On Fri, Nov 21, 2003 at 08:07:16AM +0100, Mikkel wrote: > Jeg har lavet en gærdtarter som foreskrevet af en pose fra Weast (den > ville ikke hæve selv!).
That is a bad sign. How long did you give it to get active. I have seen an old yeast packet take a week to get going... If the packet didn't swell, then it probably did not get its little fermentation going. That means that you pitched a minimal amount of yeast cells into your starter. They will take a while to get going in that. > Jeg hældte den i en flaske med ½ liter vand og > sukker. Hvordan ved jeg om jeg kan bruge den i aften. Jeg skal brygge > en Ebbey Ale. Der er kommet bundfald i gærstarteren men ingen > aktivitet på toppen. De andre gange jeg har laver gærstartere (af > tørgær) er der dannet et lag på toppen! Kan jeg bruge min gærstarter i > aften eller skal jeg udsætte brygningen? Remember that there are relatively few yeast cells in a wyeast packet, even when fully swollen and ready. On the other hand, a dry yeast contains so much of them that some people (me included) don't find a starter really necessary. Now that you have pitched the little bit of yeast into your starter, you should wait and see if it gets a really active top, with foam and bubbles (and steam and angry noises and small fish jumping in it). Even then you should give it a good look, to check if it smells funny or otherwise looks infected (those fishes...) That was the theory. If you really feel the need to brew tonight, go ahead and do so. Pitch what you have of yeast, shake well, and wiat and see. Maybe it gets going in a few days. More likely nothing happens. Keep a packet of dry yeast in reserve, so you can kick it going with that. It won't be as belgian beer as with the liquid yeast, but unless an infection sneaked in, it will be beer anyway! Good luck, and keep us posted! Heikki -- Heikki Levanto LSD - Levanto Software Development <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
