Fermentation can take 24 to 72 hrs to show visible signs.

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I forgot I posted on this sticky. I posted to another thread dealing with "waiting" and thought i'd reply again to this.

It's fermenting. I posted 2 videos (1 at 18 hours and 1 at 24 hours) showing the different times of fermentation in the beginning.:mug:
 
Yeah. The waiting is tough. The batch before this was a Boston Plus using Wyeast 1056 and it was showing action within 8 hours. This batch is Black Pearl Porter, and the Wyeast 1028 is pushing 30 hours now and absolutely no action yet. It's OK, since I've been through this a few times before, and the yeast has always taken off within 48 hours. I'll check it again tomorrow around noon, and if nothing by then, I'll pitch a pack of Nottingham.
 
I have read this forum on slow fermentation several times as I have been bit as well. Brewed a Brewers Best kit for the second time this year and hed very different results. First batch started signs of fermentation within hours using Notttingham dry yeast. The second batch has just started, slowly,after 60 hours of waiting.
I am using a stainless steel conical so I can only see activity if I remove the airlock. There is kraussen but not a lot. There is a sour smell, not real strong. Is this normal or are my fears coming true?
thanx all:confused:
 
A followup to my post immediately above.....the Black Pearl Porter finally showed signs of airlock activity around 47 hours....a new record for me. I've had a couple of batches that took a bit over a day to get going, but this one was still well under the 72 hour "limit." (However, I was very close to breaking out that packet of Nottingham. ;))
 
at hour 72 it seems to be going now if you go by the airlock_:ban: but I know Revvy has explained that very well. The confidence given by the more experienced helped save me from doing something drastic. I will not pitch dry again:mad:. maybe the yeasties wanted a couple day orgy before getting to work?
 
I have a genuine mystery. After 5 days of an all grain Raisin-Oat Toasted Pale Ale with a starting gravity of 1.041 after sparge. I'm now down to 1.014 without any visible sign of fermentation on any previous day. Saccarification was complete. The batch went smoothly from grind to seal and I didn't expect this. The Fermentis US-05 yeast packet, (dry), was new and best-by date was Jan 2011 and was well kept. Yeast was pitched dry in 68F, (I'm probably overly confident in Fermentis products). When I moved the batch off to secondary, (leaving the last 2 liters), I noticed an immediate fermentation in the dregs starting up. I tasted a bit of the settled remnant after moving it to secondary and it is likely one of my best brews. Has anybody seen this before?

Thanks,

Mike
 
I love Pitching Over Fresh a fresh Yeast Cake...Took a half hour to start bubbling(Within an hour It's Going crazy) No aerating needed!
 
My last batch of Schneider Weisse clone went bad. No activity for like 5 days and then started bubbling. When it stopped, I smelled it and it seemed to have the familiar alcoholic aroma to it. I always taste my wort just prior to bottling to get an idea of how I'm doing. Upon tasting this, though, I wish someone had a camera to capture the look on my face. It was really sour. Had to dump. Only batch I ever lost. I believe the yeast were damaged due to very hot weather we had and my ingredients sitting in my garage too long (thanks to my daughter leaving them in there upon arrival). They may have been subjected to a lot of heat in transit as well.

I re-brewed the recipe yesterday (the first batch was a couple months ago) and used decoction for the first time ever. Seemed to go really well. I'm hoping for a short incubation period and having some bubbling by end of day today. I believe I will try doing a started next time. Would love to get into culturing my own yeast too.
 
I have read this forum on slow fermentation several times as I have been bit as well. Brewed a Brewers Best kit for the second time this year and hed very different results. First batch started signs of fermentation within hours using Notttingham dry yeast. The second batch has just started, slowly,after 60 hours of waiting.
I am using a stainless steel conical so I can only see activity if I remove the airlock. There is kraussen but not a lot. There is a sour smell, not real strong. Is this normal or are my fears coming true?
thanx all:confused:

Shouldn't smell sour. You should stay away from kits. There are lots of good recipes out there (and in here). Order your ingredients yourself. Kits can hang around for a while and have old yeast. I use Midwest Supplies. I've also discovered buying hops in bulk (by the pound) as it's a lot cheaper. I'm still feeling this out, however, as I'm not sure how long they'll hold up in the freezer.
 
I have to ask anyway. It's been about 14 hours, but: I just purchased a chest freezer from Lowe's and a fridge thermostat from my LHBS. I have the ambient temperature of the freezer set to 58F. I'm using WLP060 and the pitching SG was 1.064. I also did not make a starter. This is my first time fermenting with explicit temperature controls.

Usually, using liquid yeast even without a starter, I get vigorous fermentation after about 8 hours or so. Is an ambient 58F too low to start fermentation or will I just need to wait longer?
 
I have to ask anyway. It's been about 14 hours, but: I just purchased a chest freezer from Lowe's and a fridge thermostat from my LHBS. I have the ambient temperature of the freezer set to 58F. I'm using WLP060 and the pitching SG was 1.064. I also did not make a starter. This is my first time fermenting with explicit temperature controls.

Usually, using liquid yeast even without a starter, I get vigorous fermentation after about 8 hours or so. Is an ambient 58F too low to start fermentation or will I just need to wait longer?

This yeast should ferment between 68-72. Not sure why you would want 58. What are you brewing?
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp060.html
 
This yeast should ferment between 68-72. Not sure why you would want 58. What are you brewing?
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp060.html

I'm brewing an APA.

Two reasons I'm fermenting at 58. 1, I'm trying to get a cleaner fermentation out of this yeast than the last batch, and 2, Palmer suggests that fermentation can be 10 degrees hotter than ambient temps.

Oh, and "optimum range" doesn't necessarily mean "won't ferment outside this range"...
 
Fermentation can be 10 degrees hotter if you let it shoot through the roof. People talk about using starters and obtaining a vigorous fermentation. Starters should be used to gain a greater count of cells and get fermentation to begin sooner - a healthy start, so to speak. But if fermentation is too vigorous up front, it can do damage by - as you mentioned - raising the temps too high and could kill yeast and create off flavors.

From Palmer's site:
Temperatures below 55-60F will cause ale yeast to go into hibernation and slow or stop the fermentation process.
 
Well, WLP060 does contain some lager yeast...

I decided to put it up to 65 before going to work. If it kicks off between now and getting home, I'll drop it down to 62.
 
This topic is a riot! Are you guys throwing curve balls to the newbies? lol. I'm thinking...., here I am in the beginners brewing forum reading about problems from a guy with over 7,000 posts.... over 2 years.

priceless
 
snowman... check out the Tap Room sometime. I used to waste a lot of time in there. Post count doesn't always equate to brewing knowledge around here.

And while I've been brewing for over 2 years, I happen to be new to precise temperature controls and needed some advice.
 
It's been just shy of 48 hours and I don't have any signs of fermentation yet. (At least through my blowoff tube/air lock I don't.) I'm brewing a wheat beer with Hefeweizen liquid yeast. I did not do a starter. Also... My wort was amlittle hot when I pitched my yeast. (Oops. I know better than that.)

I took a gravity reading 12 hrs after pitching and I was sitting at 1.030. I'm not too keen on the idea of popping the lid a looking just yet. I'm afraid of letting in germs, so I've just relied on my blowoff tube's activity to determine if my fermentation is rocking along or not.

NOW, my LHBS won't open till Tuesday. If I need to get more yeast, it'll be almost 4 days that my wort say sat idle. How much of a problem is that gonna be?

So that's my plan. Wait and get more liquid yeast.

Advice? Thanks in advance.

G
 
Ganu,

I had the same issue with my first batch. I used a Wyeast smack pack w/no starter, and didn't have any fermentation till about 4 days later when I made a starter with a second smack pack. The beer fermented fine after that, with minimal off flavors. I'd focus on keeping it sanitized, and making and pitching a starter ASAP. Now I use White Labs yeast and always make an 8-16 oz. starter about 24hrs prior to pitching - it always starts fermenting within 12-24 hours. Good luck dude, and RDWHAHB.
 
My beer stopped bubbling pretty quick, so i moved it to the second stage after about four days, is there any way to add another packet of yeast to it in the second stage?
 
irish89, your probably not gonna want to do that. did you measure the gravity? if it seems pretty still, i'd just let it chill out over about a week and a half - 2 weeks.
 
I just pitched my yeast yesterday in my first batch in 10 years... she's a bubblin' away as we speak... current temp... 65 F.... fyi
 
Brewed an AHS Stormcastle Brown this Sat. At the 65 hour mark, no visible signs of fermentation. I'm not worried, I pitched a pack of Safale05. I'll have to wait until I get home from work/estimate to re-check. Not that I'm really expecting to see some life. I guess I just have to start the 72 hr. clock over again. I'd really like to have a platform that raises my fermentation vessel up into a thunderstorm like in Frankenstein...
 
Well, checked my brew and it was finally bubbling away after 17 hours. I relaxed, didn't worry and had a home brew (or two...).
 
Great thread. Have made 5 batches so far with dry yeast and usually see good signs of fermentation within 12 - 18 hours. Last week, I brewed the AHS Shiner Bock clone and pitched the White Labs wet yeast. No signs of activity after 36 hours, so I visited the forum and read this thread. After a little more patience, a little swirling of the carboy, and a few homebrews, it was showing good airlock activity at the 48 hour mark, just as so many here said would happen. One thing that I was not aware of, being a newbie, was the need for making a starter. So, I prepped a starter with more of the White Labs yeast a few days ago in preparation for a batch of a 1554 clone. Brewed last night, pitched the sarter in around 10:00 PM. Checking before I left for work this morning at 5:30, I found about an inch of foam on top and the airlock going crazy. The difference made by the starter was really amazing. I appreciate the advice that I receive here.
 
Great thread. This topic is exactly how I found HBT. :D My first brew was dunkelweison using Wyeast Wheat yeast 3068 which took about 36 hours to show signs after a little shake. It was very active after that. Just racked it tonight. Thanks for all the great posts. They kept this newbie in check.
 
I've been fortunate, and my first couple batches have taken off within 18 hours, even though they've been pitched with Wyeast smack packs without starters (guess it's good to live close enough to be able to drive to their labs and kick someone in the taco for a bad smack pack). That said, listen to the guys who encourage patience.

I have to give a huge Prost to Patio, the brewmaster, at Three Creeks Brewery. Was chatting with him tonight over a couple pints, and asked him how long fermentation usually takes, and he just said, "I listen to the beer."

I'm still new at this, and as impatient as all of you, but the beer will do it's thing. It's up to us not to **** with it.
 
Hello,
I looked through the threads and couldn't find anything just right for my question. I just made a batch last night, i've been doing this for a period of time but still novice. everything is always clean and sterilized, I have not used liquid yeast before it was from white labs and they were definitely alive when i put them in the wort. but now about 12 hours later mine doesn't look like it is fermenting. I know from past that it can take days but the white labs label said 5-15 hours so I didn't know if im just being a "worry wort" or if this is semi normal. Made another batch simultaneously last night used dry yeast pitched it and it is doing great. ??? help
 
Just wait a little longer. I just did a batch 2 weeks ago. Its took almost 3 days to show signs. Then it went like gang busters.

Hold, Hold Hold! :) It will start.
 
It went finally, seemed to go strong for a while there too. I moved it to a place in the house that always stays above 70 degrees seemed to help it get going.
 
Funny. I brewed a batch yesterday and the airlock is already going. I took some extra care in shaking the liquid yeast really well. and I mean really... :)
 
I was going to start a thread asking about fermentation signs, and low-and-behold the first thing I read supplied my answer. Just like my first batch a few months ago, this batch is slow to produce fermentation bubbles. It's been about 48 hours so far. The only problem is I leave for a short vacation Wednesday morning. I've been told I can simply put the fermenting bucket in a refrigerator to stop the action, and take it out and resume fermenting when I get home in four days. Wutchya think?
 
I was going to start a thread asking about fermentation signs, and low-and-behold the first thing I read supplied my answer. Just like my first batch a few months ago, this batch is slow to produce fermentation bubbles. It's been about 48 hours so far. The only problem is I leave for a short vacation Wednesday morning. I've been told I can simply put the fermenting bucket in a refrigerator to stop the action, and take it out and resume fermenting when I get home in four days. Wutchya think?
Four days? Go on vacation and drink beer without worrying. Your beer will be happy you left it alone. Go on vacation for several weeks. Your beer will wait for you. It might even be happy that you left it alone.
 
Yeah, I know that I was the same person worried about fermentation before as well but I have never had great success with putting a batch in the fridge and then trying to give it CPR when i got back in town. I would leave it go.
 
It has been 18 hours since I pitched my yeast and no airlock activity (I know this is not necessarily a sign that there is no fermentation). I opened the lid and found a good amount of krausen indicating some fermentation. Any reason why there is no airlock activity? I checked the lid and it seemed to be tight. It is not the same lid that came with the bucket but it seems tight enough.

Still too early to worry much and I believe things are good due to the fact that there is krausen on top of the wort. Is my thinking correct?
 
It has been 18 hours since I pitched my yeast and no airlock activity (I know this is not necessarily a sign that there is no fermentation). I opened the lid and found a good amount of krausen indicating some fermentation. Any reason why there is no airlock activity? I checked the lid and it seemed to be tight. It is not the same lid that came with the bucket but it seems tight enough.

Still too early to worry much and I believe things are good due to the fact that there is krausen on top of the wort. Is my thinking correct?

the lid i have is so tight that it took me a good 15 min to pry it off. if u got krausen i wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
Hi JBZSTL

I'm working on mt second batch, though my first batch did the same thing and turned out really well, (according to my snobby beer friend). I had no action in the airlock for three or so days, then a day or two of bubbles. I bottled after six days and let set four a week before cracking open the first bottle. Second bottle opened after two weeks was right on, (for my limited experience, and , of course my snobby friend!)
 
I'm on my first batch and I'm 4 days in and there is still little to no airlock activity, but I took a sample out yesterday and checked the gravity and it has definitely gone down so I'm optimistic.
 
I have freaked out over no airlock activity before... and it turns out that it wasn't seated properly. Oops! And I thought my yeast was bad. Silly me. When using a plastic lid / grommet set-up, always make sure your airlock is working before you walk away. The little black o-ring wears out after a while.
 
I have been making wine for about 10 yrs and finally have decided to try making some of my own beer. Actually my wife got me a kit for our anniversary. Aren't I a lucky guy?? So far I have made a Red Ale, which is conditioning in bottles and I just pitched a oktoberfest about 64 hours ago. I have a heated garage and decide that I am going to lager this bad boy. The only problem is its not visibly ferementing at this point. No airlock and no visible bubbles or foam at the top of the wort. I followed the directions on the brewers best kit and stirred the dry yeast directly into the wort at around 55-60 degrees. i aerated it pretty good and put it out in my garage which is holding stready between 54-57 degrees. Should I be getting worried? I have 2 supply stores nearby and one guy told me to bring it inside to warm and get the yeast active, then put it back outside. The other guy said wait another day and then put a belt warmer around it if it hasnt started. The kit says the yeast will work as an ale, but I really want to lager it. Do I just need to be more patient??

Also, what is the process in making a starter, which I now know probably would have reduced this lag time?
 
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