My Yeast starter doesn't seem to be starting

[TrojanAnteater]

I started making yeast starters about a month ago using a 1/2 gallon clear growler. The first one I did with WLP001 Cal Ale yeast was fine, it built up a huge krausen (that actually went through the airlock) and it worked out great. This one I made (using the exact same steps) with Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast smack pack. I smacked it around 2:30pm yesterday and let is puff up until around 9pm when I got back home and made the starter (the smack pack was puffed up to it's maximum). It has now been a little over 24 hours. This starter does have airlock activity, I would say a bubble every 4 seconds or so at it's peak, though it doesn't look like it's building up a huge cake on the bottom like before, and there hasn't been any krausen, except for a small amount of fizzy bubbles on top. Is this reason to go out and get a couple tubes or packets of yeast to pitch when I brew tomorrow? I put a lot of money into the ingredients for this next beer and I don't want to mess it up because my yeast aren't gonna work.

 

[SporkD2]

I would give it some time, airlock activity doesnt ultimately mean everything.

 

[BarleyWater]

That may actually be a better starter you have going there than the first time. If the yeast isn't on the bottom and there isn't much airlock activity, then its in suspension and reproducing, exactly what you want it to be doing. I usually keep my starters well aerated and don't see any airlock activity until at least day 2 when it's done reproducing and finally gets down to fermenting. If you had more O2 in this starter than the last, then that is probably what's happening, it's just still in reproduction mode, meaning that this will likely be a bigger (producing more yeast cells) starter than before.

 

[ajf]

Completely agree with BarleyWater.
See http://maltosefalcons.com/tech/MB_Raines_Guide_to_Yeast_Culturing.php

-a.

 

[thebull]

I rarely see any activity, but I've learned to judge the starter by its color and the amount of yeast on the bottom. I usually let mine ferment for three days. Never had a problem.

 

[Revvy]

I've only actually seen krausens on 2 of my starters...Most of the time it simply ferments out quickly leaving a layer of yeast in the bottom....Nothing exciting.

 

[TrojanAnteater]

alright cool, thanks for the response guys. I love brewing but when you keep adding new techniques sometimes I just am not sure if it's working or I'm doing them right. Thanks for the help. The yeast cake has started to build up fairly nicely overnight.

Ps- does anyone ever bother with decanting off the liquid and just pitching the slurry?

 

[Revvy]

alright cool, thanks for the response guys. I love brewing but when you keep adding new techniques sometimes I just am not sure if it's working or I'm doing them right. Thanks for the help. The yeast cake has started to build up fairly nicely overnight.

Ps- does anyone ever bother with decanting off the liquid and just pitching the slurry?

It is kinda a matter of preference for some and mood for me....sometimes I even decant and quickly wash with distilled water (if I made a starter from recycled or bottle harvest yeast from my bank.)

I'll decant if I used a darker extract than the wort I'm pitching, but that might be anal on my part because in a 5 gallon batch a few ounces wouldn't really affect the flavor.

Most of the time I pour off have of the liquid and pitch the rest.

 

[FishinDave07]

Either or. Most of the time i decant, swish it up, then pour the slurry.