Dead yeast?

[Wallachia]

First brew day in quite a long time (it's been a little too hot here for fermentation, and I'm also lazy)

So without going into too much detail, my 5gal brew has been sitting in the fermenter for about 48 hours now, with narry a single bubble through the airlock. Might still go, and I've had longer delays in the past, but I'm starting to wonder. Pitched at about 70 degrees and shook vigorously ( you might even say violently!) to oxygenate.

I used one of those smack packs (WY1056), I purchased it 48 hours before brew day, but it looked like it was already inflated or at least partially inflated?
Anyways, let it come to room temperature, smacked the pack, boiled about 3.5 ounces of DME in about a quart of water and pitched it (after it cooled to room temperature) and the yeast into a sanitized flask and covered with tin foil. On brew day the starter was cloudy-ish, but it had never produced visible bubbles or krausen.

Does anything I did sound out of the ordinary (eg. I dun killed the yeast) or did I just buy dead/spent yeast? For note, this is the first time I've attempted to make a starter, rather than just pitching the package in and hoping for the best.

 

[andy6026]

It sounds fine. Bucket lids are notoriously bad for having tiny leaks that kill any chance for your airlock to bubble. I only get bubbling airlocks probably about 1/3rd of the time. Let it go 4-5 days and if you're still worried then very briefly pop off the airlock bung and take a quick peek inside - you should see krausen on top which will indicate everything is going tickity-boo.

 

[Wallachia]

Mm, I did tape around the edges for that very reason, though I didn't go hog wild with the tape, so there very well may be leaks.

I'll give it a few days in any case, then take a quick look inside to check for movement.

I'm thinking the yeast didn't make it through shipping (and it's from June, so a little on the older side for packaged yeast.) I'm certainly not gonna just dump out 5 gallons of wort without giving it a chance, just wondering if this seems unusual.

On that note, is it inadvisable to attempt to save a brew after 5 days or so by repitching yeast (in the event that when I look inside, nothing is happening)?

 

[brewkinger]

My question pertains to the starter.
After putting it in the flask and covering with foil, did you agitate or shake it or otherwise put it on a stir plate prior to brewday?

 

[Wallachia]

No stir plate, but for the 48 hours it was sitting in there, I agitated it by hand (spinning it until I could see the bit of yeast cake at the bottom flaking off) about 4-5 times a day.

 

[lumpher]

Not sounding good. As was suggested, peek in and look. If no signs of activity, I'd repitch.

 

[brewkinger]

When you agitated it and swirled..did it show signs of life then and produce a thick foam.on the surface?

 

[Wallachia]

No foam,

FYI I just took the lid off. Real obvious infection (floating green mildew on the surface). Dumped it

Any thoughts as to what the cause was? I'm split between "I bought dead yeast" and "my starter killed the yeast"

 

[DurtyChemist]

Sanitation would be causing mold. When I started I was using 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water to sanatize my equipment. I'd make a 6 gallon batch in my carbon and let it soak about a half hour while brewing. I filled an air lock and closed the lid when I emptied it out to keep it clean and sanitizer.

For the starter I would be surprised if you bought dead yeast unless the pack was dated June or earlier and even then I would expect enough yeast to grow in a starter. I'm surprised it did nothing when you swirled it around to get the yeast off the bottom. Stupid question but do you know what the temp was when you pitched the yeast or did you go off of feel/time?

Plastic buckets are notioursly BLAMED for leaking. I'm using one in my temp controlled fermentation fridge and it's been bubbling a lager for a couple weeks and I have a better bottle that's about to stop bubbling.

 

[Wallachia]

Went off feel, to be honest, but touching the pan, and I was shooting for 70 though, but I can guarantee it was nowhere north of 80 degrees,

There was a bit of black residue on the inside of my fermenting bucket before brew day, but i threw 5gal of sanitizer in their and used a scrubbing pad until it was gone (and until my arms hurt!)
Perhaps I didn't get it all, and I should toss it out for a new fermenting bucket?

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I was getting infections using old equipment.I bought a new bucket and auto siphon and no more problems..cheap enough