No bubbles or Krausen after 24hrs

[Marmadook1]

Brewed my 4th batch yesterday afternoon it was a Belgian Wit beer. I pieced together the ingredients and here's what I used. For steeping I did half pound flaked wheat half pound flaked oats at around a hundred sixty degrees for 20 minutes. Then boiled six pounds Bavarian wheat dry malt extract with one oz styrian Golding hops. With 15 minutes left in the hour boil I added 1 ounce crushed coriander seed 2 ounces sweet orange peel a half tab of whirlfloc and 1 oz czech saaz hops. The boil went well color was good and the OG was 1.050. I cooled to around 75 degrees could have been a little hotter but no more than 83. The temp changed when i shook and aerated the glass carboy before pitching. Overall id say i pitched between 75 and 80 degrees with white labs WLP400 belgian wit liquid yeast. I put it in the fridge once i got it. Was shipped with ice pack but live in AZ so it was warm when it arrived. Pulled yeast out of fridge about 4hrs before pitch and shook well. First time using liquid yeast so im hoping all is well. Normally i use safale US05 dry yeast and i have bubbles or krasuen by now. Temp has remained between 70 and 75 since pitching. Checked airlock and not finding leaks. Surface of beer is dead...not even a speck of foam or anything. Thanks for the help

 

[cannman]

So we do not have a thermometer to check the temps, these are best guesses? If so, I'd put money that you pitched too hot. I dont' think I could feel a vessel and tell you want temp I have, so usually the most obvious reason usually is the reason but lets investigate.

How did you chill your wort before pitching?

How are you controlling your ferm temps?

How do we know the temp is between 70-75?

What's the best by date on the yeast?

Thanks!

 

[Marmadook1]

Used a copper wort chiller pumping 60 degree water through while pot was sitting in more chilled water. Took about 40 min or so as the wort chiller was only half submerged. The reason i gave rough temps is my sterile temp probe was reading at those temps when moved around up or down. My glass therm read 73 towards the top. I have a temp probe directly in the beer for temp monitoring and use a swamp cooler method for ferm so i can only maintain a 5 degree difference. Yeast was good by october

 

[Marmadook1]

Also to elaborate i toss a gatorade bottle frozen into the bucket 3 or so times a day. Bucket is filled with water with the carboy sitting in it.

 

[DurtyChemist]

Wait 3 days then take a gravity reading. The gravity reading will tell you what is going on. Air lock activity isn't indicative of fermentation.

 

[Singletrack]

During hot weather (maybe March thru October in the Valley of the Sun) shipped yeast may arrive mostly dead. Make a starter before brew day so you know viability. Your wort may still ferment, so you could give it more time. I'm not that patient, so I would pitch more yeast -- live yeast this time.

I just brewed a Witbier using that same type of yeast. I made a starter, chilled and decanted on brew day. Pitched at 68 F. I had a vigorous ferment within about 4 hours of pitching. Yours seems to be struggling, so it may be worth pitching more yeast.

 

[Marmadook1]

Hopefully its just a sluggish start but ordered some yeast to be delivered by thursday. Safale US 05. Not what i was going for but nearest brew shop is 40 mi away and another white labs shipped is the same as 3 of those dry packets. Either my yeast came DOA or i pitched a tad too warm i think at this point. Thanks for the help and ill let uk.

 

[slym2none]

Give it 72 hours total before you start to worry.

RDWHAHB!

 

[Marmadook1]

I was in luck, a close friend knows the owner to another brew store and i was able to get another vial of WLP400 belgian wit. Pitched last night and this morn have a .5 inch krausen. Still no bubbles but all should be well. Thanks again for the help.