Bavarian Lager Yeast

[AlaskaAl(e)]

For my SABL clone I used a WYeast Smack Pak Bavarian Lager yeast. I made the same starter in the same fashion that I always have and everything seemed to go well...with a small exception.

All my yeast has decided to clump up in little balls at the top of the wort and I've had absolutely no action in the airlock and I pitched on Mon.

Has anyone had a similar experience with this yeast or what the heck do you think might have happened? I'm pretty sure it's not dead yeast, the pack swelled well before I threw it in the starter and it did multiply.

 

[vtfan99]

3 questions:

1) At what temp are fermenting?

2) What temp was the wort when you pitched?

3) What temp was the starter when pitched?

 

[AlaskaAl(e)]

1. ~50

2. ~70

3. ~70

Any ideas?

 

[Sir Sudster]

Raise the temp of your fermentation to 70 untill you have active fermentation.
Then Slowly drop your fermentation temp down to 50. 2 deg / day.

 

[vtfan99]

Raise the temp of your fermentation to 70 untill you have active fermentation.
Then Slowly drop your fermentation temp down to 50. 2 deg / day.

Damn...beat me to it. You can go as high a 4 deg / day. Basically the idea is not to shock the yeast.

 

[AlaskaAl(e)]

Now why didn't I think of that?