How long to wait before pitching more yeast?

[TripleC223]

For the first time, I may have encountered my first no-go yeast pitch. I'm approaching the 36-hour mark with absolutely no airlock activity and am wondering at what point I should consider pitching more yeast. I worry about infection with stagnant wort.

This is my 15th batch, and I've always had activity within 12 hours. There are a couple variables at play that lead me to believe my yeast was dead or insufficient.

The beer in question is a 1.050 wheat ale, 4 gallons worth. I pitched a portion of a US-05 yeast cake I took from a prior 3-gallon 1.052 IPA. Another portion of that cake (same size) in another batch went off just fine. This would be the second go-round for this yeast after coming right out of the packet in the prior batch.

However, the cake I pitched into this current batch had been in the fridge for about 5 weeks or so. I let it warm to room temp, sloshed It around and pitched it. It was within 2 degrees of the wort it went into when I pitched.

Also, this was the lowest temp I've ever pitched yeast (59 degrees). The fermenter has been steadily between 63-68 degrees since I pitched.

All that said, here are some questions:

If the yeast was in the fridge too long, would it have gone dormant? Would they still "wake up" over time?

I made a mistake pitching this one -- I meant to grab the saved yeast cake from the batch I bottled a week ago, but grabbed the wrong one instead (5 weeks old or so). I still have the newer cake, so should I pitch that?

RDWHAHB and all, I get it. This is just a new issue I haven't encountered before, so I want to make sure patience is the proper move here.

 

[brewcat]

Check if a krausen is forming.

 

[Brewenstein]

What type of fermenter do you use? If glass, then you can obviously tell that fermentation hasn't started. If plastic, then as @brewcat suggested, pull the airlock and peek through the hole to see if krausen is starting. Some bucket lids don't seal well and CO2 could be escaping unnoticed.

If it hasn't started, I'd give it another day and then pitch the fresher yeast. I've kept yeast longer than that and direct pitched and still had activity within two days, so I doubt all the yeast are dead.

 

[TripleC223]

What type of fermenter do you use? If glass, then you can obviously tell that fermentation hasn't started. If plastic, then as @brewcat suggested, pull the airlock and peek through the hole to see if krausen is starting. Some bucket lids don't seal well and CO2 could be escaping unnoticed.

If it hasn't started, I'd give it another day and then pitch the fresher yeast. I've kept yeast longer than that and direct pitched and still had activity within two days, so I doubt all the yeast are dead.

Check if a krausen is forming.

Thanks for the responses. It's in a 5-gallon bucket that has always produced airlock bubbles. I peeked through the airlock hole, and I saw what looks like a few yeast rafts. Those were not there last night but again, I've never had a fermentation start this slow.

If the inactivity (or slow activity) to this point has been caused by dormant or insufficient yeast, wouldn't that mean that there's not enough viable yeast in there to get the full job done? Even if/when krausen does end up forming, does that mean I'm setting myself up for an incomplete fermentation?

 

[ESBrewer]

I'm pretty much in the same situation but I think the fermentation is going now as there is a big, typical krausen and I could see a lot of bubbles rising to the top of the wort. There is no any gas escaping from the blow-off tube, though. I noticed that for about 15 minutes, there were some bubbles coming out but then it stopped again. I even pitched another starter (had it in the fridge) into the wort when the krausen had not rised and now it's really full of yeast. When I pitched I shaked the carboy a little bit so the cap flew a long way and hit the roof when some co2 escaped from the wort.. I think there must be some kind of a leak. It must be minimal, probably in the connection between the cap and the tube but maybe it is enough for all the gas to escape?? Can't see any cracks in the carboy and it is submerged in the water and at least it doesn't leak wort/water. Probably it's fermenting or will start soon but I'm a little bit worried as it is absolutely the best wort I have produced so far and it took some effort...

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

as long as foam is on top your fine, what can happen is the yeast just needed to grow because of too many dead cells and its not ready to eat yet, that can take a few days in some cases, you could also have low oxygen

 

[brewcat]

You should be good if you are starting to get activity. I don't think the fermentation will be incomplete. You may get off flavors if it was an insufficient pitch. But I'd guess the lower pitch temp is to blame.

 

[Sematary]

I was actually going to post on this very topic. It's been about 24 hours now and nothing and I usually see activity within 12 - 16. I've never seen it go 24. I had wyeast and followed the instructions - break the inner container, shake, watch it swell (it did). I pitched at 72 degrees (stout). No Krausen. Wondering you know, wth?

 

[ESBrewer]

OK now there's a lot of action in the blow office tube as well. Just took some time to get started although the yeast was growing.

 

[Sematary]

I've got nothing unfortunately. 38 hours. I popped the to take a look - no krausen. I see a couple of bubbles at the top but that's it. I hope that means that something is happening but my hopes aren't high at this point.
I tried something at the 24 hour mark - sterilized my stirring paddle and stirred it up in the hopes of aerating it and getting the yeast going but I'm feeling not good about this.

 

[Sematary]

So this was my recipe. Did something I do here cause the yeast to not do what yeast do?

Start with 4 gallons water (BIAB) (170 degrees)
White Sorghum syrup 3.3 lb (added 15 minutes before flameout)
8 oz. Maltodextrin (half at beginning of boil. Half at 30 minutes before flameout)
1 lb Brown rice syrup (added after 60 min. steep but before boil began)
2 lb. Amber candy sugar (added after 60 min. steep but before boil began)
1 lb. naked gass hog rice malt (60 minute mash)
2 lb rolled oats (60 Minute mash)
1/2 lb light roast coffee beans ground (60 Minute Mash)
1/2 lb fat free cocoa powder (60 minute mash)
12 oz. white Quinoa (roasted) (ground) 60 minute mash)
0.5 oz Columbus Pellet 60 min
0.75 oz Columbus Pellet 20 min
0.25 oz Columbus Pellet 1 minute

Wyeast - 1318 London III
Safale s-04 dry ale yeast pitched with the Wyeast.
Something I read on the Wyeast package recommended pitching additional yeast for higher ABV.

Ended up adding 2 gallons of water at the end to top off to 5 gallons.
Cool of took about 90 minutes. Pitch temp was 72 degrees.

 

[grampamark]

Looking at that recipe makes me think of my wife when she's confronted with one of those nine-page restaurant menus which seem to be a thing these days.

The yeasties just can't make up their minds.

Mark

 

[Sematary]

Looking at that recipe makes me think of my wife when she's confronted with one of those nine-page restaurant menus which seem to be a thing these days.

The yeasties just can't make up their minds.

Mark

Do you think they'll get going eventually?

 

[ESBrewer]

What is the gravity of that wort and does it contain all the nutrients yeast needs?

 

[Sematary]

What is the gravity of that wort and does it contain all the nutrients yeast needs?

The OG was 1.054 and the Wyeast came in the package with the nutrients. Crack the internal package then shake it up (per instructions) and it swelled, as expected. Was at room temp (68) and was pitched into wort at 72 degrees.

 

[grampamark]

My experience with Wyeast is that their yeasts seem to be slow starters. The instructions say to smack the package at least 3 hours before pitching. I've generally started it the day before, but fermentation seems to begin when the yeast want it to. I've had more than a few batches fermented with Wyeast (various numbers) where there was no visible activity for at least 36 hours. I wouldn't give up on it yet.

Mark

 

[brewcat]

My experience with Wyeast is that their yeasts seem to be slow starters. The instructions say to smack the package at least 3 hours before pitching. I've generally started it the day before, but fermentation seems to begin when the yeast want it to. I've had more than a few batches fermented with Wyeast (various numbers) where there was no visible activity for at least 36 hours. I wouldn't give up on it yet.

Mark

If they are starting slow, the pitch rate is low. The yeast may be old or OG is high. Making a starter before hand is your best bet.

No need to have the package swell all the way. It is yeast nutrient and works more as a proof.

 

[Sematary]

So, after more than 48 hours, I had to peak to see if it looked like ANYTHING were going on in there. I'm seeing alot more bubbles on the surface so it looks like some sort of activity is taking place - just extremely slowly. I think I'm reading that right. Just going to let it sit now and hope for the best I guess. Is it possible that the difference in temperature between room temp and the wort temp could have caused the slowness in response?