I need a contingency plan...

[ctrlpabrewer]

Ok...so I brewed a pumpkin ale Sat. night. (OG was 1.046 - should have been 1.052 but I collected a tad too much wort...oops) Pitched White Labs British Ale at 74* (did not make starter...I have never made a starter before and have had no problems...although I have feared this moment) and there has been no activity, no krausen...nothin..g.

So...I also don't have any dry yeast at the moment to repitch...I feel that I am left with the following options (none of them are very good)...

1. I have a cream ale in primary churning away with notty in it, can I draw some off of that, make a starter with a qt. or so of the pumpkin and see if I can get the notty going in it, then repitch?

2. Open a bottle of bitter that I brewed in the spring (White Labs English Ale yeast in that one) and pitch the yeast remnants into a qt. starter of pumpkin ale to get it going...then repitch...

3. Pitch wine yeast (not sure of the strain...wine is the wife's thing) and wait for a weird pumpkin ale??

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[madhatt3r]

It looks like you've already listed your options in order of preference. At least that's the order I would do things in. The nottingham will be the most viable and get your starter going the quickest, so you have less of a worry about infection in the pumpkin from sitting to long without fermentation.
The bottled yeast will take considerably longer than the nottingham to get going in a starter. Flavor profile will probably be closer to your original british ale pitch, but it'll be another day of no fermentation in the pumpkin as you build it up.

I'm in the same boat with the wine. Its the wife's thing. Probably a last resort, or if you're feeling really adventurous.

Long story short...my pick is for option #1

 

[kh54s10]

I take option #4

Pitching too little yeast will cause a longer lag time. I would wait another day or twonbefore making any additions.

I bet by tonight you have an active fermentation going.

 

[BrewerinBR]

I would give it more time it can take 72 hours or more for the yeast to kick in. If you pitched it Saturday night your not even 48 hours yet.

 

[ctrlpabrewer]

Agreed...I plan to wait another day anyhow. At least my backup plans are not too off the wall?

 

[ctrlpabrewer]

Happily fermenting away this morning...