Stir Plate - Fermentation Start

OP, I have never seen a krausen on any of my starters either when using a stir plate. Yesterday while brewing I added some wort to my decanted starter to waken the yeast and after stirring for 15 minutes I took it off the stir plate and took the following video. There was no krausen visible while on the stir plate but apparently there was activity. I wouldn't be worried about it.

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The yeast was a WLP007 Dry English Ale (highly floculant).

DME is about 43-45 pts/lb/gallon.

44 pts/lb/gal * (4 qts / 1 gal) = 176 pts/lb/qt = 176 pts/16 oz/qt = 11 pts/oz/qt

11 pts/oz/qt * 2 oz. (= 1.4 cup) = 22 pts/qt = 1.022 gravity

1/4 cup or 2 oz. per quart of starter is what I use. (1 quart is 0.95 liter so 1.021 gravity)

 

Low 60s is warm for lager yeast. 70F is warmer.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=133

 

Put it in the frig for a day or two and you should see the yeast settled on the bottom. At that point you can gently pour off the liquid on top and either use the yeast for brewing or add new DME to step up your starter for a higher cell count.

 

Start on 70F Ferment on what you recipe say.

 

Does it matter though? As long as you are in the 60s it seems like any off flavors that may be created by a lager yeast at that temp would not be an issue if you decant the liquid prior to adding to your wort. Shouldn't any off flavor be poured out with the liquid and not hang around? Plus, WL says to pitch between 70-75 on the label, even for lager yeasts (at least 820 and 830).

 

It will go a little faster at 70F, but time for a starter is no big deal, and my basement temp is what it is this time of year ~62F. The yeast will actually grow the best at about 90F or so, but do you want to do that?

They say a lot of things so that the average or beginning homebrewer can make OK beer. If you want to brew lagers that taste like a German lager and are not full of Diacetyl, cool the wort to 5 F below you target, pitch the yeast, and let it rise. Yeast management in the fermentation is how you make excellent beer, especially if brewing a lager.

 

I don't even start my ales at 70F. The rule of thumb is to pitch the yeast 5-6F lower than the temp you want to use, and let it rise up to that temp.

Determine the temp you can maintain, say 55F, then pitch at 5F below that, or pitch at 50F.

 

The yeast should be as cool or cooler. I was talking the wort temp.

 

Many do just that.

 

Make a larger second step if you are doing a second.

 

Run the numbers in yeast calc and decide for your self. At this point you should be able to do that.

Edit - it has the yeast manufacture date that helps to set it for older yeasts.

 

Use yeastcalc.com it does stepped starters super-well.

 

I hope this help
If you jump the video to 6:51 you will get temperature instructions