lager/hybrid starter

[phrieken2]

Hey all,
I am likely freaking out over nothing, but hey just shows I care... I have a starter going for a California common, but this is the first lager yeast I have messed with. The starter has been going for day or so and I don't see the usual mess of carbonation and krausen I am used to with ale yeasts, is this normal for lagers, being the prissy, clean bottom fermenting bastards that they are, or might I be up a creek without a paddle? It smells clean, but really worty still and there are no really obvious signs of problems. Doesn't help that the growler I am using is brown and I can't see the bottom to see if I am getting accumulation or not....

[beerocracy]

I would say, Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew. Unless it was a really old vial of yeast everything should be fine. If you are really concerned you could always take a gravity reading to see if it has changed.

[polski]

i use a stir plate so i rarely see any over activity like you'd expect. Its possible you missed the activity entirely too. I think if you are really concerned you can cool it down, decant and then build it up into a larger flask. You might need to anyway considering how many vials you used on your starter and how cold you plan on fermenting.

[Bugeater]

Lager yeasts seldom show as active a fermentation as ale yeasts. In the small volume of a starter, you could very easily miss it altogether. If you are using a stir plate, look for the color of the starter to get lighter. This will indicate a greater volume of yeast in suspension. If no stir plate just look at the amount of settled yeast on the bottom. You should see a significant increase in yeast volume assuming you did a decent sized starter, not one of those wimpy one pint starters that do little more than wake up the yeast.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[phrieken2]

yeah, no stir plate, but there was a nice 1/2 inch yeast cake on the bottom when I prepared to pitch it last night.... I am but a lowly yeast farmer, thanks all, sorry for the freak out!

[polski]

don't worry, its magic anyway.