Fermentation wont start

Long story short...

brewed a hefe kit using rehydrated dry yeast, 48 hours have passed and no sign of fermentation... last kit was a irish red and it was nearly done in three days. should i be conserned?

You're across the country from me but we're in the exact same situation. My first batch was an irish red and it fermented boisterously over a few short days. Since it was my only experience with fermentation duration, it became my norm. My second batch was a wheat brewed up this past Saturday, and two days later, there's no bubbles and no sign of a krausen. Even so, no need to be alarmed. You'll find the veteran brewers here on this board are pretty good at making sure you know that airlock activity is pretty much irrelevant, patience is key, and there's rarely a reason to worry this early instead of reaching for a brew and relaxing.

Yes, the initial stages of fermentation are relatively condition-sensitive, but 48 hours is too soon to be bothered. If there's still no action by Thursday, I may take a trip to the lhbs to pick up another packet of yeast. Until then, no worries.

I would have told you just what witbierd told you. Before you pitch new yeast take a reading just to be sure. It is possible to miss fermentation although I doubt you missed a hefe's fermentation.

thanks for the replys, i just picked up a new yeast gonna pitch it tonight... i will take a reading first just to be safe... do i need to aerate again before pitching it, or just hydrate and pour on top????

Check to make sure there are no air leeks in your fermentor. That seems to be a typical issue, that and possibly temp conditions during pitching.

ive checked and rechecked my fermentor for leaks none found, no visual signs of krausen or foam, temp has been steady 69-70 degrees in a walk in temp controlled closet.... the yeast was a nottingham, i found that there was a recall on certain batches for non fermentation, im sure i got a bad yeast.

what kind of yeast did you pitch?

Umm....


Get one of these, if you don't have one already, and take a reading. This is critical. Krausen and airlocks mean little if you have a meaningful measurement from your hydrometer.

Thanks nebben, that was step one before pitching. those little hydrometers are sweet little items...

So what were your gravity results after taking a 2nd reading?

opened the bucket now have a dense 1/2 inch layer of foam, gravity remains the same as original...beer smells stinky though????

re-pitched my yeast last night, checked this morning. after 9 hours getting great action out of my airlock....im sure i had a bunk yeast packet....now just need to be patient and hopefully this turns into a good batch. thanks to all that helped