Starter not starting...

[rdwj]

It's been about 13 hours and it's not showing any signs of activity. I'm thinking it's dead. What's the longest delay you've seen before it get's going?

So, assuming death, that leaves me with a problem. I don't have time to make another starter because I'm brewing tonight. I'm thinking two new vials and keeping my fingers crossed. Any advice?

 

[jdoiv]

I had a some wit yeast I had washed and saved for about 2 months that took almost 36 hours to get going in a starter. Then it took off like gangbusters and actually had a blow off on the starter. I was just about to head off to the LHBS and buy new yeast when I started to see the beginnings of activity.

 

[Evan!]

Swirl that biotch around and smell it really good. I've had starters that didn't look like they were doing anything, but then I smelled them, and they smelled strongly of alcohol...which means that they were indeed doing something.

 

[rdwj]

It's on a stirplate - so it's constantly in motion. I stopped it to see if anything would start collecting on the bottom - nothing. I smelled it - smells sweet. Took a little taste - sweet as hell.

Me thinks she's dead!

 

[Evan!]

Hmmm...just might be dead then. Sorry mang. You got a lHBS anywhere close by?

 

[TheJadedDog]

I'm in the same boat my friend, smacked a wyeast pack yesterday morning intending on doing a starter last night; thing never swelled (it was rather old). I'm hitting the lhbs on my way home from work and picking up 2 vials of an equivalent white labs yeast and I'll just pitch those (waste of money but what am I gonna do).

 

[rdwj]

Hmmm...just might be dead then. Sorry mang. You got a lHBS anywhere close by?

Ya, I brewing up at Cheesefood's. I know he's hitting the LHBS and hopefully he can grab me a couple vials. The funny thing is that I had a BAD feeling about this yeast from the very beginning.

 

[Evan!]

Oh no...RDWJ 'n' Cheez together in the same zipcode. Nothing good can come of this...

 

[The Pol]

I have a vial that is completely solid of WLP300 that I have had in the fridge for oh... 4 months, I am trying to start it tonight, we will see how that goes!

Pol