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Try warming up the fermenter to the high 60's and swirl (don't shake...) the fermenter. At this point, if it's not too much trouble, I'd pitch another packet of yeast, as well. And yes, pitching at 90 degrees is too high, and is likely to result in off-flavors (due to the yeast producing...

Do you keg your beer? If so, a shot of Co2 into the secondary, before racking, will eliminate the oxygen uptake. There are several ways to dry hop, but ideally, I'd recommend going to the secondary even if you don't have access to Co2. Yes, there will be some uptake, but if you rack gently...

Well, I hate to be a pessimist, but that's really cold for liquid yeast! It may well have been killed if the pack froze. But, I agree with the last post...give it some time before tossing it and starting over.

There are a few ways to know if your starter has actually fermented: There should be a white layer of fresh yeast on the bottom of the container. There should be a slight (w/lager) ring around the wort line where the foam (though slight) may have dried. And, when you swirl the container, it...

With all due respect to the self described "ranter", there are more reasons to chill and pitch quickly than the obvious need to get your yeast going before wild yeast or bacteria (which IS a very real concern...and NOT mis-information). It's simple logic: The longer a pot of sugar is NOT...

Hey Kirkwooder. Yes, you CAN use 1 or 2 packs of liquid lager yeast and build the starter from that. It will take a few days and at least two steps (as someone described a couple posts ago). Nothing wrong with mail ordering at all! It's a good idea to ask the store (online or otherwise)...

I would agree that putting in a sealed plastic fermenter is FAR better than leaving it in the kettle overnight. But there is a much better solution: Place your hot kettle in an ice bath (about 20 pounds ice) and stir the wort gently a few times. It will chill down much faster that way...

Hey guys. Yeast cell count is critical to an effective fermentation (which leads to good beer) and a lager at 1.040 requires around 285 billion yeast cells. A just born Wyeast pack contains about 100B cells, but that number drops rapidly with time. If it was made in October, it's viability is...

Hi guys. Home brew supply stores normally carry carboys that are 5, 6, and 6.5 gallons. As others have said, a blow-off hose is sometimes necessary for all sizes, depending on batch size, yeast strain, fermentation temp, and other factors. Buckets are fine for awhile, but glass is inert and...

I'm not sure if that link mentioned it (I didn't see it, if so...)... The original post indicated this is a lager. Presumably the brewer lagered this beer for about 6 weeks at around 32 degrees. Often there are not enough yeast cells remaining in the beer after lagering and it's necessary...

Hey Newb. Assuming this is an ale, a "proper" fermentation should show signs of activity within no more than 12 hours (lagers may take a bit longer). By "proper" I mean you pitched enough yeast cells, the wort is at the right temperature, and you thoroughly aerated the wort. (If you do all...