Do lagers start slower?

[jasonclick]

I did my first lager (Sunday) this past weekend. A Bohemian Pilsner. I'm using WLP800 yeast. I started with one vial and created a 2 liter starter over a 4 day period. I chilled the wort and starter down to 55 degrees and pitched the yeast yesterday (Monday) afternoon. I checked the carboy this morning and didn't see any bubbling activity. My ales in the past seem to start bubbling within a few hours. Do lagers start slower? It's been 12 hours since pitching the yeast so this may be normal.

 

[cfonnes]

Yes they start slower. 36 hours is not uncommon.

You can also expect a slower ferment, much slower bubbles in the airlock.

 

[zacster]

Give it time. Was the starter active? If it was you'll be fine. A 2 liter starter may not have been enough by some standards, but it will make beer and it will still be a great tasting beer.

I guess in Florida there is no good time to make a lager unless you have a dedicated cooling system. I always wait until winter and do fermentation in my cold room, and lager it outdoors.

 

[jasonclick]

I just got a chest freezer with a temp controller so this is it's first test as well.

 

[brycelarson]

yup, they're slow learners.

 

[944play]

Lower temperature fermentations have longer lagtimes for two reasons:
Chemical reactions take longer at lower temperatures
Cooler liquids can absorb more gases before they come out of solution

A lager yeast is not necessarily any slower than an ale yeast at a given temperature.