Lager Fermentation

[lamb6411]

So this is my second attempt at an all-grain oktoberfest. The first didn't go so well but I learned from my mistakes and tried again and the second time the process went much better. Color and everything looks good and beersmith called for a original gravity of 1.058 and I hit 1.057 so far so good. Now, I pitched my yeast at about 52 degrees and it has almost been 72 hours with no signs of fermentation. I made a yeast starter (no stir plate) of 2L with one vial of WLP820 Octoberfest/Marzen yeast and after a sitting a day then a day in the fridge I decanted and then put have of the yeast in a 1.78 liter glass and kept the other in the 2L and did the process again. Once again I pitched the yeast at about 52 degrees almost 72 hours ago. I have heard that this yeast takes an abnormally amount of time to get going so I am just wondering if there is anything else I should be doing, should I start freaking out or is everything ok and I need to be more patient? Any advice would be appreciated thanks!

 

[QuercusMax]

How are you defining "signs of fermentation"? If you're expecting bubbles in the airlock, you may be disappointed (I almost never see them from my lagers), since cold liquid can hold much more CO2.

 

[lamb6411]

yeah I am still a rookie I guess I am so used to seeing the airlock go nuts with ales. I will take a reading later and see what the gravity is. Are you saying I may not see any air bubbles at all through the whole period?

 

[QuercusMax]

You might, you might not. Do you see a krausen? Lagers will raise one, but not as high as ales.

 

[lamb6411]

I will look when i go to take the reading. About 7 tonight will be 72 hours I will check it then and let you know. Thanks for your input I will let you know what I find

 

[lamb6411]

Ok so i opened the primary and took a reading and it looked like there was a small krausen being formed and the reading came out at 1.052 from a OG of 1.057 and this is at 72 hours. So i guess there is work being done and my inexperience with lagers and impatience just had me freaking out. I will take another reading in a week or so and see where I stand from there.

 

[Cyclman]

I think that is a little bit of a small starter, so the yeast might take more time replicating. Did you inject O2? That helps. Give it a few days before you worry.

 

[glick]

I usually pitch a 1 gallon stir plate starter in my lagers and oxygenate for 90 seconds. My money says that your starter was too small.

 

[BigFloyd]

The number of cells needed (438 billion) to get a good pitch rate in a 5.5 gallon batch of 1.057 lager is the same as what you'd need for a 1.120 OG ale.

A 2L non-stirplate starter only got you close to half way there. An extended lag time and slow start once it gets going is to be expected.

If you're going to do lagers with liquid yeast, a stirplate is a very valuable brew tool.

 

[QuercusMax]

Oxygenation for lagers is absolutely necessary, for sure. I pitch bigger for a pager and aerate twice as long (I use a drill+paint stirrer for 2 minutes with standard ales, 5 minutes for lagers). Before I started aerating I couldn't get them to attenuate properly. I had 1.048 lager finish at 1.017 with no aeration, and with the same pitch of the same yeast i can get a 1.060 down to 1.014 with aeration.

 

[garcia]

72 hours and it's only attenuated that much?

I don't use O2, and my yeast always attenuates well. I do shake for about 3-4 mins. The starter Is very small. I usually pitch from old, but when I don't I do a 2 step starter (2L for 48 hours, then repitch to a gallon)

I guess you will have to wait.