Wait another day?

Anxious noobie needs a bit of hand holding.

It's been 72 hrs. since I pitched my yeast (2633 smack pack lager yeast) and SpGr hasn't budged. I'm wondering if I should re-pitch, or wait it out another day. Some of the boring details are as follows:

Yeast was stored in the back of the fridge and when I took it out to smack it, it felt maybe a little slushy. About 5 hrs. after smacking there was little to no swelling of the pack, but I pitched it anyway. Wort temp at pitching was 78 deg. Primary has been stored at 60 deg, which is just a titch outside of recommended range, but it will have to do. Pulled lid off of primary today to take a sample, and there is some gunk floating on the surface. I don't know if it is krausen, or dead yeast. Does krausen form prior to active fermentation?

My dilemma is that the yeast I have on hand to re-pitch with would be a Danstar Windsor dry yeast (Ale), so I would be throwing an ale yeast on top of a dead lager yeast (if in fact it is dead). Going back to LHBS to get a different yeast is not an option - 1 1/2 hr. road trip one way. So, what do you think? Wait it out another day and see what developes, or go ahead and re-pitch the ale yeast and convert my lager to some sort of hybrid ale?

Thanks.

Have you taking a grav reading yet?

Take a reading of this blog...it will give you some info..

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/

O.G. = 1.050. 48 hr reading from satellite sample = 1.050. I know satellites can lie, so today's (72 hr) reading came from primary = 1.050.

Are you SURE you can't get a Lhbs for more lager yeast in the next couple of days?

I wouldn't pitch and ale yeast on it to re-start, I'd hold off and see if it'll start on it's own before going to an ale yeast.

(if you post in your profile your location, maybe someone on here near you might have a spare pack of lager yeast lying around.)

I just did one and it took almost 4 days.
I'd relax a bit. The cold makes it take longer.

I could get another lager yeast and re-pitch on Thursday (6 days after original pitch). Would that be a stretch?

cyclonebeer said:

I could get another lager yeast and re-pitch on Thursday (6 days after original pitch). Would that be a stretch?

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That's what I would do then....But take another grav reading the night before, it might save you a trip out.

I found a packet of Superior Lager yeast at the local health food coop, which just goes to show that beer is a healthy food group. I plan to wait until tomorrow and see what happens, but if I re-pitch do I need to rehydrate, or just dump it in dry?

cyclonebeer said:

I found a packet of Superior Lager yeast at the local health food coop, which just goes to show that beer is a healthy food group. I plan to wait until tomorrow and see what happens, but if I re-pitch do I need to rehydrate, or just dump it in dry?

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Since you didn't get it from a homebrew shop, and there's no telling how old it is, and whether or not it was stored properly, I would rehydrate it just to be sure it foams up.

It was in a refrigerator case and has a best by date of Nov. '09. Figured it was a better bet than the White Labs vials that expired last month and looked separated and gunky.

The Yeast lives! Sometime between 81 and 91 hrs., things got active. There is nice bubbling action from the blow off and the satellite has a head of foam on top. And here I was, ready to write the yeast's obituary and direct all cash memorials to be sent to me. Thanks for all your guidance.

I thought you were talking about a new James Bond Movie!