Yeast won't start?

**Don** · 05-17-2007, 10:46 PM

I am making a Strawberry Blond lager tomorrow.
8# 2row
1 1/2 # White Wheat
Using white Labs WLP840 American Lager Yeast.

I made a starter yesterday, 3 qts water with 3/4# DME boiled for 10,
cooled to @70 added yeast and put in 1 gal bottle w/ airlock.
Left at room temp.
There is still no activity in the airlock, I removed it and used wrapp on bottle to make sure I didn't have a leak.. still no activity.
I've shooked the bottle, several times yesterday and today, to get it stirred up.

If this is dead, I have a lager yeast cake I just harvested form my Oktoberfeast on Wednesday, Wyeast #2206 Bavarian Lager.
I have it in a 1 gal bottle with some liquid that I left on top after racking it into secondary.

My other question is:
If I have to use this, what kind of difference should I expect or will I be better off wating for a replacement for the Whitelabs American Lager.
This is the first time I've used the white Labs Americian Lager so I don't know what to expect.

I am making this for SWMBO and she wants a light beer.

**Don** · 05-20-2007, 03:49 AM

Well it took 3 day but it's starting to working now.
I guess with White Labs you just have to wait longer then with Wyeast.

barside laundry · 05-20-2007, 07:34 AM

Don,
I had the almost the same exact thing happen with my Bavarian smackpack(also for my Oktoberfest). I made the starter 5 days ago and it has been bubbling away for only the last 2 days. did you chill the wort down to 50F before pitching your starter? Just curious. I will brewing in a few hours and I still not sure when I will pitch the starter.

**Brew-boy** · 05-20-2007, 12:56 PM

You should add yeast nutrient and oxygen if you really want healthy yeast. I do this plus put mine on a stir plate and I will tell you I only have 2-5 hours lag time when I pitch into 6 gallons of wort.

**Don** · 05-21-2007, 11:52 AM

I shook the H*** out of it when I put it in the 1 gal glass bottle and added 1 tsp. of yeast nutrient (after I shook it. I did not run my air pump I guess next time I will try that.

Since this is only my second lager (and second starter) I will learn from my mistakes, the way I did with my ales.

thanks for the advice.

**Don** · 05-21-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barside laundry

Don,
I had the almost the same exact thing happen with my Bavarian smackpack(also for my Oktoberfest). I made the starter 5 days ago and it has been bubbling away for only the last 2 days. did you chill the wort down to 50F before pitching your starter? Just curious. I will brewing in a few hours and I still not sure when I will pitch the starter.

When I made my Okoberfest, I did a lot of reading and asking questions.
I used the Wyeast and it started right away. I chilled my yeast started to 54 f and brought my fermentator temp down to 54 before I added the yeast.
The next morning it was working steady and continued for over two weeks.

I made an SS stopper thermowell and take the temp of my fermentator from the inside of my carboy.
http://northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/thermowell.jpg
I have found that there can be as much as 4 to 6 deg difference,between the inside and outside of the carboy, while I trying to get it stablized in my cooled. Once the carboy is at temp it's only a deg or two.