Starter Fermentation

[mike1978]

So i made a starter the other day and then pitched it into my stout yesterday. This morning i checked my blow off tube and it is bubbling every 4-5 seconds. I was just curious if this was normal or if the yeast starter should've had a more active fermentation. I pitched it at around 72-75 degrees, it has been fermenting at the same temp for about 17 hours.

 

[boo boo]

How much yeast did you pitch, and was it active when you pitched it, or did you decant after letting the starter flocculate the yeast?

 

[mike1978]

i decanted it before pitching. This was my first starter so i'm not sure if it was active or not. i made the starter wed. night and pitched it Sat. at 3 o'clock.

 

[boo boo]

I would say you have nothing to worry about. I bet by later today you'll see a greater amount of activity. And even if you don't notice, it's working now anyway, so relax. You still had a decent lag time for a healthy ferment.

 

[mike1978]

Ok, i was just expecting some heavy activity with the starter, but it def is fermenting. Thanks for the advice. Cheers!

 

[ezerhoden]

You may have had a good portion of yeast still in suspension. When I decant, I put the starter in the fridge to get most of the yeast to drop and then warm back to 70-75, decant most of the liquid and pitch the rest.

 

[Revvy]

Airlcoks on starters are like airlocks on fermenters, it really doesn't matter whether or not it bubbles, or bubbles fasdst or slow. It's a vent NOT a gausge.

It's only the band of yeast in the bottom that matters, and can tell you anything..

And actually current brewing wisdom suggests that airlocks are bad for starters anyway, since the release co2 but prevent the O2 that yeast needs for reproduction. That in fact a piece of sanitized tinfoil loosely crumpled over the mouth of the starter vessel works much better to let co2 blled off while allowing much need oxygen still to get in.