Canadian pilsner not budging

[Canadianbrewer2012]

I have had a Canadian Pilsner in the primary for 6 days now ... The OG was 1032 and I pitched the yeast a little warm at 30 degrees ... There has been very little action takin place and I am a little concerned.. There is next to no Krausen at all... Yesterday I took a gravity reading of 1020 and figured I would give it a boost... I threw in some yeast energizer (I realize I may be lectured for that) and nothing changed... The reading today is again 1020 and I don't know what the next step of action should be.. Little help anyone? Should I pitch new yeast? I have never pitched yeast twice in the same brew .. Does it change the flavor?

 

[Double_D]

This might help:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/temperature-lager-yeast-when-pitching-342191/

And from what I've read you need to pitch double or triple the amount of yeast you would usually for an ale. What was your pitching rate? Is it safe to assume you mean 30 celcius?

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

Yes 30 Celsius ... Forgive my lack of knowledge but I don't know what a "pitching rate" is ... And I should Have mentioned that this was an extract kit which included yeast and instructions.... I have made a lot of these but have never had problems like this

 

[Double_D]

You've made a lot of lager kits? Or kits in general? I don't want to sound like I'm splitting hairs but it really makes a big difference. Lager yeast works different than ale yeast. (generally speaking, they do the same thing but...it's different because of the temp and they way you have to handle fermentation) If you pitched a smack pack for example into a 5 gallon batch you'd have (roughly, and according to the packaging) about 100 billion yeast cells per liter. Most people, homebrewers that have been at it a while, pros, and paranoiacs will usually say it's better to pitch around 200 billion cells/L. That's because of the way they propagate themselves in the wort and how they go about their life cycle. If you don't put enough yeast in there you end up beer that is under fermented and yeast that is over-stressed. And that leads to all kinds of fermentation byproducts that aren't desirable. And that's just for ales. But when you start fermenting in the 50's (it would be 10C) it's a whole 'nother ball game.

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

No I have only made ales however I have done a lot of research on ale yeast vs. lager yeast ... I hope to make lagers some day soon however I just don't have the equipment to do it ... I just want to know what I should do to my ale next ... Little stumped

 

[Double_D]

OK.,a pilsner is a style of lager. You're doing a canadian pilsner. Is it some regional variation or am I confused?

 

[RiverCityBrewer]

30 C seems very hot to pitch a lager yeast (86 F)... that's way hot to pitch ales even. I'm pretty sure labs sort out lager and yeast strains by incubating them at 90F and seeing which ones live... lager strains start shutting down at around 90F/32C... how accurate is your thermometer?

 

[osagedr]

What the hell is a "Canadian" pilsner? And why would a pilsner have an OG of 1.032? Were you just making a starter for a real pilsner?

This thread exhibits perfectly why Canadians shouldn't brew in the first place. No doot aboot it. I assume you're only trying to brew because of the hockey strike. Watching curling instead ferchristsake.

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

What the hell is a "Canadian" pilsner? And why would a pilsner have an OG of 1.032? Were you just making a starter for a real pilsner?

This thread exhibits perfectly why Canadians shouldn't brew in the first place. No doot aboot it. I assume you're only trying to brew because of the hockey strike. Watching curling instead ferchristsake.

Yeah it's an extract kit that I bought... Not a lager... Not a true pilsner just an $18 kit that's not doin much

 

[g-star]

I might be an amateur brewer .. Sure... I bought an extract kit f***ed it up and then came on here for advice because everyone I have ever spoken to on here has been helpful and knowledgable...Your lucky that this Canadian isn't within arms reach of you talking like that.... Further more saying something like "Canadians shouldn't brew"? And who do you think you are pal? Like that has anything to do with whether or not one can take up this hobby? ... Noo doot aboot you'd get a good ass kickin talking like that face to face so be happy you can hide behind your computer.... Glade your proud you know more about a lager than I do... Feel nice? .... ****** bag! Get a life....

Look at his signature/profile and get a clue.

 

[guitarist_713]

It takes awhile for lager fermentation to begin in the first place. I just began fermenting my third lager. I pitched enough yeast, aerated the wort, and it still took the better part of two days to see signs of fermentation. I also chilled the wort down to 52 degrees (12C) before pitching. So I say give it some time. If this batch doesn't end up fermenting, syphon the wort off into another fermenter and pitch ale yeast. But save the lager yeast trub from the bottom, make a big yeast starter and pitch it again. Then save that healthy lager yeast cake for the next time you brew a lager. Next time, pitch with more yeast and cool your wort down to about 12 Celsius and then see what happens, eh? Sorry couldn't resist

 

[osagedr]

It takes awhile for lager fermentation to begin in the first place. I just began fermenting my third lager. I pitched enough yeast, aerated the wort, and it still took the better part of two days to see signs of fermentation. I also chilled the wort down to 52 degrees (12C) before pitching. So I say give it some time. If this batch doesn't end up fermenting, syphon the wort off into another fermenter and pitch ale yeast. But save the lager yeast trub from the bottom, make a big yeast starter and pitch it again. Then save that healthy lager yeast cake for the next time you brew a lager. Next time, pitch with more yeast and cool your wort down to about 12 Celsius and then see what happens, eh? Sorry couldn't resist

I think in this case the OP was making an ale, even though the beer was called a "lager."

 

[beerman0001]

Sounds like a coopers kit. Pitching more now prob wont help the beer just craped out on you.