No krausen in starter, help!

[McGlothan]

Hi,

I made a starter the day before yesterday and it has not developed any krausen. I would like to use it today. I made the starter using 4 cups of water and 1 cup of extra light DME. I cooled and pitched the yeast. It is the first time for me using WLP545 Belgian Strong Ale Yeast. The last few starters I made were with california ale yeast and the starters would take off within 24 hours. I can see the yeast swimming to the top from the yeast bed and the bed is about a half inch thick but the krausen is not forming. Is this common for belgian strains?

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[cincydave]

Sounds like it is acitve and yeast are multiplying. I don't know that you will neccessarily get a krausen forming with all starters. I've only done a few, but I'm sure others with more experience will chime in.

 

[Double_D]

I don't remember having a krausen on any of my starters. If you can see little bubbles you're good.

 

[Toy4Rick]

My last starter for a Red Ale, WLP002 never produced any krausen. The yeast clumped like cottage cheese. Turned off the stir plate and it clumped at the bottom in a matter of minutes. I stirred it up again and pitched it, all is good is Red Ale land. 2 weeks in the fermenter and it's done

I have only had 1 produce any krausen out of the 4 starters I have created. Still trying to figure these yeasties out, got lots to learn

Toy4Rick

 

[McGlothan]

I pitched today. Thanks for the info. We will see what happens. I was worried because it is such a high gravity beer (1.084). It is quiet now. I pitched 3-4 hours ago.

Cheers,

Shawn

 

[Bubba]

[/IMG] This starter from rewashed Notty to about 18 hrs to get to this point but it dont happen often I usually only get some nice white frothy yeast.

 

[jwible204]

Sometimes I'll get a thick layer of krausen, sometimes I will not. It depends on the yeast. As long as you are getting a nice thick white layer of yeast forming at the bottom you're fine.

 

[Revvy]

Activity in a starter really only means one thing and one thing only.

It doesn't matter one blip in your fermenter or your starter flask if the airlock bubbles or not (if you are using an airlock and not tinfoil if you are using tinfoil, you aren't getting bubbling anyway,) or if you see a krauzen.

In fact starter fermentation are some of the fastest or slowest but most importantly, the most boring fermentations out there. Usually it's done withing a few hours of yeast pitch...usually overnight when we are sleeping, and the starter looks like nothing ever happened...except for the little band at the bottom. Or it can take awhile...but either way there's often no "activity" whatsoever....

I usually run my stirplate for the first 24 hours, then shut it down, if you are spinning your starter it is really hard to get a krausen to form anyway, since it's all spinning, and there's often a head of foam on it from the movement.


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

This is a chilled sample so it's flocculated, but even with an unchilled sample you should see a band of yeast at the bottom. Here's an unchilled version

Same thing, a band.

As it is I've only ever seen two or three krausens actually on my starter (one blew off a bunch of krausen and knocked the tinfoil off the flask,) and the evidence of one on the flask at the "waterline" once. But I've never not had a starter take off.

Look for the yeast at the bottom, don't worry what it looks like on top.

If you have yeast on the bottom....that's all you really need.

If it looks anything like that, your are ready to either feed it again, or use it.

 

[kh54s10]

I use a stirplate and usually get little or no krausen. I did get one that rose up to the foam stopper. It was 1 liter in a 2 liter flask.

I have also had differing amounts when using the same yeast. I guess they do what they want to do and don't listen to what they are supposed to do.

 

[Mindhop]

You can always just check you gravity. If you don't have a refractometer you should try and get one. They don't use much volume as a hydrometer.

 

[McGlothan]

Its been 20+ hours and the beer is at full throttle. It appears as if it is fermenting very happily. Thanks a bunch for the help, I must get used to the normal inconsistencies of yeast I guess.

Thanks,

Shawn