disdaint

Recipes 

Yesterday afternoon i put together my 2nd brew with a Muntons Nut Brown ale kit following the same precedure as i did with my first, which turned out fine. I noticed that this time round the wort didn't produce nearly as much foam or "head" early in the process. I added the yeast from the kit dry by sprinkling it on top and put it away to ferment. The airlock showed no activity for about 10 hours or so. This is a lot longer than it took my first brew to start. Also this 2nd brew hasn't seemed to bubble through the airlock as vigorously. And now after approx 20 hours after the airlock showed activity it has slowed to effectively zero.

So i guess my question is, is this a concern? Is my yeast dead?

My first brew was a Munich Lager kit.

lostnfoam

Recipes 

nah probably not dead. not all yeast act the same. also what are the temps when you pitch and what is the tamp the primary is in??
as everone else say relax have a homebrew

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Primary:

Secondary:

Bottled: English pale ale (first AG), cream ale, phat trye, oatmeal stout, imperial pumkin, imperial Ipa, kreik, calowiezen, winter warmer, st john IPA, pumkin ale, pumkin porter, imperial stout, belgain pale ale

Next to brew: coffee brown ale, witenger, belgain pale ale

max-the-knife

Recipes 

My first brew (Scottish Ale) took two days to start fermentation (dry yeast sprinkled in) and finished in 6 days.
My third brew (Weizenbier) started fermenting at 8 hours, the krausen got into the airlock and finished in 2 days.
I've done a total of 5 brews now and every fermentation is different.

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PRIMARY: empty
SECONDARY #1: empty
SECONDARY #2: empty
KEGGED: American Lite Lager
FUTURE PROJECTS:[/COLOR] IPA, Bock , Black Lager

zoebisch01

Recipes 

Fermentation can be really different and odd sometimes. I recently posted about how I didn't notice any airlock activity on my most recent batch. For two days nothing. I repitched a pack of the yeast, and guess what...no airlock activity! So as a last resort (I tend to only check my gravity when I am ready to bottle or rack) I checked the gravity and you know what? It is about %93 through the fermentation process. Every strain of yeast is different and will even behave differently in different temperatures and a few other factors. Some yeast blast through a batch while others just kind of chug along almost quietly...this is of course an oversimplification but you get the idea I'm sure.

[edit]I suppose I should mention that the possibility exists that I missed the airlock activity if it happened really fast[/edit]

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Event Horizon ~ A tribute to the miracle of fermentation.

Brew what you like. Do this, and you will find your inner brewer.

BrooZer

Recipes 

the same has happened to me. My first batch when through fermentation in about 24-48 hours and then dead.

__________________
Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit of Hoppyness

max-the-knife

Recipes 

I've actually had primary fermentation start and form a krausen overnight while I was sleeping!

__________________
PRIMARY: empty
SECONDARY #1: empty
SECONDARY #2: empty
KEGGED: American Lite Lager
FUTURE PROJECTS:[/COLOR] IPA, Bock , Black Lager

lostnfoam

Recipes 

all come down to your pitching temp wether or not you did a starter if you know nothing about start to read up on it and also airetion. both will help you i your furture brews

__________________
Primary:

Secondary:

Bottled: English pale ale (first AG), cream ale, phat trye, oatmeal stout, imperial pumkin, imperial Ipa, kreik, calowiezen, winter warmer, st john IPA, pumkin ale, pumkin porter, imperial stout, belgain pale ale

Next to brew: coffee brown ale, witenger, belgain pale ale

disdaint

Recipes 

Thanks for all the info guys.

I have notice today that there is a layer or foam/bubbles on the surface of the beer now. Still no airlock activity but i am more confident that i haven't killed my yeast.

I think for my next brew i will start the yeast before adding it to the wort.