Should you bring yeast to room temp?

So I am making my first batch and I am having the typical questions about my brew. It has been about 18 hours an absolutly NO action in my fermentor. It looks like mud water (pic) with nothing on the bottom.

I am making a Hefeweizen using the following:
7 lbs of Muntons Wheat Malt (syrup)
1+ oz Hallertauer Hops for bittering (4 HBU)
1/4 oz Hallertauer Hops for finishing
White Labs Hefeweizen IV Ale Yeast

I had everything by the book and sanatized out the wazoo, but the only thing I question is the yeast. I have seen that you need to airate the yeast and I don't quite understand what is needed for that. I made my beer using just under 2 gallons of wort and the rest, cold spring water I kept in the fridge. This brought it from boiling to about 79 degrees. I then took the yeast out of the fridge, shook it in the bottle and left it on the counter with the wort in the carboy for 2 hours. I then added the yeast by shaking and opening the bottle and pouring in. Put on my sanatized air lock and placed in the basement which is about 69.5 to 71 degrees.

I am fine with playing the waiting game, but I ma just wondering if there is anything I might have failed at doing correctly.

Thanks for the help in advance!

Without a starter it could take some time. Wait. You could still shake the carboy to aerate it more.

I just went down and I have some stuff is happening now, but no blow off yet. I am sure the action will change over night. Can you explain 'without a starter.' What starter or form of starting should I be using. I have followed all directions I have read and I have not seen anything about a starter.

By starter he means that you pitch your yeast into a 1-2 liter batch or so of wort (just some water and DME) about a day or so ahead of actually pitching into your beer. This gives your yeast a head start and they can begin multiplying and reach sufficient numbers before pitching into your actual beer. This is typically recommended for liquid yeast, although it isn't required. By not making a yeast starter first you simply underpitched and that can lead to longer lag time while the yeast build in numbers inside your beer.

A starter basically gives you a better chance of having the correct amount of yeast to properly eat the sugar in the wort. You may be OK using no stater if your beer is under 1.040(maybe) A good tool to use is Mr Malty and check the pitching calculator it will tell you what you need either using dry or liquid yeast. Remember you are counting on living organisms to do there thing not a chemical reaction. Search the forum on how to make a starter, but basicaly its a mini beer for yeast to east reproduce and make more to properly attenuate your beer

marubozo said:

By starter he means that you pitch your yeast into a 1-2 liter batch or so of wort (just some water and DME) about a day or so ahead of actually pitching into your beer. This gives your yeast a head start and they can begin multiplying and reach sufficient numbers before pitching into your actual beer. This is typically recommended for liquid yeast, although it isn't required. By not making a yeast starter first you simply underpitched and that can lead to longer lag time while the yeast build in numbers inside your beer.

Click to expand...

more good info he beat me to some info it's hard to drink and typ at the same time. I started typing 10 mins ago

Two vials work for the rich and lazy. Poor and lazy do what what you did. I'm poor and resourceful and make a smaller batch then reuse the yeast.

What you are seeing is called low kraeusen.

I will have to read up further on this before asking anything else. I am a regular on car forums and hate when people as questions and you have to spoon feed it to them. I am not really sure what DME is and if it is wort, the how do you have wort before you even start making beer? Also I am interested to see how you can save the yeast for another batch....interesting. Thanks for all your replys!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSrbukazO_Q]YouTube - How to Make a Yeast Starter[/ame]

Also do a search for "Yeast Washing Illustrated". Great thread on reusing your yeast.

You're doing fine. Don't sweat it.

What was the Original Gravity for your beer?

Thanks for the video, I will be looking into the yeast washing as you have recommended. I was told you did not 'have' to do SG checks, so for my first batch I have selected to not do any because I am mainly focused on just making the beer. I did not want to risk contamination of the fermentor and not know what I might have done wrong. My next batch I will definetly be checking SG. I am trying to just do a few steps at a time since I am in the learning stage and I was already nervous as hell making the first batch.

I did watch the video and that was a good explaination of the yeast starter. I did not even think about checking YouTube for video's. I am sure there is ton's of information to be had there also.

fredGSX said:

Thanks for the video, I will be looking into the yeast washing as you have recommended. I was told you did not 'have' to do SG checks, so for my first batch I have selected to not do any because I am mainly focused on just making the beer. I did not want to risk contamination of the fermentor and not know what I might have done wrong. My next batch I will definetly be checking SG. I am trying to just do a few steps at a time since I am in the learning stage and I was already nervous as hell making the first batch.

I did watch the video and that was a good explaination of the yeast starter. I did not even think about checking YouTube for video's. I am sure there is ton's of information to be had there also.

Click to expand...

You really don't have to worry about infections when taking gravity readings. Just get a turkery baster, sanitize it and fill up your hydrometer tube. Take your reading then drink it or dump it down the drain, don't pour it back into your beer.

Bobby_M from this board has some great videos on there (not sure if they're beginner, though).

I wouldn't pay too much attention to CraigTube if you run across him.

BTW, is your beer showing any activity yet?

So you drink out of the fermentor even when it has not finished fermenting? I am not to sure I can do that with what my fermentor looks like. I was suprised of how nasty it looks, but I know it will taste so good when it is chilled and bottled.

I got plenty of action now. It looks like hell on earth inside there with a big tummer looking thing at the one side. It is actually disturbing a little, lol. I have put the pics in my gallery. I just joined now to be a Premium Supporter to support this board. I know I will be using it a lot in the future.

DME = Dried Malt Extract, BTW.

out of curiosity, did you use any Irish moss?

Oh....Duh! I just used syrup in my beer. All these acronyms are going to take me a while to learn.

I did not use any Irish moss because I wanted the beer to be cloudy. I like the look of unfiltered wheat beers, so I did not want to change the clarity. I am wondering if the beer will turn lighter though like a Hefe, but time will tell me that. I am not worried about it as long as it tastes like a Hefe.

yeah, at this point, it sounds like everything will be ok.

I would say give it a couple days more than what you intended on each stage of fermentation to let it sit. Sample it after primary and check its gravity to see where its at.

Happy Brewing!

I think it will be okay...at least it better, because I am getting too excited!

fredGSX said:

So you drink out of the fermentor even when it has not finished fermenting?

Click to expand...

I did that once and I assure you I will never do it again. Nasty. When the krauson drops you can get the final gravity. I usually do that after three weeks with an ale and it tastes alright. It's green beer at that point.

Conroe said:

I did that once and I assure you I will never do it again. Nasty. When the krauson drops you can get the final gravity. I usually do that after three weeks with an ale and it tastes alright. It's green beer at that point.

Click to expand...

I taste mine at just about every step :rockin:

What DME can one use for a starter and where to buy? I mean will almost anything work (like a light DME) w/o affecting the flavor? --this is if you already have wort and no signs of fermentation.

You'll want to use DME that is in keeping with the style you are brewing. I have only made one starter so far, but used light DME. If you're doing a hefeweizen, then use wheat DME. You can get DME just about any LHBS (local home brew store) or online. The usual mix for a starter is 1/2 cup DME with 2 cups H2O, scaled as needed.

To the OP, the syrup you used is referred to as LME most often (liquid malt extract) You'll get the acronyms, the most important is RDWHAHB!

creefer said:

I taste mine at just about every step :rockin:

Click to expand...

Me too; pre-boil, starting gravity, final gravity, and finished beer. High kraeusen is not going to be a tasting step. I couldn't get the nasty out of my mouth.

Starters are a pretty low volume. Does it really matter if it's "in keeping with the style"?

Not if you decant. If you put the whole starter in it becomes a small part of the beer and needs to be accounted for in the grain bill.

creefer said:

Starters are a pretty low volume. Does it really matter if it's "in keeping with the style"?

Click to expand...

Doesn't hurt to get the yeasties used to eating what the main beer is going to be. May not make a difference, but it may be less of a shock for them to go from eating all barley malt to most wheat malt.

There is some great info at mrmalty.com
Fourteen Essential Questions About Yeast Starters

ombada said:

out of curiosity, did you use any Irish moss?

Click to expand...

You just reminded me that i forgot that step on my Irish Red that I am kegging tonight