I'm a first-time home brewer and brewed my first ale yesterday. I pitched the yeast and sealed the fermenter in the afternoon around 2:30 PM and I have not seen any bubbling in the airlock yet (more than 24 hours later). I purchased a recipe for a Belgian black Ale from an online supply store that calls for Muntons Ale Yeast. Per the recipe instructions, I refrigerated the yeast immediately after receiving the recipe kit in the mail. I removed the yeast several hours before pitching to give it a chance to reach the proper temperature. The recipe calls for the fermenter to be placed in a dry warm environment to maintain a temperature of 68 to 72 deg F. I checked the fermenter temperature (using an outside temperature strip) and it was 64 deg F. I immediately moved the fermenter to a warmer space, but still no apparent activity.
What does this mean? Could the yeast culture be dead? I know that 64 deg F is lower than what the recipe called for, but I still expected some activity, but saw none. What are the possible reasons for this result? What can I do? Discard and start over?
What does this mean? Could the yeast culture be dead? I know that 64 deg F is lower than what the recipe called for, but I still expected some activity, but saw none. What are the possible reasons for this result? What can I do? Discard and start over?