Help with starter, please

[swh127]

I made a starter yesterday. I boiled 1 cup of extra light DME with 4 cups water for 10 minutes.

I cooled it down to 66 degrees.

I pitched in my white labs yeast (which i got out of the refrigerator about an hour before) into a gallon jar.

I poured the liquid over the yeast and then shook up the jar to airate.

I put a sanitized piece of aluminum foil over the jar and placed the jar in my 68 degree basement overnight.

There is no activity that I can see in the jar. There seems to be 3 different color layers to the yeast. The middle one being kind of cloudy.

What did I do wrong, how can I save this. I don't want to start brewing today if the yeast is not ready to be pitched.

Thanks in advance.
Scott

 

[El Pistolero]

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong...that top layer is probably foam, which is your evidence that the yeasties are working.

 

[swh127]

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong...that top layer is probably foam, which is your evidence that the yeasties are working.

So, should I wait another day to brew to give them a chance to multiply more, or go ahead and brew today?

 

[El Pistolero]

Leave it at 70F until there is activity in the airlock or foam on top of the starter. This will take ~ twelve hours. Use your starter immediately or put it in the fridge...

Once a frothy head has developed (usually in 1 to 3 days), pitch the active "yeast starter" into your fermenter.

If your top layer is foam, then it looks like you're good to go.