Help - Do I have a problem?

[Calder]

OK, I know about waiting 72 hours for yeast to take off, but I've made a lot of beer and just about everyone of them has started chugging away somewhere between 6 and 15 hours.

Yesterday I brewed, cooled and pitched my yeast. It was washed yeast, no starter so I can't be certain it was OK, but I did nothing different with it and would not expect a problem. It had sat in the fridge for 8 weeks; I know I'm pushing it at that with not making a starter, but I've not had issues before with yeast kept that long.

I actually pitched twice as much as normal. I'm not sure why, I just decided I needed more.

It is now 30 hours (2X my normal max) and there is still no sign of activity.

The yeast is Thames Valley II, and has a recommended temp range of 60 to 70 F. I'm wondering if I pitched it too cold. Both the fermenter temp strip and the water in the swamp cooler were at 60 F earlier this afternoon (they could have been a degree or 2 cooler over night). I've thrown in a heater and the water is now at 65 F.

Would it be reasonable to assume it was just too cold for the yeast. I guess I'll know by tomorrow morning.

If nothing happens by late tomorrow, I guess I toss in a pack of Notty or S-04 that I've had in the fridge for a couple of years waiting for such an emergency.

It's an American IPA, OG 1.065. Wanted to ferment cool to minimize esters since this is not an American yeast.

 

[Cyclman]

8 week old yeast is virtually dead. More than 2 weeks you're risking problems (bad fermentations, off flavors, etc.).

Toss in new yeast and re-oxygenate.

 

[DrHop]

I bet it will be ok. Not ideal but ok. 8wk old is pretty old and was probably way underpitching but by now their numbers are probably up and throwing in more yeast might not do much besides make you feel safer

 

[eastoak]

8 week old yeast is virtually dead. More than 2 weeks you're risking problems (bad fermentations, off flavors, etc.).

Toss in new yeast and re-oxygenate.

this is absolutely not true. i, and many other brewers here i'm sure, have pitched 8 MONTH old yeast (and older) right out of the fridge and it's taken off right away. who knows why the OP's beer is not taking off but it's not because the yeast sat in the fridge for 8 weeks.

 

[Calder]

I'm suspecting it was just too cold for the yeast. I ended up rehydrating an old pack of Notty (exp date 6/2011 .... about time I used it) and pitching that at 40 hours because there still was no activity.

10 hours later when I came back from work, it was going fine, and 30 hours after pitching the Notty, it is coming out he blow-off tube. I don't know which yeast is doing the work, but it is going well now.

That was really strange. I don't remember the last time I had a problem like this; probably about 10 years ago.

 

[Chromebrew]

this is absolutely not true. i, and many other brewers here i'm sure, have pitched 8 MONTH old yeast (and older) right out of the fridge and it's taken off right away. who knows why the OP's beer is not taking off but it's not because the yeast sat in the fridge for 8 weeks.

Agreed 100%. I'm not real familiar with this strain of yeast, but I can say our old friend WLP500 can take up to 3 or 4 days with no starter. I don't think what you have there is an extremely inordinant amount of time. Like another brewer on here told me, this is where your sanitation skills get to shine