No Bubbles!

[parrott]

Greetings all! My friend and I had a brewing session the other night. He is creating an imperial stout, and I am making a hoppy pilsner. In any case, neither of us are getting the kind of fermentation we were expecting. Mine (the pilsner) is undergoing primary fermentation at 50 deg F. His (the imperial stout) is fermenting at room temperature. So... A few questions:

1. Are we doing something wrong?
2. Should I be fermenting at a higher temp at first (pilsner)?
3. How can we fix the problem if we pitched bad yeast? Do we just add more?

Anyway, any help you experienced brewers can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

David Parrott
[email protected]

 

[Bytor1100]

did you pitch a starter?

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

Do you have a hydrometer?

 

[parrott]

I have an hydrometer. My starting gravity read 1.033. As for the starter, I just used the WYEAST smack pack (2000 Budvar lager). I didn't think a starter was required for low gravity beers.

D.

 

[IFMracin]

How long have they been sitting?

 

[ChshreCat]

Are you fermenting in a bucket or a carboy? I just started a batch of apfelwein in a bucket and got very little through the airlock. Turns out the lid doesn't totally seal, so the CO2 is just escaping that way rather than the airlock.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

What does the gravity say now?

 

[parrott]

They've only been sitting for three days in carboys. I Just checked the seal on the pilsner, and it looks good. I also checked the gravity. It's now around 1.027, so I guess something is working. My previous batches were pale ales and the fermentation happened at a room temp of around 75F, so I guess I was expecting something that vigorous. Are pilsners just slower to ferment due to the lower temp?

As for the stout, I will check in with my friend and run all these questions by him.

 

[Yooper]

They've only been sitting for three days in carboys. I Just checked the seal on the pilsner, and it looks good. I also checked the gravity. It's now around 1.027, so I guess something is working. My previous batches were pale ales and the fermentation happened at a room temp of around 75F, so I guess I was expecting something that vigorous. Are pilsners just slower to ferment due to the lower temp?

As for the stout, I will check in with my friend and run all these questions by him.

Yes, as a rule lagers ferment slower. When I make a lager, I usually make a huge starter and pitch that, so the yeast get going quickly. Without a starter, it make take 5 days or more to really get going. Even then, lagers are bottom fermenting and may not show a lot of visible fermentation activity.