My first yeast starter

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

Made it this morning. and am planning on brewing tomorrow morning(Deception Cream Stout). I am not using a stir plate, but I do give a swirl every hour or so. When should I start to see so activity?

 

[BuckSwope]

Rarely will you see a big krausen on a starter. Usually I notice just some "bubbles" along the surface, but nothing like you'd see when a beer is fermenting. I'd recommend swirling that starter every time you pass by it. The more swirls = a bigger cell count. Good luck on your brew.

 

[bbohanon]

Depends on the health of the yeast pitched into the starter and concentration of starter wort(I use the little yeast starter DME packets from my LHBS).
Just about every starter I have had has a minor krausen ring but the krausen usually gets roused when I swirl it up(this is in 800ml starter). If you are seeing what looks like heavily active bubbling(looks like carbonation bubbles) coming to the surface of your starter and the starter is starting to smell like beer, she is cooking with peanut oil and you are solid.

I usually pitch my starter(I do not decant my starter) right in my 5 gal batches when its most actively fermenting(approx 24 hours after my starter has been started).

Just swirl it up really well before you pitch to get all the cells off the bottom of your flask/starter vessel and in suspension. You don't want to leave any cells behind.

I have not had a sluggish start regardless of the yeast by doing this. They usually take off like a rocket.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

Was just reading about decanting. My starter is boiling as I type as I plan to brew tomorrow. If I decant, what is the process? Can I pour some wort in the flask to get out all the yeast? Some say no need to decant and some say do it as you won't be pouring in the yucky tasting starter,

 

[itchygomey]

There isn't really enough time to decant at this point. Your starter is going now and you plan to brew tomorrow. I normally chill for 24hours+ if I am decanting it. If pitching directly, I make my starter 18-24 hours prior so it's really rocking when I pitch it. In your case, I would keep swirling it, and pitch directly.

 

[branman]

I used some washed us-05 this past weekend and my 2000ml starter was over flowing the airlock in around and hour (within 15 mins give or take) with 1/2 cup of dme. It finally settled down in several more hours but when I pitched it (split between 2 5gallons it looked very clumpy on top and seemed to form big white "clouds" so to speak in the carboys.

It is fermenting along 24 hours later but not like it normally. Does anybody have an idea why ot did that? Yeast was approx. 10 ounces and less than a week old..

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[flars]

Made it this morning. and am planning on brewing tomorrow morning(Deception Cream Stout). I am not using a stir plate, but I do give a swirl every hour or so. When should I start to see so activity?

Go give it a couple of shakes and a swirl every 5 minutes if you want it tomorrow morning. When the yeast become active a krausen will immediately bubble up.