back up. What do you think?

 

[RPh_Guy]

The foam means the yeast is alive and fermenting.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

If you're not sure, check the gravity of the starter beer. Or taste a little bit.

 

[Grateful Dan]

The foam means the yeast is alive and fermenting.

It only foams up when shaking and disappears fast.

 

[TheMadKing]

Sounds like it's dead to me. It happens sometimes

I would just go with a backup plan to be safe

 

[Grateful Dan]

Was really looking forward to this yeast. It came in the mail still cold with a ice pack and the date on the package was 09-09-18. I kept checking on it after pitching and never saw and action. I didn't know if the cake at bottom was cold brake material , yeast or both.

 

[RPh_Guy]

If you're not sure, check the gravity of the starter beer. Or taste a little bit.

This.

 

[Grateful Dan]

I made the starter using the calculator on brewers friend. I put the amount of dme to get 1.036 in 1500ml. After chill I was short, 1300ml so I didn’t take a gravity reading because it would use alot of wort. I did the calculator again with 1300ml and it said 1.040 so I figured it would be close. I just took a reading and it's at 1.032.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

1.040 down to 1.032 means you only have a small amount of active yeast. I wouldn't use it on a batch. Normally when you see foam and bubbles after shaking though, it means it's fermenting.

 

[Grateful Dan]

Thank you everyone who helped me. This was my first starter and was hoping to jar a pint for a starter next week. I read Palmers book, all the posts on here and listened to some podcasts on starters. Don't know what I did wrong but I'm disappointed. Luckily I ordered some us-05 to keep as backup. I do have a yeast cake of Voss Kveik from my last batch but temp here have gone down. I will pour this starter in jars and try again this week to see if anything changes.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

It's more likely a yeast issue rather than the starter. Providing the starter gravity was good (which it was) and temperature was appropriate (which it was) there's not a lot that can kill a starter (of course something like metabisulfite contamination will do it). It's more likely the yeast was mishandled some time before you got it (too hot in transport would be my guess).

 

[RPh_Guy]

You could pitch the starter AND the US-05.

 

[Grateful Dan]

You could pitch the starter AND the US-05.

I was gonna pitch the starter and if nothing happened in 24hrs then pitch the us-05. Then I worried myself about contaminants. If that yeast didn't take in the starter then the risk goes up for the starter to get contaminated after 3 days and if didn't take in the fermenter I didn’t want my wort sitting that long before fermentation starts. Just my guessing. I am green and learning everyday.

 

[RPh_Guy]

If it smells and tastes normal, I'd say it's OK to use. Pitching US-05 with it will lower the risk of contamination.
I'd pitch them at the same time.

 

[kh54s10]

Make another starter. Chill that one for a day. Decant the liquid and pitch in the new starter. Let the temperature get to about 70-72. Shake the starter every time you pass by. Your yeast is working just very slowly.

Also give this a look, including the linked page: https://www.experimentalbrew.com/blogs/denny/confessions-yeast-abuser