East Coast Yeast lag time (ECY07 Scottish Heavy)

Brewed a Wee Heavy and am using an East Coast yeast for the first time. Brew came in at 1.090 and I pitched ECY07 about 40 hours ago. Zero activity, as in the bubbler is flat down on the post. Fermenting at 62F and I know it is a high grav. brew, but with the high cell counts they are known for I did expect a little action by now. Not in panic mode, but want to be prepared for anything. Anyone with experience with this strain? By this time tomorrow I'll be getting very nervous if it hasn't shown some signs of starting and will be thinking of pitching something dry to avoid failure if someone doesn't have experience/advice to the contrary.

 

It's just a longer lag than you are used to. Have some patience...

 

Over 40 hours in now, zero activity. Going to smack a pack of Wyeast as back-up and will pitch tomorrow morning (60 hours) if nothing gives.

 

I don't think their cell counts are high enough not to use a starter for a big beer like that.

 

Beginning to look like it, my bad.

 

Are you using a clear carboy? Is the liquid cloudy with yeast or is it clear?

 

Opaque, but it never started, I added an WLP027 in starter and put it on a heating pad overnight and it is popping away now. Hopefully nothing bad will ruin it after almost five days with no fermentation.

 

I had three days of lag and finally a smooth glassy surface on top. At day two I started doing all kinds of internet research as my ECY experience was zero. I was feeling anxious and inclined to pitch another yeast when I took a breath, slipped a HydroFarm Germination Station heating pad underneath and brought the temperature up to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Within a day when my blow-off tube produced large bubbles forming at about 70 per minute I backed off the heating pad a little to about 65 degrees. I'm glad I didn't pitch another yeast. A few days later I read this: "Let culture warm to room temperature 2-4 hours. Pitch on cool side of fermentation range for best results. Aerate wort well upon pitch." My original pitch was at 75 degrees and its temperature ended up dropping to a cool 60 degrees in about 36-hours in my basement, probably putting my yeast back to sleep. My bad. In any case, my stout is back on schedule now. Am curious about befus's final results...