No activity after 12 hours using a yeast starter

[_Keven]

Hello, I'm brewing northern brewer's tripel extract kit Belgian Tripel Extract Beer Recipe Kit. I'm using the wyeast 3787 and created a yeast starter the day prior to brewing. The yeast starter had tons of activity, and it was constantly bubbling over for the first 12 hours. The last 12 hours it was much calmer with very little activity. When I pitched the yeast starter into the wort I was expecting similar fast activity in the primary fermenter, but after 12 hours there doesn't seem to be any activity. This is making me a bit concerned because the starter was so active but now there is nothing. Another thing to note is the wort took a really long time to chill (roughly 3 hours) because I didn't use enough ice. Temps are around 65-70 degrees depending on time of day. Did I screw up?

 

[RM-MN]

Check on the beer after 24 hours have passed and report back. Sometimes yeast takes its time to get started in a different environment. I don't get excited with my beers unless they haven't showed activity after 36 hours.

 

[VikeMan]

When I pitched the yeast starter into the wort I was expecting similar fast activity in the primary fermenter, but after 12 hours there doesn't seem to be any activity. This is making me a bit concerned because the starter was so active but now there is nothing.

How are you determining "no actvity?" Airlock? If so, you may have a leak somewhere (bucket lid seal, for example). Or there just might not be much CO2 being produced yet. But I wouldn't worry much after only 12 hours.

Another thing to note is the wort took a really long time to chill (roughly 3 hours) because I didn't use enough ice. Temps are around 65-70 degrees depending on time of day. Did I screw up?

Are you asking if the long chill time could somehow later prevent fermentation from starting? If so, no.

 

[redrocker652002]

I will add to what has already been said, give it a little more time. I made a pale ale using Cellar Science Cali dry yeast that took almost 18 hours to get going. And I asked the same question you did. I would have assumed though, that using a starter would have jump started the process, but I am fairly new and don't use starters yet. Either way, what I have learned in the couple of years I have been doing this, patience, patience and then more patience. LOL.

 

[mac_1103]

RDWHAHB

 

[hotbeer]

Visual clues as to if something is happening are sometimes non-existent. So don't fret. Give it more time.

What was the temp of the starter you pitched? If it was much warmer than the wort you put it in, that might have ruined the party for the yeast. Temporarily... they'll get back to work after they adjust.

If you can't see into the FV and are relying on just the airlock, then you don't have a good method to tell if anything is happening. I've had very active krausen with lots of evidence left on the sides of the FV and never seen one bubble in the airlock on more than one batch of beer.

The only real way to know whether something is going on is to be able to get a specific gravity reading. However that can be a pain for some due to limitations of the way the FV is set up. Or for those of us that brew small volumes and don't want the waste.

A hydrometer that you can keep in the FV like a raptPill or Tilt will give you some welcome information to reassure you that your beer is in fact fermenting. So too can a refractometer, but then you have to open the FV to get a sample. And for some setups, that can be a risk too.

 

[sleev-les]

Others mentioned...... TIme

I did my Oktoberfest Sunday and just started seeing pressure in my tank yesterday (I'm pressure fermenting so no bubbles until I hit my set pressure). Granted I'm fermenting a lager and 50 degrees so type and environment playing a role.

 

[VikeMan]

I did my Oktoberfest Sunday and just started seeing pressure in my tank yesterday (I'm pressure fermenting so no bubbles until I hit my set pressure). Granted I'm fermenting a lager and 50 degrees so type and environment playing a role.

I'm not really a fan of "pressure fermenting." I'm also not really a fan of warm fermented lagers. But I will say that a 50F (basically a cold) fermentation under significant pressure is pretty likely to be a painfully slow fermentation (unless maybe it's really overpitched). I would either ditch the pressure or, if I were determined to use (significant) pressure, I'd bump up the temperature. Not that you actually asked for advice.

 

[sleev-les]

I'm not really a fan of "pressure fermenting." I'm also not really a fan of warm fermented lagers. But I will say that a 50F (basically a cold) fermentation under significant pressure is pretty likely to be a painfully slow fermentation (unless maybe it's really overpitched). I would either ditch the pressure or, if I were determined to use (significant) pressure, I'd bump up the temperature. Not that you actually asked for advice.

No worries. I'm sitting around 5psi. I don't use too much pressure.

 

[Bassman2003]

Another variable - how big is the beer? I am assuming you pitched only one pack of yeast right? If it is a large beer with only one pack it might take time for the yeast to get up to numbers. That yeast is fairly temperature sensitive as well. So if you pitched at warm room temps to cooler wort, that might slow things down as mentioned.

To get very fast starts, one needs to pitch a lot of active yeast cells. Basically skipping over a lot of the growth phase. But you also might skip over some flavor production as well. Yeast are the most complex part of the hobby. Keep brewing, learning and taking notice of things.

 

[VikeMan]

I am assuming you pitched only one pack of yeast right? .

I'm using the wyeast 3787 and created a yeast starter the day prior to brewing.

 

[Bassman2003]

Still an open question though. If it was one pack in a smaller starter it still might be an underpitch.

 

[Bilsch]

Not aerating the wort, or not well enough, would also increase the lag time.

 

[hottpeper13]

That's a fairly big beer and I would give it 5 min of O2 at 1/8 L /min. Without that the lag time could be as long as 36 hrs. Don't sweat it ,that stuff is STA-1 and will eventually chew thru all of it.

 

[sleev-les]

Curious to see an update from OP and if he got everything sorted.

 

[_Keven]

Yep everything looks good. Been having an active fermentation for about 2 weeks now. I had to get a blow off tube it was fermenting so aggressively.