No visible fermentation activity after 40hours (Oktoberfest Lager)

Last Sunday I brewed a Oktoberfest Lager based on this Northern Brewer kit.

I added a pack of the Wyeast Oktoberfest blend yeast - the pack had swollen properly and everything. It has been about 40 hours since I pitched the yeast, but I don't see any activity in the fermenter yet - no foams on the surface or airlock activity.

The yeast was added at ~60F. Temperature of the wort now is ~55F.

Given it's a lager and the OG is 1.058, I know I should have either double-pitched or made a starter. However the kit instruction did not mention either, so I thought it would be ok.

Anyhow, wondering if there is anything I can do now, or should I just be patient ?

Be patient. It should come. Some are way slower than others, but they should still pick up especially since you have verification that there was viable yeast in the smack pack prior to pitching.

nebben said:

Be patient. It should come. Some are way slower than others, but they should still pick up especially since you have verification that there was viable yeast in the smack pack prior to pitching.

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+1 to this. Lagers are slow. You should have pitched about four times the amount of yeast that you did, but it is ok. You'll still make a better beer than you can get at 90% of bars around the country. Your friends will envy your Mad Skillz. Come late September you will be referred to as "The Man." You'll look back on this moment and think, "Why was I so worried? I did everything right." Truth is, you shouldn't be worried. So RDWHAHB!

If your beer is ruined, you can fly to Florida and drink as much of my Oktoberfest as you want.


Billy

Thanks to you guys for putting my mind at ease a bit.

Zooom101 said:

+1 to this. Lagers are slow. You should have pitched about four times the amount of yeast that you did, but it is ok. You'll still make a better beer than you can get at 90% of bars around the country. Your friends will envy your Mad Skillz. Come late September you will be referred to as "The Man." You'll look back on this moment and think, "Why was I so worried? I did everything right." Truth is, you shouldn't be worried. So RDWHAHB!

If your beer is ruined, you can fly to Florida and drink as much of my Oktoberfest as you want.
Billy

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Hahah! Who knows - might take you up on the offer!

Not trying to pick on you, but step 2 in the instructions is "prepare a yeast starter".

That said, as long as your sanitation is good it will probably turn out fine. If you can, get the temperature down to ~50°F. The combination of under-pitching and warm fermentation could compound any off flavors the yeast produce. A diacetyl rest is probably a good idea too, to allow the yeast some extra time to clean up.

a10t2 said:

Not trying to pick on you, but step 2 in the instructions is "prepare a yeast starter".

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Aaaarghhh. Serves me right for being a typical guy and not reading the instructions. I have brewed a lager before and should've remembered even without reading it

Anyway, will follow your other instructions. I was planning a diacetyl rest before starting the lagering process.

Got back home yesterday, and fermentation was in steady progress.

i pitched a 1/2 gallon starter of wlp838 in my currently fermenting oktoberfest and it still took a good 24 hours to start up. pitched 50F starter into 50F wort, too.