no fermentation after 4 days

[zac.evans]

I do not have a way to test ph. Ive got another starter going now. Since im not familiar with lager yeast i have a question. If i make a starter at room temp will it be noticable to see that yeast is working? In the past i could see high krausen with ale yeast, will lager yeast be the same? On average how far in advance should i make a starter with lager yeast if i want to chill and decant?

[Kaiser]

you should see some kraeusen development and you should also notice that the sample is getting cloudier. The latter may not be all that noticable if you are starting with lots of yeast already.

Kai

[BrewerAdam]

The way I tell if a starter is working or not is the smell of the starter. In my experience it will go from a sweet wort smell to a yeasty smell.

[brewinhard]

Evolution of CO2 bubbles forming is also a good way to tell if your starter is active. When you swirl it do you see any bubbles or foam rising?

[spiderwrangler]

Evolution of CO2 bubbles forming is also a good way to tell if your starter is active. When you swirl it do you see any bubbles or foam rising?

I shine a flashlight through my starter to see the bubbles easier (no hops, so I'm not worried about skunk).