Is my lager yeast viable? How do I tell?

[Northerngal]

I made a 1.5L starter (1040) of DME. Room temp (20C). Rehydrated the Coopers Lager yeast that came with the selection pilsner. This yeast was stored on the shelf at the store, and I'll be fermenting at lager temps (13-15C).

At 36 hrs now, and I don't know how to tell if it is viable, as it doesn't look like other starters I've made. Is it due to it being a bottom fermenting yeast?

Thanks!!
Jenn

 

[passedpawn]

The only way to instantly test for viability requires a microscope and stains. You could try proofing, as is done with bread yeast, but you'd need lots of yeast that you probably don't have. Proofing involves mixing with sugar and water and looking for bubbling/foaming. Coopers yeast is notoriusly unpredictable. I suggest always having some extra packets of Fermentis dry yeast (US-05 or similar) for occasions like this. Extra yeast won't cause any problem at all.

It's common for yeast of all types to take longer than 36 hours to show signs of fermentation. Please refer to the Panic Flowchart.

 

[sky4meplease]

Give that puppy 48 hours. If it hasn't chewed through half of that starter throw it out.
If it has cold crash it for 24 hours, decant and put as much fresh wort in that jug as you can without making a mess. I would think that second step would show some signs of life.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[Northerngal]

I threw it in the fridge, after 48ish hrs, for a quick 12hr cold crash. Just pulled it out and the SG is 1044. I'm assuming the yeast was non-viable and am going to pitch Saflager S-23. Whipped up another starter as I'm now going to be pitching into 10gals of lager.

 

[sky4meplease]

Bummer... Looks like your on track now.