Help Salvaging Beer

I guess I first want to ask if this beer is worth trying to salvage. I brewed an american light lager 1 week ago and never saw active fermentation. It never had very much fermentation, my father stopped by my house and said that it was bubbling once every minute while I was at work, but other than that, I never saw anything. I did open the fermenter once to see a half centimeter of foam on the time of the beer, but not much.

Now, there is no foam, and a faint smell of cider. Also, I took some hydrometer readings that made me quite upset. The OG was 1.31, exactly what the recipe said. After 1 week, it was 1.29.

My question is, should I keep it in the fermenter for another week and see what happens?

Or
Should I ad more yeast and try for another fermentation. I will add that I would have to order this yeast from Austin Homebrew, becuase I do not have a LHBS in my area. So the yeast would get to me in about 2-3 days. This may be too long to save it if it's ruined. Please help, I cannot relax, not worry, and cannot have a homebrew...... Thanks,

Last, if you have good sanitation, you can re-pitch in 2-3 days without any problem.
Second, if here was 1/2 inch of foam on the beer, it is fermenting.
First, you are reading the hydrometer incorrectly. The readings are probably 1.031 and 1.029

What temperature is it at and what yeast are you using? Sometimes American light lagers are shipped with clean fermenting ale yeast, not a lager yeast. An ale yeast at lager temperatures will ferment very slowly.

Buy a couple packets of Nottingham or Safale US-05, and keep them in the fridge. Cheap re-assurance.

You are right, I meant to say 1.031 and 1.028. I used the American Plopper recipe from the Compleate Joy to Homebrewing. I used Superior brand Lager yeast from Australia. I also had 1/2 inch of foam, but not quite that much. There is none now. I also have the beer in my fridge at a steady 50 degrees. I was going to do a 2 weeks in the primary and then another 2 weeks in the secondary. What should I do if my readings stay the same. I was supposed to have a FG of 1.002-1.005. I am nowhere close to that.

take it out of the fridge and let it warm up.

To what Temperature do I let it warm up to?

I'd probably bring it up 8-10 degrees.

With my FG and OG being so close, is it possible that fermentation never took place? Or is it possible that I temperature shocled the yeast and killed it?

took our of fridge and put beer in my basement to warm up overnight. basement is between 60 and 65. Beer now has foam on top, and shows a little sign of fermentation after being out of fridge for 8 hours. isnt this a high temp for lager yeast to ferment?

bigjohnmilford said:

I'd probably bring it up 8-10 degrees.

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Success! I brought the fermenter out of the fridge and took it downstairs. The temp is right around 68 degrees, way too high for a lager, or so I thought. I actually forgot about it untill this morning, I went downstairs and noticed that the air lock was burbling about 1-5 seconds apart, so a lot of activity. When I notice that the activity is going down, 1-30 seconds apart, should I put the fermenter back in the fridge? Thanks for all your help thus far guys.

at some point you will want to put it back in the fridge so you can accomplish your lagering (4-7 days from initial ferment?). I'm sure someone more experienced will chime in with some specific advice.

I'd let it ride for a few weeks and then lager it for a nice long time. It may be estery but it will still be beer.

Morkin said:

Success! I brought the fermenter out of the fridge and took it downstairs. The temp is right around 68 degrees, way too high for a lager, or so I thought. I actually forgot about it untill this morning, I went downstairs and noticed that the air lock was burbling about 1-5 seconds apart, so a lot of activity. When I notice that the activity is going down, 1-30 seconds apart, should I put the fermenter back in the fridge? Thanks for all your help thus far guys.

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No expert on lagering here. But, I always thought you fermented at regular temps and then brought it down after a week or so. Glad the yeasties woke up and started doing there thing.

Sounds like your not alone on this one

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/superior-lager-yeast-56738/

I will say that it did nothing untill i raised it to about 65-70. It had been a week before it did anything. Apparently, the yeast used was not a quality lager yeast. I will post updates so that no one has troublewith this yeast, FYI, after the yeast arrived at my house, midwest supplies posted that this yeast is no longer available. lol