1st time using lager yeast

I made a rauchbier yesterday. OG 1.076 was 10 pts higher (first time using barley crusher). I oxygenated the wort prior to pitching at 47 degrees. 5.5 gallons. Made a 1.6L starter with 2 smack packs of bohemian lager yeast.

I'm nervous bc I don't really see any signs of visible fermentation and it has been almost 24 hrs. No krausen. I have a blow off tube running to a bottle with star San in it and there are some foamy bubbles but I sat out with the chest freezer open for almost five minutes and saw no activity.

How concerned should I be? Thanks in advance.

I think your starter is kind of small. You'd save money and make more yeast, I would guess, by making a 3L starter out of 1 pack. However, I'm sure the yeast are in there; just the cold temp. slowing things down. At 47F, I would wait another 24-48 hrs. before panicking. I usually do primary ferments on lagers in the 52-56 range, and they are not gangbusters at those temps. Don't look for an ale krausen, it is going to be subdued.

Mr malty calls for a 3.27 Liters of fresh yeast (as in less than a week old) on a stirplate and about 5L for shaken. Just hold out for a bit more, it might take 72 hours before you see anything but if you're worried try making another starter and pitching it at high krausen.

Thanks guys I'll give it a day only bc I'm sick. I'll update this tomorrow.

Pkeeler-
So you are saying I would have been better off and grown more yeast if I bumped up one pack a couple of times to 3L?

Shake the fermenter. If it's not started it may give it more O2, other wise it might release some CO2 out the air lock and show you it's going. Lagers hold on to more CO2 so you wont see activity until a day or two after is really starts.

Thanks. Looks like it is starting to go. Krauzen is starting to form and bubbling a little bit.