Fermentation can take 24 to 72 hrs to show visible signs.

[J_to_the_B]

First batch is in the carboy, everything went pretty well, I think. It took longer to cool the wort in the sink ice bath than I expected, but no big deal. My concern is the yeast, I had a packet of Wyeast from NB, the 'smack pack.' It was delivered to Mississippi in August, which means it was hot. Upon smacking, the yeast didn't 'inflate' the packet. (The packet said inflation was not necessary so I pitched it anyway.) I'm coming up on 72 hours and it looks dead as a doornail....

What should I do/conclude?

 

[nocluebrew]

like many of the others replying I too am having a slow start to fermentation. I think my temperature may have been a little bit high when i pitched. Around 80 I think. I am at 24 hours now and while comforted by what I have read so far I am extremely nervous. Should I pitch more yeast to get it started sooner or let it take its time?

 

[Olddog]

So what about airlock activity but no krausen? I pitched my stout with Notty on Friday and now all it has is a few small spots on the surface. The airlock is slowly bubbling though so I'm not too concerned but I like to see the krausen to know all is well.

 

[DrunkJedi]

Can someone help out, settle my nerves? Made my first batch of beer Sunday afternoon. Used Nottingham dry yeast (Danstar). First screw up, put the yeast in water (temp 90F, which should be fine) but mixed the yeast instead of letting it sit (like the web site says). Let it sit for 10 minutes (appx) per packing and then pitched into the wort (100 degrees F). Now it's around 30 hours later and no sign of fermentation starting. The temp in the room where my glass (five gallon) carboy is stationed is 92 degrees. I think I aerated by a) pouring the initial three gallons of water into the carboy and b) rolling the carboy around after adding the yeast.

Instead of a airlock, I've got a blow off tube that is immersed in some water, below the carboy.

Thanks for the help!

 

[smizak]

Can someone help out, settle my nerves? Made my first batch of beer Sunday afternoon. Used Nottingham dry yeast (Danstar). First screw up, put the yeast in water (temp 90F, which should be fine) but mixed the yeast instead of letting it sit (like the web site says). Let it sit for 10 minutes (appx) per packing and then pitched into the wort (100 degrees F). Now it's around 30 hours later and no sign of fermentation starting. The temp in the room where my glass (five gallon) carboy is stationed is 92 degrees. I think I aerated by a) pouring the initial three gallons of water into the carboy and b) rolling the carboy around after adding the yeast.

Instead of a airlock, I've got a blow off tube that is immersed in some water, below the carboy.

Thanks for the help!

Oh man.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/nottingham-yeast-128940/index50.html

If you can get some other yeast, re-pitch. Nottingham is bunk.

 

[DrunkJedi]

Ugh. I don't have any homebrew store local :-/ guess its another shipping charge for me. No issue with the temp where my carboy is?

 

[Olddog]

No issue with the temp where my carboy is?

92 is a bit high. Put your carboy in a water bath if possible to keep the temp down.

[EDIT] Nevermind, I reread what you posted and it sounds like you have a water bath already. If you haven't already, put some ice in there and try and keep it in the low 70's.

 

[DrunkJedi]

Will do. Moved it out of the garage and into the shower (bathroom) so that should lower the temp to 80. Thanks!

 

[DrunkJedi]

Okay! Blow off in progress

 

[3PegBrew]

I thought i'd revive this sticky because I might have done something weird.

I activated my liquid Irish Ale yeast, but after an hour after I realized I wasn't really ready to brew. So, I put the packet in the fridge after smashing the activator packet. It sat in the fridge for over 24 hours, but less than 48. I'll say 36. It has been 14+ hours since pitching the yeast into my Guinness clone brew (all grain). Still no sign of krausening, but the water in my glass for the blow off tube is giving off a buble every 45 seconds-90 seconds....

Wait a while longer? Or should I give the yeast a slow and gentle stir?

 

[3PegBrew]

I forgot I posted on this sticky. I posted to another thread dealing with "waiting" and thought i'd reply again to this.

It's fermenting. I posted 2 videos (1 at 18 hours and 1 at 24 hours) showing the different times of fermentation in the beginning.

 

[rico567]

Yeah. The waiting is tough. The batch before this was a Boston Plus using Wyeast 1056 and it was showing action within 8 hours. This batch is Black Pearl Porter, and the Wyeast 1028 is pushing 30 hours now and absolutely no action yet. It's OK, since I've been through this a few times before, and the yeast has always taken off within 48 hours. I'll check it again tomorrow around noon, and if nothing by then, I'll pitch a pack of Nottingham.

 

[wetzie]

I have read this forum on slow fermentation several times as I have been bit as well. Brewed a Brewers Best kit for the second time this year and hed very different results. First batch started signs of fermentation within hours using Notttingham dry yeast. The second batch has just started, slowly,after 60 hours of waiting.
I am using a stainless steel conical so I can only see activity if I remove the airlock. There is kraussen but not a lot. There is a sour smell, not real strong. Is this normal or are my fears coming true?
thanx all

 

[rico567]

A followup to my post immediately above.....the Black Pearl Porter finally showed signs of airlock activity around 47 hours....a new record for me. I've had a couple of batches that took a bit over a day to get going, but this one was still well under the 72 hour "limit." (However, I was very close to breaking out that packet of Nottingham. )

 

[wetzie]

at hour 72 it seems to be going now if you go by the airlock_ but I know Revvy has explained that very well. The confidence given by the more experienced helped save me from doing something drastic. I will not pitch dry again. maybe the yeasties wanted a couple day orgy before getting to work?

 

[daedelus902]

I have a genuine mystery. After 5 days of an all grain Raisin-Oat Toasted Pale Ale with a starting gravity of 1.041 after sparge. I'm now down to 1.014 without any visible sign of fermentation on any previous day. Saccarification was complete. The batch went smoothly from grind to seal and I didn't expect this. The Fermentis US-05 yeast packet, (dry), was new and best-by date was Jan 2011 and was well kept. Yeast was pitched dry in 68F, (I'm probably overly confident in Fermentis products). When I moved the batch off to secondary, (leaving the last 2 liters), I noticed an immediate fermentation in the dregs starting up. I tasted a bit of the settled remnant after moving it to secondary and it is likely one of my best brews. Has anybody seen this before?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[GillandCo]

I love Pitching Over Fresh a fresh Yeast Cake...Took a half hour to start bubbling(Within an hour It's Going crazy) No aerating needed!

 

[songstre]

My last batch of Schneider Weisse clone went bad. No activity for like 5 days and then started bubbling. When it stopped, I smelled it and it seemed to have the familiar alcoholic aroma to it. I always taste my wort just prior to bottling to get an idea of how I'm doing. Upon tasting this, though, I wish someone had a camera to capture the look on my face. It was really sour. Had to dump. Only batch I ever lost. I believe the yeast were damaged due to very hot weather we had and my ingredients sitting in my garage too long (thanks to my daughter leaving them in there upon arrival). They may have been subjected to a lot of heat in transit as well.

I re-brewed the recipe yesterday (the first batch was a couple months ago) and used decoction for the first time ever. Seemed to go really well. I'm hoping for a short incubation period and having some bubbling by end of day today. I believe I will try doing a started next time. Would love to get into culturing my own yeast too.

 

[songstre]

I have read this forum on slow fermentation several times as I have been bit as well. Brewed a Brewers Best kit for the second time this year and hed very different results. First batch started signs of fermentation within hours using Notttingham dry yeast. The second batch has just started, slowly,after 60 hours of waiting.
I am using a stainless steel conical so I can only see activity if I remove the airlock. There is kraussen but not a lot. There is a sour smell, not real strong. Is this normal or are my fears coming true?
thanx all

Shouldn't smell sour. You should stay away from kits. There are lots of good recipes out there (and in here). Order your ingredients yourself. Kits can hang around for a while and have old yeast. I use Midwest Supplies. I've also discovered buying hops in bulk (by the pound) as it's a lot cheaper. I'm still feeling this out, however, as I'm not sure how long they'll hold up in the freezer.

 

[bernerbrau]

I have to ask anyway. It's been about 14 hours, but: I just purchased a chest freezer from Lowe's and a fridge thermostat from my LHBS. I have the ambient temperature of the freezer set to 58F. I'm using WLP060 and the pitching SG was 1.064. I also did not make a starter. This is my first time fermenting with explicit temperature controls.

Usually, using liquid yeast even without a starter, I get vigorous fermentation after about 8 hours or so. Is an ambient 58F too low to start fermentation or will I just need to wait longer?

 

[songstre]

I have to ask anyway. It's been about 14 hours, but: I just purchased a chest freezer from Lowe's and a fridge thermostat from my LHBS. I have the ambient temperature of the freezer set to 58F. I'm using WLP060 and the pitching SG was 1.064. I also did not make a starter. This is my first time fermenting with explicit temperature controls.

Usually, using liquid yeast even without a starter, I get vigorous fermentation after about 8 hours or so. Is an ambient 58F too low to start fermentation or will I just need to wait longer?

This yeast should ferment between 68-72. Not sure why you would want 58. What are you brewing?
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp060.html

 

[bernerbrau]

This yeast should ferment between 68-72. Not sure why you would want 58. What are you brewing?
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp060.html

I'm brewing an APA.

Two reasons I'm fermenting at 58. 1, I'm trying to get a cleaner fermentation out of this yeast than the last batch, and 2, Palmer suggests that fermentation can be 10 degrees hotter than ambient temps.

Oh, and "optimum range" doesn't necessarily mean "won't ferment outside this range"...

 

[songstre]

Fermentation can be 10 degrees hotter if you let it shoot through the roof. People talk about using starters and obtaining a vigorous fermentation. Starters should be used to gain a greater count of cells and get fermentation to begin sooner - a healthy start, so to speak. But if fermentation is too vigorous up front, it can do damage by - as you mentioned - raising the temps too high and could kill yeast and create off flavors.

From Palmer's site:
Temperatures below 55-60F will cause ale yeast to go into hibernation and slow or stop the fermentation process.

 

[bernerbrau]

Well, WLP060 does contain some lager yeast...

I decided to put it up to 65 before going to work. If it kicks off between now and getting home, I'll drop it down to 62.

 

[snowman]

This topic is a riot! Are you guys throwing curve balls to the newbies? lol. I'm thinking...., here I am in the beginners brewing forum reading about problems from a guy with over 7,000 posts.... over 2 years.

priceless

 

[bernerbrau]

snowman... check out the Tap Room sometime. I used to waste a lot of time in there. Post count doesn't always equate to brewing knowledge around here.

And while I've been brewing for over 2 years, I happen to be new to precise temperature controls and needed some advice.

 

[ganu]

It's been just shy of 48 hours and I don't have any signs of fermentation yet. (At least through my blowoff tube/air lock I don't.) I'm brewing a wheat beer with Hefeweizen liquid yeast. I did not do a starter. Also... My wort was amlittle hot when I pitched my yeast. (Oops. I know better than that.)

I took a gravity reading 12 hrs after pitching and I was sitting at 1.030. I'm not too keen on the idea of popping the lid a looking just yet. I'm afraid of letting in germs, so I've just relied on my blowoff tube's activity to determine if my fermentation is rocking along or not.

NOW, my LHBS won't open till Tuesday. If I need to get more yeast, it'll be almost 4 days that my wort say sat idle. How much of a problem is that gonna be?

So that's my plan. Wait and get more liquid yeast.

Advice? Thanks in advance.

G

 

[J_to_the_B]

Ganu,

I had the same issue with my first batch. I used a Wyeast smack pack w/no starter, and didn't have any fermentation till about 4 days later when I made a starter with a second smack pack. The beer fermented fine after that, with minimal off flavors. I'd focus on keeping it sanitized, and making and pitching a starter ASAP. Now I use White Labs yeast and always make an 8-16 oz. starter about 24hrs prior to pitching - it always starts fermenting within 12-24 hours. Good luck dude, and RDWHAHB.

 

[irish89]

My beer stopped bubbling pretty quick, so i moved it to the second stage after about four days, is there any way to add another packet of yeast to it in the second stage?

 

[J_to_the_B]

irish89, your probably not gonna want to do that. did you measure the gravity? if it seems pretty still, i'd just let it chill out over about a week and a half - 2 weeks.