No action from starter

[tomwirsing]

I'm doing my Winter Warmer/Christmas Ale Saturday afternoon. I'm making some slight modifications to a couple of recipes I've found. Minor changes to the grain bill, adding some ginger, and switching from lemon peels to orange zest, changes I'm not overly concerned with (although feedback on how much orange zest and ginger is appropriate would be welcome). I'm looking for something big, warming, and noticeably seasonal/Christmasy. The recipe is below.

My main concern was with the interplay of the hops and yeast. I wanted to conribute some funky Belgian flavor (which seems Christmasy to me) so I was planning on using White Labs Trappist Ale-WLP500. One of the recipes I'm basing this on called for Wyeast American Ale Yeast, the other for Mauri Brew 514 Ale—Dry. Both are using Cascade for finishing hops. I still have time to get different hops.

I pitched my 24 ounce starter about 50 hours ago and it still tastes like sugar water. It's in a 1.5 Liter wine bottle and the 3 piece airlock hasn't really shown signs of bubbling that I've noticed, but the moving piece is held high. Right now I see a 3/4 inch layer of solid at the bottom, the rest of it is pretty hazy. Any input on the condition of my yeast? This is the first time I've used a starter. I've swirled it and it didn't change much other than getting muddy and mixed, no bubbling.If the yeast is toast, I'll need to scramble. I'm open to multiple suggestions, as I think I'm going to have to work with what my LHBS has to offer.

10 Gallons
65% efficiency
Target OG 1.077
Target FG 1.019
Target SRM 18
Target ABV 7.60%
Target IBU 20


14 lbs Pilsner
14 lbs 2 row
2 lbs med crystal
3 lbs dark crystal
4 oz Liberty @ 60 min
Irish moss @ 15 min
2 oz Cascade @ 5 min
2 oz Cascade @ flame out
Trappist Ale Yeast

Allspice 1.0 tsp @ 5 min
Ground clove 0.5 tsp-@ 5 min
Zest of 2 oranges @ 5 min
Cinnamon 2 tsp @5 min
Cardamom 4 seeds - crushed @ 5 min
1/4 oz fresh grated ginger @ 5 min
Zest of 2 oranges - @ flameout
1/4 oz fresh grated ginger @ flameout

 

[pizzaman]

this thread looks oddly familiar.....https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/alternative-yeast-suggestions-wanted-134324/

 

[tomwirsing]

this thread looks oddly familiar.....https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/alternative-yeast-suggestions-wanted-134324/

Just casting a wide net, as I'm under the gun.

 

[Revvy]

Another you shouldn't think of your airlcok as anything but a vent for excess co2 and not a "fermentation gauge." In fact in fatrters it is recommended that you just use a piece of sanitized foil anyway.

If you "see a 3/4 inch layer of solid at the bottom" that more than likely means it is reproducing....Out of every dozen starters I have made, I have only actually seen one krauzen on it, And yet, ALL the starters made beer for me.

Just like in the fermenter, fermentation isn't always dynamic...It doesn't matter one blip in your fermenter or your starter flask if the airlock bubbles or not.

All that really matters is that creamy band o yeast at the bottom.

If you wanna read my take on how I think the idea of "bad yeast" is really a rarity and we need to relax more and learn to trust them, look here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/1513865-post10.html

 

[HossTheGreat]

My last starter acted exactly the same way. I made the starter about 24hrs before brewing. I had the layer at the bottom but no signs of bubbles or any other activity. I went ahead and pitched it and had no signs of fermentation for about 48hrs. I remember coming home from work at around 5:30pm and checked it, with still no signs of anything happening. Then, before going to bed, I decided to check it one more time. At that point it was fermenting like crazy. This was the first vial of yeast that I stored in my fridge for more than a couple of weeks. I had stored the vial towards the back of the fridge where it has been known to freeze liquids also stored back there (hindsight not the best place to keep it). Who knows, maybe the yeast was just in a really deep sleep and needed a few days to wake up.

 

[tomwirsing]

Thanks guys.

I swirled the starter again Saturday morning. It hadn't settled by pitch time at 6:30 pm, so I just dumped the whole thing in the carboys. One was rocking when I woke up Sunday morning, the other took off sometime betwenn 9 and 12 Sunday morning.

I'll take Revvy's advice to heart and nto worry too much about my yeast or lack of apparent activity in my starter. I was quite surprised to learn that the starter wouldn't act like a pitch into a brew, but now I know.