Need advice. My brew hasn't started fermenting

[Seabeevet35]

I did my first AG brewing on Sunday the 24th. I used RO water for the boil. I was trying for a Moose Drool clone. I have a 50qt mash tun and was going for a 5 gal batch. I brought the water to 170 and poured into the Mashtun then poured in the grains and thoroughly stired. I bought a new digital thermometer that I calibrated prior to starting the brewing and kept the mash temp from 153-150 for an hour. Vorlaufed a few times and then slowly drew off the wort. I got just shy of 3 gal and then added another 3.5 to the mashtun at a temp of 160. I let that sit for about 15 min and then pulled off just over 3 gallons of wort. I then went through the normal brewing process with no hiccups that I saw. The OG came out to 1.046 which is exactly what Beersmith estimated it would be. When I went to pitch the yeast (White Labs 400) it never really got "creamy" after shaking it and stayed a bit chunky in the tube. It just wouldn't mix well. I used it anyhow as it was all I had. I had next to no krausen by Wednesday afternoon and talked to my LHBS master brewer. He said he had had some recent issues with White Lab products being frozen in trasit. So he gave me a bag of Safale dry yeast to use. I put that in Wednesday the 27th around 8pm then left for a couple of days. I returned this evening to the wort looking like it has done almost nothing and the gravity reading 1.040. The room the beer is in is kept at about 66 deg and the extract Hefe I brewed Wednesday is just percolating away with no issues. As my LHBS is closed I can't ask them. So anyone have any idea why after almost a week and with 2 yeast pitches the beer has done nothing? I've brewed about 10 extract batches with few issues and have got pretty good reviews. I am at a loss on this one and want to make sure my process is good before I do another. I'm not averse to tossing it all but don't want to waste money if it is my process that's the issue.

 

[Yooper]

I assume you're using a hydrometer, and the hydrometer reads 1.000 in plain water?

 

[BigFloyd]

If you're using a refractometer to check fermentation and not running it through a correction calculator, the reading will be way off (too high). Get a hydrometer reading before even considering taking any additional action.

 

[Seabeevet35]

Yes I am using a hydrometer and it reads 1.000 in pure RO water.

 

[acidrain]

What was the date of the yeast? How did you store it? Where did you buy it?

 

[BigFloyd]

Yes I am using a hydrometer and it reads 1.000 in pure RO water.

Sorry I had to ask about that. It's usually the most common reason for the sort of gravity reading about which you initially posted. Plenty of folks don't realize that the presence of alcohol changes the refractometer reading.

From what you have described, it sounds like things went well on the mash/sparge end of things. It also sounds like you aren't having any significant temperature issues.

Even if the WLP400 was DOA, pitching a packet of Safale dry (I'm guessing US-05?) should get it going. I wouldn't be surprised if it's showing signs when you check on it in the morning.

 

[Seabeevet35]

LHBS stores it in a fridge as did I. Date on the tube said best if used by Jan 2014. I'll ck on it in the morning and update. Thank you all so far.

 

[acidrain]

LHBS stores it in a fridge as did I. Date on the tube said best if used by Jan 2014. I'll ck on it in the morning and update. Thank you all so far.

Sounds like your yeast is pretty old.
Most yeast packs say when they were packaged, not when they expire. That's how on-line yeast calculators know the viability.
What brand/type of yeast?
Have you taken a new SG measurement? May have to re-pitch.

 

[midfielder5]

Not much to add until a new gravity sample is taken, just a few random comments--

I would give the dry Safale a few days to work, although rehydrating it before pitching would have confirmed viability. A dry pitch kills off a bunch of cells but it should still work (but it is a suboptimal practice.

White Labs labels note their yeast was produced 4 months before the expiration month. So it is not that old but making a starter would confirm viability and increase cell counts.

I also don't know why a recipe would have a belgian wit yeast (WLP 400) for a Moose Drool brown ale clone. It should be an English yeast. I assume it is a typo in the OP.

 

[Seabeevet35]

Thank you all for the help. I repitched some safale02 and it worked fine. Beer actually turned down really good. Final gravity was 1.008. Yes Midfielder it was a typo. It was actually WLP002. I used the WLP400 on a hefe I had brewed that afternoon and had it on the mind.