Wyeast European Ale 1338 and fermentation start

I've brewed about 20 batches or so and this is the first time I've used a wort chiller and tub to cool and keep the wort in mid 60 degree range temperature wise.

But for some reason the fermentation hasn't started almost 96 hours later.

I made a starter with the smack pack.

Is it possible the yeast was damaged to the high heat last week in shipping or am I keeping the wort to cool to start?

I did pitch the dry yeast that came with the kit close to 24 hours ago but no activity yet.

Any ideas as I've never had this problem before.

what do you mean by activity?

And have you taken a hydrometer reading?

It is possible that your yeast was damaged by heat in transit..BUT then the smack wouldn't have swelled...did it?

I like 1338, and never have had any problems...

But I always notice that usually when people say "no activity" they mean no airlock activity. And usually a hydrometer is not involved in the equation or else you would ahve posted a gravity in your post.

Don't go by airlock activity....Go by hydrometer reading...If you haven't taken one then do so.

More than likely you are fine, and never needed even to pitch the dry.

Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening to your airlock, doesn't mean that anything's wrong, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working diligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years....

Airlock bubbling, lack of airlock bubbling, stopped airlock bubbling, fast airlock bubbling, slow airlock bubbling, heavy metal airlock bubbling, or disco airlock bubbling really is not an indicator of what is happening to your beer. It is NOT a fermentation gauge, it is a valve to release excess pressure, excess CO2...NOT AN ACCURATE INSTRUMENT....

The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in.....

That's the same thing when we assume anything by something as faulty as an airlock.

Sorry I didn't mention it.

I took a hydrometer reading yesterday before pitching the dry yeast.

It was the same as the original reading on Saturday( a little more than 72 hours earlier).

The smack pack was swelling before I added it to the starter.

BTW nice blog!

Just an update.

Finally showing signs of fermentation.

The krausen finally formed.

GoldMiner said:

Just an update.

Finally showing signs of fermentation.

The krausen finally formed.

Click to expand...

It usually does.

Very few yeasts these days don't take off eventually...It's not like it waas in the bad old days of the 70's and earlier when the yeast came in dried cakes that might have sat in a hot cargo hold for months on a ship and god knows how long on a grocery store shelf or under the lid of a can of premier malt extract.

The idea that yeasts don't work is just a hold over from those days combined with typical new brewer's nerves. Along with the idea that the airlock has to bubble.

That's why daily we see dozens of threads like this, and usually once the brewer waits 72 hours and opens the fermenter or uses their hydrometer the see that fermentation has started.

The only ways really that the yeast you buy is not going to work, is if you bought from a store that didn't store it properly (which very few places these days don't store their yeast in a fridge), You ordered liguid yeast during the summer and it was shipped and didn't pay for the dry ice (make a starter and you will know if it is viable) OR you drop it into boiling hot wort.)

Other wise there really is NO REASON why yeast would not be viable. I mean we can even grow a huge starter from the dregs in the bottom of a bottle of beer....so if a few viable cells exist, they will take off eventually.

They want to eat your wort.

:rockin: