How long do most of you find that it takes a yeast starter to get going? I think I know the answer and advice to be given but... I made a yeast starter yesterday, Wyeast London Ale smack pack. MFG date December of '16, so it's getting close to the best by date. Nothing different about my procedures, 1L starter, a cup DME, 1/2tsp nutrient, boiled 15 minutes. cooled to roughly 75F. There hasn't yet been any activity in the starter, it seems to settle down the bottom. I've swirled it up a few times so far. PLanning on brewing on Friday, and I plan to be in the general area of my LHBS later today, so I'll probably swing in for a pack of yeast as a backup.
Not sure how many starters you've made (probably a lot more than I have), but I find that it's easy to miss the activity. Is that a possibility here?
I suppose it's possible, but looking at my airlock it's still showing higher pressure outside than in.
Keep swirling it. And take the airlock off, just use aluminum foil. Oxygen exposure for a starter is a good thing, for the most part. If I use an older yeast pack, I sometimes build up with a small starter, before moving on to the full size.
Did you smack your pack prior to pitching it into your starter? If so, did the pack fully swell up? Cheers!
A new pack that's in date should start in 2 - 4 hours . . . sounds like you're over 24 hours which is a major red flag. It's unlikely you missed the krausen on a new pack unless you've been away for a day+. Even then it would have left a krausen ring on the flask. As stated, ditch the airlock . . . I use saran wrap, when shaken, the off-gassing CO2 will make it "swell up", impossible to miss. Don't be afraid to shake the flask very hard. If you get no krausen and no noticeable off-gassing that means the yeast have not exhaled . . . which means they aren't breathing . . . which means they aren't going to do well in your primary. I would not continue without a positive indication of growth. Twice I've had liquid yeast that was DOA. Do you have any inkling of how it was stored/shipped (temp wise)?
