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Although more experiments and probably needed, agitation is believed to be an important factor for both yeast and bacteria in general. Gentle stirring on a stir plate or orbital shaker, or frequent gentle manual agitation leads to faster growth and a higher number of organisms. Agitation keeps the microbes in solution. It also maximizes the microbes' access to nutrients and disperses waste evenly. In a non-agitated starter, the microbes are limited to the diffusion rate of nutrients, leading to a slower and more stressful growth <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1168024059892473/?comment_id=1174865305875015&reply_comment_id=1176092372418975&total_comments=1&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D Conversation with Bryan of Sui Generis Blog about starters and agitation. 11/09/2015.]</ref>. If agitation is not possible for whatever reason, a successful starter can be made without agitation. Sam Aeschlimann reported good success with ''Lactobacillus'' starters that are not agitated <ref name="Sam_starter2"></ref>.
Although ''Lactobacillus'' are tolerant of oxygen and oxygen usually does not negatively affect their growth (except in the case of ''L. plantarum'', which has been shown to produce small amounts of acetic acid when exposed to oxygen <ref name="Quatravaux_plantarum">[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02955.x/full Examination of Lactobacillus plantarum lactate metabolism side effects in relation to the modulation of aeration parameters. S. Quatravaux, F. Remize, E. Bryckaert, D. Colavizza, J. Guzzo. 2006]</ref><ref name="microbewiki_plantarum"></ref>), it is also generally not needed (an exception to this may be ''L. brevis'', which has been shown to increase growth rates in the presence of oxygen <ref name="brevis_aeration"></ref>). Therefore, it is generally best practice to prevent aerating the starter with an airlock for ''Lactobacillus'' starters. If exposure to air occurs, and the starter does not smell like it has been contaminated by the exposure, then the starter can still be used.
* For information on mixed culture starters, see [[Mixed_Cultures#Starters_and_Other_Manufacturer_Tips|Mixed Culture Starters]].