using agave nectar

[jperryqua714]

Hello fellow brewers,
I am new to brewing and just starting out. I had some agave nectar on hand and used it for a yeast starter.
Now after 24 hours no bubbles did I kill the yeast or do I need to sit tight.

 

[Nosybear]

Likely not. I've brewed with agave nectar and yeast love it. Possibility is you got your wort too dense - a starter should run about 1.038 and there's a lot of sugar in agave nectar. Has your starter turned cloudy, a sign of yeast activity? Was your yeast viable? I've never tried agave nectar as a starter but it might be deficient in some nutrients. If you can get some yeast nutrient and stir it in, you may start your starter back up but the longer it waits, the more likely some contaminant will get a foothold.

Next time use dry malt extract for your starter, it has everything the yeast needs.