fermentation problem?

[brewskibob]

Hi, this is my first time to brew a lager, so I'm still a little green behind the ears. Its a bohemian lager. I was using liquid wyeast, and started it 3 days before. After I brewed the wort I pitched the yeast at 75 dF and put it in the fridge at 50 degrees. My fridge has been fluctuating in temp a lot, from 43-57, and its the 4th day since brewing, and there is no head on top of my beer( i know that lager yeast brews on bottom so there might not be any) and no bubbles coming from the airlock. Is my yeast stalled, or is this normal? thanks!

 

[Yooper]

Hi, this is my first time to brew a lager, so I'm still a little green behind the ears. Its a bohemian lager. I was using liquid wyeast, and started it 3 days before. After I brewed the wort I pitched the yeast at 75 dF and put it in the fridge at 50 degrees. My fridge has been fluctuating in temp a lot, from 43-57, and its the 4th day since brewing, and there is no head on top of my beer( i know that lager yeast brews on bottom so there might not be any) and no bubbles coming from the airlock. Is my yeast stalled, or is this normal? thanks!

It's hard to tell by looking at it. The only way to know for sure is to take a SG and see if it's going. Usually you get some signs of fermentation, though, so I'd check and see.

Big temperature fluctuations are an issue, though, and 43 is too cold for fermentation for most lager yeasts, and 57 would be at the very top range for most yeasts, too. Most like a nice steady 50 degrees. Why is it fluctuating so much?

 

[LayMeister]

Hi, this is my first time to brew a lager, so I'm still a little green behind the ears. Its a bohemian lager. I was using liquid wyeast, and started it 3 days before. After I brewed the wort I pitched the yeast at 75 dF and put it in the fridge at 50 degrees. My fridge has been fluctuating in temp a lot, from 43-57, and its the 4th day since brewing, and there is no head on top of my beer( i know that lager yeast brews on bottom so there might not be any) and no bubbles coming from the airlock. Is my yeast stalled, or is this normal? thanks!

What kind of refrigerator setup do you have? Is the thermometer in the beer or is it outside the carboy? I doubt the beer would be varying that much in temperature. Perhaps it is just the air inside the refrigerator fluctuating as it cycles on and off. I have noticed that the more mass I have in my freezer, the more stable the temperature is.

Paul

 

[brewskibob]

the thermometer is outside of the fermentation bucket. My refrigerator is really crappy and I didn't know it fluctuated so much until i had already started fermenting and was checking the temp constantly. But I wrapped the primary fermenter in two towels and covered it in a trash bag, so I hope it will help. I will take a gravity reading, but if fermentation has stalled, what would be the best remedy? Thanks.

 

[Yooper]

the thermometer is outside of the fermentation bucket. My refrigerator is really crappy and I didn't know it fluctuated so much until i had already started fermenting and was checking the temp constantly. But I wrapped the primary fermenter in two towels and covered it in a trash bag, so I hope it will help. I will take a gravity reading, but if fermentation has stalled, what would be the best remedy? Thanks.

If fermentation is stalled, you'd need to pitch fresh yeast. Preferably a huge starter, or two packages of yeast.

 

[brewskibob]

Does this look like normal fermentation to yall? I just checked it today and felt a little more confident about it, thanks.

 

[LayMeister]

Looks fine. How did you get it started?

Paul

 

[brewskibob]

well my fridge leaks alot, so after i wrapped the primary fermenter in several blankets and covered it in a trashbag, i guess it gave the yeast enough warmth and stability to do its thang. haha, thanks everyone for your advice.