Fermentation don’t start

[Achilles]

This is my first 15-gallon batch in my new conical plastic fermenter.
I use to make 5-gallon batches in my carboy and had no problems with the yeast and fermenting.
It should be a light wheat beer, starting with 1.049 OG, pitching with 3068 Weihenstephan Wheat Yeast.
I’ve added one pouch on Sunday at 74º F, and one more yesterday at 70º F.
But there is no fermenting; the whole 15 gallons just stay there and wait for some action.
I have no experience with this yeast; most likely I did not wait long enough to be active.

My question: How long can I keep the worth in my fermenter before I get a second chance to activate it with a new starter? The fermenter is in a used display cooler with electronic temperature control, 68 to 72 F at the moment.

I’ve ordered some more yeast, but it may take 2 days before I get it.

Thank you for your help – have a nice day - Achilles

 

[Revvy]

Have you actually taken a gravity reading to see what the beer is doing. it's highly doubtful with modern yeast that you have "bad yeast" most of the time a person thinks he has no fermentation, is it because he thinks the airlock is a fermentation gauge, when it's just a vent. AND he hasn't even waited the typical 72 hours that yeast often takes, as stated in the sticky at the top of the beginner's section...

In your case it doesn't sound like you bothered to make a starter and originally planned on using one tube for 15 gallons, which means you wer going to have severly underpitched anyway, since one tube is usually NOT enough for 5 galons of beer over 1.040 og, let alone 15.

What's happening then is the yeast is trying to reproduce enough yeast to do the job,,,,and that's going to slow things down a bit and also mean a lot of excess co2 isn't necessarily going to be produced right away to NEED to make the airlock bubble.

After 72 hours take a gravity reading.

 

[Achilles]

Have you actually taken a gravity reading to see what the beer is doing...
,,,,and that's going to slow things down a bit and also mean a lot of excess co2 isn't necessarily going to be produced right away to NEED to make the airlock bubble.

After 72 hours take a gravity reading.

Dear Revvy,
Thank you for your speedy response!
YES, I need to learn a lot more. Many things have changed in the past years; I did not brew anything for the last 8 years.
Yesterday, I’ve spent hours to read about starters and yeast pitching rate calculator. It’s a different story if you work with 5-gallon batches…
At the moment, I still have 1.049 gravity, no one CO2 bubble or foam in the fermenter. The temperature of the worth is 72ºF.
I need to inform you that the 3068 Weihenstephan was outdated (Sep. 2011) and I do not know what all happens to the yeast pouches (will NEVER ever happen again!).
How long can I keep the worth without any fermentation?
My wife will be in command of my pocket money if I loose this batch…
Cross your fingers - Achilles

 

[Achilles]

...it's highly doubtful with modern yeast that you have "bad yeast" most of the time a person thinks he has no fermentation, is it because he thinks the airlock is a fermentation gauge, when it's just a vent. AND he hasn't even waited the typical 72 hours that yeast often takes, as stated in the sticky at the top of the beginner's section...

After 72 hours take a gravity reading.

Revvy - You’re right, now I got some fermentation, and the gravity went down to 1.042.
With liquid yeast, I may have to wait a bit longer, like you say – up to 72 hours before visible signs of fermentation show up.
In the good old days, it was dry yeast and just a 5-gallon batch…
My next batch will have a perfect starter with 500+ billion cells!
Happy brewing, thank you again - Achilles

 

[Jukas]

Revvy - You’re right, now I got some fermentation, and the gravity went down to 1.042.
With liquid yeast, I may have to wait a bit longer, like you say – up to 72 hours before visible signs of fermentation show up.
In the good old days, it was dry yeast and just a 5-gallon batch…
My next batch will have a perfect starter with 500+ billion cells!
Happy brewing, thank you again - Achilles

Now that you know you have active fermentation, resist the urge to touch it and let it sit for a minimum of 7-10 days preferably 2 weeks total. If you only pitched a single expired packet of 3068 for a 15gal batch you severely under pitched.

According to yeast calc a 15gal batch of 1.049 needs 507 billion yeast cells. According to the same calc page, your Sep 2011 smack pack likely only had 10 billion. At this point your yeast has to work overtime to reproduce and convert sugar into alcohol.

That yeast is likely to be an aggressive fermentation and is a top cropping yeast.. make sure you have plenty of headspace in the fermenter, and a blow off attached.

 

[KaSaBiS]

no one mentioned oxygenation. Underpitching is one thing, poorly oxygenating a massive underpitch is another. assuming you oxygenated or aerated prior to the first pitch, I would assume the first pack of yeast ate a lot of the oxygen up, which your yeast need to multiply. so without 're' oxygenating on your second pitch, your crippling your second pitch too. if your sanitation was good, I would assume you will make good beer and be happy. to make your next batch really over the top, pitch enough, AND get a hearty oxygen supply in there.

congrats on the conical! I will add that I just brewed a 10 Gal batch of hefe with wlp300 at 62F with a tripple decoction and it turned wonderful. best hefe to date