dead yeast

I brewed my bavarian wheat beer and have had no activity in the fermenter for 72(plus) hours (around 70degrees).
The brew kit came in the mail, and I think the yeast might have died during the shipping process due to high temperature.
If I repitch, should I use another Wyeast 3638 (for bavarian wheat) or use some other kind of yeast? I dont want an overpowering banana taste.

bier-brauer said:

I brewed my bavarian wheat beer and have had no activity in the fermenter for 72(plus) hours (around 70degrees).
The brew kit came in the mail, and I think the yeast might have died during the shipping process due to high temperature.
If I repitch, should I use another Wyeast 3638 (for bavarian wheat) or use some other kind of yeast? I dont want an overpowering banana taste.

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If you're sure the has been no fermentation - no krausen formed, gravity has not changed (do not use just a lack of airlock activity as your evidence) - then repitch the same yeast strain to get the characteristics you were originally going for.

Did you just pitch the smack pack or make a starter? If you just pitched the smack pack then it might take a while to build up enough yeast to show signs of fermentation.

If you took a gravity reading before pitching the yeast, you could take one now to see if there is a change, which would be the only true way to see if there is activity.

If you think they are truly dead and you want to re-pitch I would say use the same yeast. If you didn't make a starter in the first place then you most likely under pitched and another smack pack wouldn't be too much.

I almost want to say wait a little linger to see if anything changes, but I never had it take that long to show signs of fermentaion.