Starter Nonstarter?

[twohoundbrewery]

So I'm current having a brew in order to rdwhahb but just wondering if my starter is shot.

2 cups water, half cup extra light dme and the Wyeast abbey II last night at around 5. Currently no bubbles unless I shake it, and no cake at the bottom. But it smells right. Currently brewing a tripel.

Any thoughts?

 

[JonM]

Measure the gravity of the starter beer. If it's like finished beer, it's done. Those Belgian and German yeasts can be especially sneaky - they ferment the starter so fast you don't see any activity.

 

[flars]

Using the shake and swirl method the yeast can't work on the starter wort unless you give them some oxygen. That is the reason for seeing some krausen formation when you shake it. The more oxygen you add, the faster the fermentation of the wort.
A starter will finish faster, and with more cells propagated, using a stir plate because of the constant aeration.