3944 Yeast Starter Not Foaming

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Icewind

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just did a 3944 yeast starter. Smacked the pack last night, did the starter this morning. Pack had swelled. Did the DME boil for 10mins then in ice to bring temp down, stick it in a 5l demijohn then yeast and agitated for a few minutes. It has been about 2 hours since its been put down and no activity as of yet. I was of the thought that witbier yeasts are big fast foamers?

I did note on the packet the yeast was made in April, and it took a fair while to swell up ( i had waited 3 hours last night, no swell, then went to bed and it was nice and swollen this morning)


Is this just another case of DWHAHB? Or should I be thinking the worst?
 
How big is the starter?
Might want to start small and step up (i.e. make a small starter, when it's active step up to a larger starter, etc etc). Otherwise dumping old yeast into a big starter is akin to underpitching.

Edit: although I wouldn't be concerned if it's only been 2 hours. I've had starters take a day to get going.
 
just did a 3944 yeast starter. Smacked the pack last night, did the starter this morning. Pack had swelled. Did the DME boil for 10mins then in ice to bring temp down, stick it in a 5l demijohn then yeast and agitated for a few minutes. It has been about 2 hours since its been put down and no activity as of yet. I was of the thought that witbier yeasts are big fast foamers?

I did note on the packet the yeast was made in April, and it took a fair while to swell up ( i had waited 3 hours last night, no swell, then went to bed and it was nice and swollen this morning)


Is this just another case of DWHAHB? Or should I be thinking the worst?

Not all starters foam like a rabid dog. Even wit starters don't necessarily go mad. It is vary rare that my starters actually get a big Krausen on them, I judge activity on how much CO2 is coming out of solution.
 
Give it time and as long as you've followed all the correct sanitation and temperature steps it should take off in the next 24 hours. Good point above though. Try a smaller starter before jumping into a 5L batch

I've never had a smack pack swell in 3 hours wheather it is 1 month old or 6 months old. Not saying they don't but I wouldn't be concerned
 
2 hours!? Patience...

It's budding, not eating. Like it's supposed to.
 
I just pitched a 600ml coke bottle of 3944 slurry that was in fridge for 6 weeks into a 1.063 belgian ( trying under pitching ), and it was going in a few hours. Super active yeast, it tried to escape when I opened it haha.
 
yeh, i just realised I may have gotten the starter ratio wrong.

i think i may have only put two cups water with 1 cup dme....
 
yeh, i just realised I may have gotten the starter ratio wrong.

i think i may have only put two cups water with 1 cup dme....
A cup of DME weighs what, about 160g? So you need 1.6L of water. Boil up another 1.1L of water (to sterilise), cool it, pour it in.
Still a bit big for the first step of the starter, but you can't undo the amount of DME you've started with. Then give it some time.
 
Get the "Yeast" book and read it. Starter's shouldn't krausen. The idea of the starter is for breeding, not fermentation - that's why a a general guide is for the starter wort to be around 1040. If the yeast starts to ferment in the starter it's a sign that it's saying "wow, lots of food here guys, lets stop shagging and start eating".
 
Make sure you put your fermentor somewhere that's easily cleaned. Mine is now spewing yeast onto the kitchen bench. Woo hoo!
 
Get the "Yeast" book and read it. Starter's shouldn't krausen. The idea of the starter is for breeding, not fermentation - that's why a a general guide is for the starter wort to be around 1040. If the yeast starts to ferment in the starter it's a sign that it's saying "wow, lots of food here guys, lets stop shagging and start eating".

thanks for the tip :) is this the book? http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Ferm...s/dp/0937381969
 
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Ok so morning now, doesn't look like any krausen has been happening but there has been lots of small bubbles.

fermenter%20wibtier2.JPG


fermenter%20witbier.JPG
 
Ok so morning now, doesn't look like any krausen has been happening but there has been lots of small bubbles.

Looks like a normal starter to me. And as Bribie said, starters shouldn't krausen. Give it a swirl occasionally to kick some yeast back into suspension, let it ferment out then pitch that sucker.
 
Looks like a normal starter to me. And as Bribie said, starters shouldn't krausen. Give it a swirl occasionally to kick some yeast back into suspension, let it ferment out then pitch that sucker.

cool! thanks for the info! I guess im being a little cautious being my first witbier/hoegaarden clone, plus its not a cheap beer to make compared to stock standard coopers extract. :)
 
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