My Yeast Starter is Flat

[CarlosHernandez]

One vial of WLP051 in a 1.9L starter. It's been about 24 hours and it looks pretty flat.
Been shaking the crap out of it and I get some foam, but quickly seems to be flat again.

Should I be worried?

[brewinhard]

The fact that you are getting foam is encouraging. How old was the vial? When you let the starter settle for a bit do you see a white layer of fresh yeast forming on the bottom? Do you notice a change in the smell of the starter wort (yeasty/doughy/bready aromas)? What temperature is the starter at?

[CarlosHernandez]

Not sure how old the vial was... got it from Austin Homebrew. Always had good success with their yeast. I did see a layer of yeast on the bottom when I got home from work. Smells just as it did yesterday when I pitched (yeasty). Temp is at 70 deg.

[SnowGoon99]

Seeing a layer of yeast at the bottom = done starter. Sometimes you just miss the phase with all the action. I'd pitch it.

[Cliff]

One vial of WLP051 in a 1.9L starter. It's been about 24 hours and it looks pretty flat.
Been shaking the crap out of it and I get some foam, but quickly seems to be flat again.

Should I be worried?

Gentle agitation and not "the Crap out of it" is the way to tell of you have entrained CO2. Too much agitation can just make foam by mixing air bubbles into the fluid which has a higher centipoise than water ERGO it'll hold foaminess easier.

When you want to see if your starter is charged with CO2 be gentle.

If the yeast on the bottom is a greater quantum than that which you had in the vial or packet then you have a healthy colony.

Strike while the iron is hot and pitch