viability of aged yeast in primary

[Brew_4iT]

Searched but couldn't find a relative answer to this. I'm in the process of brewing and did a yeast starter for some previous belgian wyeast that had been in a primary for a long time. I did the starter and added the yeast once it was at 70 deg f but after 30 min now there hasn't been any activity whatsoever... last time I started seeing bubbles start around this time so I'm kind of worried.

 

[statseeker]

You really have to give it 5 or 6 hours because the yeast is pretty much asleep. It hasnt been doing anything for a while. Think about it this way, after Thanksgiving dinner, you go to sleep, the next day, you really dont want to do anything. It takes you a while to get up and get active again. I think that's what's going on here. They just need some time. 30 mins is not forever in yeast land. I give my starters at least a day before I check gravity.

 

[commonsenseman]

Here's a good thread on this topic.

 

[Brew_4iT]

Well, it's been about 20 hours now and it's... fermenting.. but really slow. It's always been vigorous in the past the day after I pitch my yeast, I might of not done enough I'll give it another day I guess.

You really have to give it 5 or 6 hours because the yeast is pretty much asleep. It hasnt been doing anything for a while. Think about it this way, after Thanksgiving dinner, you go to sleep, the next day, you really dont want to do anything. It takes you a while to get up and get active again. I think that's what's going on here. They just need some time. 30 mins is not forever in yeast land. I give my starters at least a day before I check gravity.

It's been awhile since they fed, I left a little bit of beer in my primary because I didn't have space for it siphoning it off, it was a heavier body witbier so thought not a problem anyway. But time went by and kind of forgot about it, probably sat their for over a month, not worried about the beer but the poor yeast cake with no food for weeks

That's why I did a yeast starter for the slurry rather than dump on top of the cake first, think my logic makes sense ?

 

[statseeker]

I've never had a starter that "took off" or krausened or anything like that. Even with clearly viable washed yeast, it just hasnt done anything spectacular. I certainly found out when I did a gravity reading though. Most of the time it gets from 1.040 to 1.006 in 2-3 days.

 

[Brew_4iT]

I think it has something to do with this strain which is probably actually a good thing because I was reading that it is good to have the yeast gradually start off slowly, rather than vigorously go at it, but not good if the wort sits too long before the yeast get going. It is a Belgian wit ale strain so I believe flocculation is a lot different.

The starter took awhile but it did finally start to bubble and froth. This is only my 5th batch and every starter I did in the past had been so vigorous that the yeast would actually froth over the jar "Krausen".