Lager, slow fermentation issues.

[daniel4616]

Brewed an octoberfest last weekend on Sunday. Boil and everything went well, made a yeast starter: 1.1 gallons starter at ~1.030 OG for starter. The yeast however was shipped without an ice pack, and came from Minn. to South Florida. I got the White Lab vial of Southern German yeast 838(?). Starter showed very little activity, since this was my first time make one, I put it in a 2.5gallon fermenting bucket so I could not see if the yeast was growing on the bottom. Anyways, cooled wort to fermentation temps overnight, and let yeast go 2 day, cold crashed, decanted, saw the grayish slurry on bottom, swirled and pitched. I aerated the wort a good 30-45 mins before pitching yeast with stone.

It has been 2 days (on the 3rd today) since yeast was pitched, and the activity is very minimal on the airlock. Sometimes I look and its going every 10-25 seconds, other times I look and it seems to not be moving. I am worried the yeast was non viable. I have a pack of dry lager yeast I can pitch, but what would you guys do? I wanted to do a diacetyl rest maybe next monday, for two days then start lagering. At this rate, I dont know if id be 50% done with fermentation... Is this normal for this yeast, or is something up? Fermentation temp is set to 48, is this too low? Any help would be great.

 

[apratsunrthd]

White Labs lists the optimum temp on that yeast at 50-55. Are you using a thermowell or do you just have your temperature probe sitting somewhere in the fermentation chamber? If it's a Thermowell, you could bump up to 50. Otherwise, it's probably already 50-52 in there if you are set at 48.

I've never really had much airlock activity out of any lager. Have you taken a gravity reading?

 

[Tinga]

you aerated for 30 - 45 MINUTES?

 

[daniel4616]

Yes 30-45 mins. And yes it is on a temp probe. My last lager had airlock activity much more frequent than this one. It was a dry Saflager yeast however. This is my first liquid yeast brew, and attempt at a starter.

 

[Yooper]

Yes 30-45 mins. And yes it is on a temp probe. My last lager had airlock activity much more frequent than this one. It was a dry Saflager yeast however. This is my first liquid yeast brew, and attempt at a starter.

Since lager yeast are bottom fermenting, you may not see much krausen or airlock activity. Try to not think about it- it'll be fine!

 

[jonmohno]

I think your airlock going every 15 seconds is more than enough assurance to even consider slightly worrying about it. Its a lager cold=slow.Like an old man trying to walk 10 miles in a blizzard. Except its yeast not an old man and its not a blizzard its beer.. uhh. and stuff.