3 days, no signs of fermentation

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turketron

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So I brewed my first AG batch Sunday afternoon, and pitched the yeast at about 6:00 in the evening. It's now Wednesday night and there is zero sign of fermentation activity-nothing from the airlock, and when I opened my bucket there is no krausen or anything on top of the wort. It was a Wyeast 1056 smack pack that inflated just fine, the pack looked like it was about to burst when I pitched it.

I'm now thinking my thermometer was the issue, and that I pitched it too hot. It read 85 degrees in the boil kettle before I dumped the wort into the fermentor, but now I'm wondering if it was too hot. I'm testing the thermometer at the moment, but it's currently reading 94 degrees F in a glass of ice water, so something is clearly wrong with it :mad:. Now I'm worried my mash temperatures might have been way off as well, but I suppose there's no way to know that now.

So, since it's been 3 full days with zero ferm activity, should I drop by my LHBS and pick up another yeast pack and dump it in?
 
I had the same problem, mine was all extract though, but I pitched mine too hot and it did nothing for three days, so rather than have to dump it I repitched. And I'm sitting here drinking it now. Lol Good luck to you man.
 
turketron said:
So I brewed my first AG batch Sunday afternoon, and pitched the yeast at about 6:00 in the evening. It's now Wednesday night and there is zero sign of fermentation activity-nothing from the airlock, and when I opened my bucket there is no krausen or anything on top of the wort. It was a Wyeast 1056 smack pack that inflated just fine, the pack looked like it was about to burst when I pitched it.

I'm now thinking my thermometer was the issue, and that I pitched it too hot. It read 85 degrees in the boil kettle before I dumped the wort into the fermentor, but now I'm wondering if it was too hot. I'm testing the thermometer at the moment, but it's currently reading 94 degrees F in a glass of ice water, so something is clearly wrong with it :mad:. Now I'm worried my mash temperatures might have been way off as well, but I suppose there's no way to know that now.

So, since it's been 3 full days with zero ferm activity, should I drop by my LHBS and pick up another yeast pack and dump it in?

What's your hydrometer say? Has it moved at all? If not, just repitch with a new batch of yeast because you probably killed the last batch. But if your mashing was really off then you might not have any fermentables. If the temp was really high, you might have extracted tannins as well. Did you taste the wort?
 
Draken said:
What's your hydrometer say? Has it moved at all? If not, just repitch with a new batch of yeast because you probably killed the last batch. But if your mashing was really off then you might not have any fermentables. If the temp was really high, you might have extracted tannins as well. Did you taste the wort?

+1

You really need to take a reading,
 
After you measure it that will tell you what happened. The thermometer on 94 in ice water is not a good thing.

the good thing is, if its been sealed up for the past couple days, all you will have to do is repitch. There shouldn't be any infection.
 
bob1006 said:
After you measure it that will tell you what happened. The thermometer on 94 in ice water is not a good thing.

the good thing is, if its been sealed up for the past couple days, all you will have to do is repitch. There shouldn't be any infection.

My concern is the amount of unfermentable sugars and possible tannin extraction if the mash temps were way off.
 
Draken said:
My concern is the amount of unfermentable sugars and possible tannin extraction if the mash temps were way off.

I think its in the beer gods hands on that. He went through the process why not let it run its course.

Maybe if you sacrifice your mash paddle to them they might give you a pass.
 
I just took a hydrometer reading, which came out to 1.018, down from an OG of 1.040. I tasted it and it tastes ok, no really apparent off flavors- my roommate tried it and said "it tastes like beer." So maybe I'm just freaking out for nothing? The bucket was from my local grocery store and I drilled the hole myself so it's entirely possible that the seal isn't perfect, which would maybe explain the lack of airlock action? But would the krausen completely subside in only 3 days?

At this point I think I'll just wait a few more days to see if anything changes.

I tested the thermometer a bit more- at first it appeared to be reading correctly, but now the receiver isn't even picking up the signal from the wireless probe. It seems to be all over the place, so for all I know maybe it was reading correctly when I pitched :). Needless to say, another thermometer has been ordered and is on its way.
 
Draken said:
My concern is the amount of unfermentable sugars and possible tannin extraction if the mash temps were way off.

Your right though, it might be way off. Or maybe it got stuck after he did the mash. Let's hope for the later.
 
turketron said:
I just took a hydrometer reading, which came out to 1.018, down from an OG of 1.040. I tasted it and it tastes ok, no really apparent off flavors- my roommate tried it and said "it tastes like beer." So maybe I'm just freaking out for nothing? The bucket was from my local grocery store and I drilled the hole myself so it's entirely possible that the seal isn't perfect, which would maybe explain the lack of airlock action? But would the krausen completely subside in only 3 days?

At this point I think I'll just wait a few more days to see if anything changes.

I tested the thermometer a bit more- at first it appeared to be reading correctly, but now the receiver isn't even picking up the signal from the wireless probe. It seems to be all over the place, so for all I know maybe it was reading correctly when I pitched :). Needless to say, another thermometer has been ordered and is on its way.

Sounds like you got the probe wet. Just check the gravity tomorrow and Friday. If its constant give it another week or two then bottle. Or leave it three weeks and bottle, whatever advice you feel like following.

Yes the krausen could fall that quick. A lower gravity beer with a healthy active fermentation could go as quickly as 24 hours if the temp is high enough.
 
Great. Sounds like it was warm and fermented out very quick. Happens that way.

Good idea let it sit longer. From what it sounds like it needs to go longer. 1.018 is high. Give it a week and test again.
 
i had a lager that i was worried about it took it almost 5 days before the airlock started bubbling. I would get a new theromator though.
 
I was planning on a 3 week ferment anyway, I'm not really in any hurry and don't want to rush things. And even if it's completely undrinkable, it was only a 2.5 gallon batch so it's not the end of the world. It's a good learning experience either way.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the quick replies!
 
.

I tested the thermometer a bit more- at first it appeared to be reading correctly, but now the receiver isn't even picking up the signal from the wireless probe. It seems to be all over the place, so for all I know maybe it was reading correctly when I pitched :). Needless to say, another thermometer has been ordered and is on its way.[/QUOTE]

I use two when brewing. One is not very accurate get me within range then I test with a more finite one. Its a Starbucks one, get my temps spot on. I test it before every use. I own four of them.
 
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