WLP 833 Slow Start?

[jeffcosgrove]

This is my first time using a WLP yeast. I made a 3.7 L starter with two vials of WLP 833 German Bock on a stir plate. I am just starting to see some bubbles after 18 hours where I am used to seeing them well under 12 hours when I use Wyeast 2007 & 2206. I am wondering if the vials that I got have a much lower viability (Use by date 5/14/14 so production 1/14/14 ?) than expected or if this yeast is typically a slow starter. I am planning on harvesting some of this yeast, but don't want to underpitch my beer if the viability was much lower than the yeast calc tools anticipated.

 

[BigFloyd]

Airlock activity 18 hours after pitching a lager isn't slow, it's perfectly fine.

What temp did you pitch and begin ferment at?

 

[dannyhawkins]

Yeah I'm brewing a dunkel with this yeast now and it was slow going in the beginning, despite three step ups in the starter. The first time I used it it took off faster but the temp could have been warmer. This time it's at 50 and rolling slow. It's prob ok

 

[lyonshead]

18 hrs is pretty quick. With proper pitching rates, and well oxygenated (pitched at 44f) wort I usually see wlp833 kick in between 24 and 36 hrs. It's not exactly a quick yeast either. I tend to use the set it and forget method as opposed to a d-rest; leaving the beer at a steady 49, I still have activity after two weeks


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[jeffcosgrove]

This is activity in the starter, not my batch of beer that's why I'm wondering if viability was low and if I grew as many cells as calculated. The Wyeast lager yeasts that I use start much quicker. My theory was that if there was a low number of viable yeast then that is why it took longer to start. If 833 is notoriously slow then I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[BigFloyd]

When doing starters on a stir plate, there's often little or no outwardly visible sign of fermentation. My guess is that the constant swirling keeps the krausen down.