Is Wyeast 1275 Thames a slow starter?

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I bought a pack at my LHBS yesterday, a month short of the expiration date. Pitched it into a 2L starter (combo 2 cans Propper + 2 cans water). Set on stir plate with filtered air from an aquarium pump. My "normal" starter routine. It's 18 hours later and I seem to see no activity. The wort hasn't lightened in color, there's no foam, and if I turn it off and let it sit for an hour I don't see any bubbles or other signs of life.

I'm brewing tomorrow. Should I consider picking up another yeast? Or is it "too early to tell"?

(The LHBS is Midwest Supplies and the yeast wasn't yet expired, and it's likely to have been treated pretty well over its life... so I'm probably good, but you know how sometimes brewers like to stress things.)

As a side question, any readily available dry yeast recommendations for a porter? This one's full of brown and chocolate malt, starting around 1.060, and I'm aiming for dryish in the end. I'll be in the LHBS neighborhood anyhow this afternoon so maybe I can pick up a good plan B dry yeast for tomorrow in case the starter continues to not show any activity. I'm leaning towards Nottingham but open to recommendations.

 

[Steveruch]

I use S-04 in my porter.

 

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In case anyone wonders in the future, and sees this post, it took about 36 hours for the starter to get going. No krausen but at least the color is changing (from dark brown clear liquid to light brown opaque liquid). I'll end up using it, and it'll be interesting to see how soon fermentation itself starts.

 

[matsgone]

Hey I'm interested, did it take a while for the fermentation to start?

 

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Hey I'm interested, did it take a while for the fermentation to start?

I checked my notes and no, once it got going in the starter and got pitched it continued to keep going in the fermenter. No extra lag time at all.