No yeast activity even after repitching

[a1lawng]

I know this has been discussed at length in this forum, but I've been unable to find a solution to my problem in existing posts. I'm having trouble getting my wort to ferment. I've done everything as I normally do but I'm getting no yeast activity at all. My fermentation chamber is set at 70 degrees, I oxygenated with pure O2 using an oxygenation wand, and I'm using the same equipment I always use. I've pasted the ingredients below in case that's helpful.

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb. Great Western 2 Row Malt
½ lb. Briess Roasted Barley
¼ lb. Briess Caramel 60 Malt
⅛ lb. Briess Chocolate Malt
½ lb. Briess Carapils Malt
8 lbs. 11 oz. Gambrinus Pale Ale Malt
½ lb. cracked, toasted hazelnuts
1 oz. German Perle Hop Pellets (Bittering) @60 min
1 oz. English Fuggles Pellet Hops (Aroma) @15 min
1 pkg. Safale US-05 yeast​

After the first time I pitched the yeast and oxygenated, I watched the end of the blowoff tube for several days and saw no bubbles, so I opened my stainless fermenter and looked inside. No signs of krausen. I waited a couple weeks and pitched another packet of yeast, this time activating the yeast in warm water beforehand. It's been four days and there's still no activity at all.

Both packets of yeast were purchased at the same time and sat in my fridge for several months, but they weren't expired. It's possible (but unlikely) that they were both from a bad batch, though, so I'm thinking of stopping at my LHBS to buy a new packet.

I didn't check the OG before fermentation but the SG right now is 1.0318, which doesn't seem way out of whack. Anything else I should check? Any other thoughts on what the problem could be?

Thanks.

 

[paneubert]

What would you have expected thee OG to be?

 

[Jayjay1976]

Buy new yeast. whatever was wrong with the first packet is also the case with the second packet.

 

[kh54s10]

Are you testing with a hydrometer or refractometer. If refractometer you have to calculate a correction for the presence of alcohol.

 

[GoeHaarden]

What are you measuring gravity with? Hydrometer or Refractometer?

Recording your OG is fundamental. Id get into the habbit of recording it for future beers. Kind if hard to assess if any fermentation is going on without an OG. Forget about watching airlock activity....

 

[a1lawng]

What would you have expected thee OG to be?

I'm really not sure. The recipe I based mine off of doesn't include gravity numbers. I only recently bought a refractometer and I just totally forgot to check OG before pitching.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, assuming 5.25 gallons in the fermentor, the recipe makes for 1.055 OG with 29 IBUs and SRM 20°.
"1.0318" would indicate some activity - or the OG was way low...

btw, "1.0318"? Really?

Cheers!

 

[GoeHaarden]

I'm really not sure. The recipe I based mine off of doesn't include gravity numbers. I only recently bought a refractometer and I just totally forgot to check OG before pitching.

Check your gravity with a hydrometer, and I bet your beer is finished.

A lot of people get gravity readings around ~1.030 when using a refractometer in the presence of alcohol. You have to calculate a correction for the gravity in the presence of alcohol. You'll need your OG to calculate it, but as an example if your OG was 1.064 (Brix 15.7) and your refractometer showed a FG of 1.031 (Brix 7.8) it actually comes out to 1.014 with the correction...

Here is a calculator to help you out in the future...
https://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/

 

[GoeHaarden]

btw, "1.0318"? Really?

I wish my equipment was this precise...

 

[a1lawng]

Thanks for all the responses. I ended up buying a new packet of yeast and pitching a starter, but nothing changed. No activity and the refractometer Brix reading remained at 8, which converts to 1.032 (with no adjustment for alcohol content). My hydrometer reading, with adjustment for temperature, was 1.019.

I'm guessing @GoeHaarden is correct and the fermentation actually happened without my knowing. The lid that came with my stainless fermenter doesn't have the best seal (the vessel was made to hold olive oil), so gas from yeast activity may have escaped around the lid seal instead of through the blowoff tube. And since the vessel isn't clear, I relied 100% on the blowoff tube to show activity. I've made a new lid that seals much better, so hopefully that won't be a problem again.

I kegged this batch last night, so we'll see what happens. I'll let you know! Thanks again.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I usually only use a refractometer on brew day, and rely on my hydrometer post-fermentation...plus you get to drink the sample so its a win-win.

Remember, if you're checking gravity with a refractometer after you pitch yeast then you need to use one of the alcohol adjustment calculators...one of the limitations of the tool!

Hope it turns out good! Cheers!

 

[a1lawng]

So what I ended up with was kegged wort. It never actually fermented.

The grains I used were crushed a little over a year before I brewed with them, but that shouldn't make a difference, right? From what I've read on this site, even if the grains had gone stale they should still have been enough to provide the yeast with sugars. Right?

I used half of the grains I had for this batch, so I'll be trying again with the other half of the same ingredients soon. Tell me if you think I'm crazy.

 

[RM-MN]

So what I ended up with was kegged wort. It never actually fermented.

The grains I used were crushed a little over a year before I brewed with them, but that shouldn't make a difference, right? From what I've read on this site, even if the grains had gone stale they should still have been enough to provide the yeast with sugars. Right?

I used half of the grains I had for this batch, so I'll be trying again with the other half of the same ingredients soon. Tell me if you think I'm crazy.

Of course you're crazy. Me too. I'd try a mash with the grains and check the OG of the collected wort. If it is over 1.030 I'd do the boil with hops and pitch yeast to it. You'll be out the time and energy to do a mash.

 

[a1lawng]

Of course you're crazy. Me too. I'd try a mash with the grains and check the OG of the collected wort. If it is over 1.030 I'd do the boil with hops and pitch yeast to it. You'll be out the time and energy to do a mash.

Fair point. I'll try again and take gravity readings at every step. I have to get in the habit of doing that anyway.