fermentation problem or not?

[MikeJordan]

hey guys, quick question. I brewed a Brewer's Best continental pilsner kit which contains a yeast called Brewfirm lager. It states that it is good for fermenting at lager or ale temps. I pitched the yeast and put the fermentation bucket in the fridge at 46F 14 days ago. I checked it daily and never saw a single bubble in the air lock. I popped the lid yesterday and there is no sediment on top or any sign of fermentation. It does however have a nice citrus smell as I added lemon and orange zest So, should I wait it out or raise the temp to see if the yeast starts to work? I've done a couple of lager recipes and have not had this problem with other yeasts. Thanks.

 

[wfowlks]

While bubbles are an indication of fermentation the only way to tell if it's fermented completely is with a hydrometer or refractometer. Fermenting at 46 is kind of low as I recall most of my lagers I did around 50F.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Raise the temp and rouse the yeast.
Was there a date on the package? Might have been old and not viable anymore.
If you dont see any activity within 72 hours after rousing i would repitch

Remeber lagers require almost double the amount of cells/ml as ales do.

 

[MikeJordan]

Raise the temp and rouse the yeast.
Was there a date on the package? Might have been old and not viable anymore.
If you dont see any activity within 72 hours after rousing i would repitch

Remeber lagers require almost double the amount of cells/ml as ales do.

the date on the yeast says it's good till 2015. I'm going to turn off the fridge and let it sit until the temp comes up into the 50's and see what happens. I recently lagered a dortmunder that came out really nice and it started fermenting in about 3 days at 48f.