No fermentation - 96 Hrs. Later - Munich Helles [Brewer's Best]

[skorasaurus]

On Sunday, the 8th, I brewed a 5 gal batch [this is my 2nd batch using a brewer's best kit] , using the Brewer's Best Munich Helles kit. www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1040 Munich Helles.pdf

I checked the fermentation for the first time this morning, and there was none ! There's few bubbles on surface, as shown in this picture.
http://i.imgur.com/6U0XB.jpg

The kit recommended to "Move the fermenter
to a cool, lager-specific, temperature-stable area (approx. 53o - 59oF)". the coolest place in my home is running at 60-63 (ambient air temperature) so I placed the primary fermenter in the rubbermaid container of water after The water inside the rubbermaid container (which contains my primary fermenter) has been at a steady 60F, which I've checked every day.

I took an OG reading a few minutes ago, it was at 1.0475, the same reading as the one that I had taken Before pitching the yeast.

Any ideas why my yeast isn't fermenting ?! What else should I do ?!

 

[BryanJ]

Its hard to say, what was your process?

 

[eastoak]

did you pitch your yeast into hot wort?

 

[J8D]

You cold pitched a lager yeast. It can take time. How big was the yeast starter you used?

 

[eastoak]

after 96hrs you have some kind of problem.

 

[skorasaurus]

Its hard to say, what was your process?

I followed the directions (since I'm a beginner, after all ) - http://www.fyurl.com/rr.php?c=2&sit...rewersbestkits.com/pdf/1040 Munich Helles.pdf

did you pitch your yeast into hot wort?

Nope. I pitched it after getting the wort down to 60*F, following the kit's directions.

How big was the yeast starter ?

Unfortunately, the package (for the yeast) is somewhere on a city dump truck right now, most likely. IIRC, the packet [dry] was roughly the size of a sticky note, 3x3'. I also remember the lid was on very tight when I took it off this morning, so [too much oxygen] is probably ruled out.

thanks for the help so far.

 

[eastoak]

i would just pitch another packet of dry yeast and go from there, the old yeast will be food for the new yeast. maybe your old yeast was too old to get it up anymore.

 

[DWavs]

Bring it back to 70 degrees, let the fermentation begin for 24 hours, and then drop it back down to 60. Same situation a friend of mine went through a few weeks ago with a Lager. Once he did that, it fermented fine at 60 or below.

 

[3PegBrew]

after 96hrs you have some kind of problem.

Not true.

I did a Czech Pils, and it started out the same way. Well, I made a starter, which didn't do much. I think the smack pack was not a good one since I was hitting the 5th-6th month of it being out.

Someone mentioned throwing in another packet. I think this wouldn't be a bad idea. In fact, since your fermenter isn't going anywhere, you might want to think about making another starter to give it a boost. Include some yeast nutrient too. Give the starter 2 days to build up some cells and then dump the nasty beer on top, slush it around and put it in your fermenter.

My Czech Pils is amazing. Drinking it as I'm surfing HBT.

 

[skorasaurus]

Just to give an update:

I checked on it one last time before going out to the LHBS [to buy another packet of yeast] on Saturday night (6 days after pitching the yeast) , and it had started fermenting ! I had opened up the lid (in my plastic bucket) and saw the krausen floating amid the bubbles. [I didn't realize until after I did that John Palmer doesn't recommend that, oh well].

I didn't end up buying any yeast then, since the LHBS was 40+ minutes out of the way on a snowy night.

thanks for the help !

 

[chigundo]

Keep us updated on the fermentation.. curious how your SP reads as you move on to the next steps. I just brewed this myself on Saturday. No fermentation yet.. sitting at approx 55 degrees... I'll let a full week go by before I try re-pitching. Next time I brew I need to start using starters because I get paranoid I'm causing too much strain on the yeast.

 

[skorasaurus]

Cool,
I transferred it over to a secondary [carboy] over the weekend [the 27th].

Right now, it's in the mid-upper 50s, and I'm trying to slowly cool it down, by a degree or 2, each day, following the directions. [using frozen water bottles].

There's no (this is my 1st time that I'm using a secondary fermenter) head pr krausen on the top of it, but I presume it's going fine other wise....

Also, I was bummed, that with my FG and OG, the abv will only end up at 3.9 :/

 

[chigundo]

That was going to be my next question, of you saw any krausen like ales produce. I've only done ales and all those fermentations have been quite arressive. This one just shows the slightest sign of life..but I assume that's all it takes?

I have an old fridge and a temp controller ready for the second phase. But still hoping its fermenting properly right now. Been 5 days.