Is my yeast starter dead?

[biggben]

Ok recently i got some yeast residue from the bottom of a mac and jack keg. I let it settle and made a yeast starter from it and kept stepping it up until i had made about a gallon starter. everything was going well and i was taking readings to see if it was attenuating and i was getting FG's of about 1.014. Then on the final gravity of the last starter it was 1.040!
has anyone ever had this happen and is this kind of normal? should i not be worried about fg's on starters or just what looks to be a healthy yeast population? also the last starter i did not decant i just added to the existing starter to make a gallon.

any help would be great as i plan on brewing tomorrow

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I can't say that I've ever taken an FG reading on a starter. If the starter appears normal, smells yeasty and you have a hefty layer on the bottom, I'd say you're good to go. Maybe you read the hydrometer wrong that last time.

 

[biggben]

No it was 1.040 but yeast looked good and allot of action going on in the vessel.

 

[biggben]

Thats why i am wondering if fgs matter with yeast starters

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Nobody pays attention to starter FG's but the gravity will definitely drop.

 

[jtejedor]

Maybe it just needs more time to ferment . Taking a gravity reading is a great way to tell if the yeast are actually doing anything. I have had really expired yeast seem to take off in a starter and then check gravity and see they have not really done much and just pooped out. If the yeast pooped out on a gallon starter then how will it fare in a full batch? Anyhow if the other starters fermented down then as I said might need more time. I have noticed bigger starters usually take a little more time anyhow. Just make sure to check the starter if it smells or tastes off just chuck it.

 

[biggben]

well i repitched some of it and it grew yeast so thats good i am going to take a reading of this to see if it is doing anything

 

[biggben]

forgot to come back to this, wellit dropped to 1.018. right now its bubbing away in a brown ale. so i guess it does not mattter about what a yeast starter attenuates to lol

 

[biggben]

took a reading on the beer that i pitched the yeast in and its now down to 1.010 from 1.051! so i would say that the yeast is definitely alive.