No fermentation activity after 36 hours

[Brewer393052]

Hello,

the weirdest thing happened for my 8th batch, a Black IPA 1-gallon kit.
Everything went almost exactly as for all previous batches. I boiled the wort, added fermentable and hops. I cooled the wort, sanitized everything with 1-step and star san, siphoned the wort into my fermenter, oxygenated it with an O2 tank, added the (dry) yeast, put the airlock and stored away in my basement.
The only thing is that I forgot to top up to the 1 gallon line right away. I did it after 1 hour when I realized I forgot (I just remove the airlock, poured 1 cup of water and put the airlock back).

Usually, I can see activity by the next morning. But here, after 36 hours, still nothing. The water level in the airlock isn't moving a bit, and the surface of the wort is clear, no krausen.

What could have caused that? Could the dry yeast be dead? I never had that issue with yeast before. Could I have over oxygenated the wort? (I just did it for 15-20 seconds) Sanitization problem?

Anyway, I had a packet of SafAle S-04 available, I added half of it to the wort this morning. I'll see if there's some activity later today.

Thanks

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

What could have caused that?

What strain of yeast did you use on the initial pitch?

What is the temperature in your basement (or are you controlling the wort temperature to be above/below ambient temperature)?

Could the dry yeast be dead? I never had that issue with yeast before. Could I have over oxygenated the wort? (I just did it for 15-20 seconds) Sanitization problem?

Probably "no" to each of these questions.

 

[tracer bullet]

Yeasts are certainly all over the map for how long they take to get started. Agree w/ the questions above however, to be sure. Having some extra dry yeast on hand is a good thing at all times as well, good move there.

 

[Brewer393052]

What strain of yeast did you use on the initial pitch?

What is the temperature in your basement (or are you controlling the wort temperature to be above/below ambient temperature)?

The original yeast is a SafAle 05 and the ambient temperature is between 65 and 66.
I have used that strain before at those temperatures, but never had any issues

 

[Brewer393052]

Just checked, and now I can see a white thin layer of foam forming at the surface, and the airlock releasing bubbles

 

[AlexKay]

In general, and especially with dry yeast, don't start to worry until it's been 48 hours. It really can take that long for the yeast to get going. At 48 hours you can worry, but there isn't actually anything you want to do. Sure, it won't hurt to toss in more yeast; it probably won't help either.

 

[Miraculix]

In general, and especially with dry yeast, don't start to worry until it's been 48 hours. It really can take that long for the yeast to get going. At 48 hours you can worry, but there isn't actually anything you want to do. Sure, it won't hurt to toss in more yeast; it probably won't help either.

If it takes that long, you have a serious underpitch. If there's no activity within the first 24 hours, there's something wrong with your dry yeast (excluding cold lager fermentation). So in this case, the yeast was most likely damaged, the s04 saved it.

The longer the wort stays without active brewers yeast, the longer oxygen has time to damage the beer and unwanted microorganisms have time to multiply. A long lag phase is always a bad sign. Also with dry yeast.

If you experience this frequently, up the amount of yeast you are pitching.

Also, don't trust what's written on the packs regarding pitch rates. This is true for dry and liquid yeast.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

The original yeast is a SafAle 05 and the ambient temperature is between 65 and 66.
I have used that strain before at those temperatures, but never had any issues

When I brewed more with US-05 (and at 65F), I would occasionally see a delayed (36 hour) start. It may have been something recipe specific. My pitch rate was generally 2.5 g / gallon; when I tracked open/closed package as part of pitching, I didn't see an obvious pattern.

In Fermentis Tips & Tricks, there is a chart that shows US-05 is a slow(er) starter. If slow starts are a concern, consider giving one of the other dry US-05-like strains a try. I don't have specific suggestion (as recent batches have been mainly Nottingham, Verdant, and New England).

Finally, @Miraculix brings up a number of ideas that are worthy of your consideration.

 

[Brewer393052]

In general, and especially with dry yeast, don't start to worry until it's been 48 hours. It really can take that long for the yeast to get going.

It's been my (short) experience that the SafAle were pretty fast to get going and would produce foam and bubbles within 12 hours, which is why I got worried after almost 48 hours.
Now I even wonder if I forgot to pitch the yeast, lol

 

[mac_1103]

Although I agree with everything @Miraculix wrote, ISTM that it's pretty hard to underpitch a one gallon batch. How much US-05 did you use? Had the pack been opened previously? If so how was it stored after opening?

 

[Brewer393052]

Although I agree with everything @Miraculix wrote, ISTM that it's pretty hard to underpitch a one gallon batch. How much US-05 did you use? Had the pack been opened previously? If so how was it stored after opening?

I used the pack that comes with the kit, it's the us-05 that Northern Brewer has reconditioned in smaller quantities for 1-gallon batches (4-5 grams?). Pack was not opened before.

 

[mac_1103]

OK. Didn't know that NB was repackaging yeast for their one gallon kits.

 

[Brewer393052]

Thanks all for your help. I'll keep that issue in mind and see if it ever happens again with another kit in the future

 

[bellhp]

Now I even wonder if I forgot to pitch the yeast, lol

I brewed a batch Saturday ... drank a six pack of my Marzen while brewing it . Temp was still a little warm when I put it in carboy so I just put a ferm lock on it while it cooled off those last few degrees ...well I cooked supper and turned in early fat and happy. Got up at 0300 and drove to the dock to go offshore ... wasn't till I was on the boat and at sea that I remembered I never pitched the yeast
luckily I still had cell service so I called my son who dumped the jar of yeast slurry I had taken out and was still on the counter next to the carboy .
RDWHAHB

 

[AlexKay]

If it takes that long, you have a serious underpitch. If there's no activity within the first 24 hours, there's something wrong with your dry yeast (excluding cold lager fermentation). So in this case, the yeast was most likely damaged, the s04 saved it.

It depends. I have two beers fermenting now with Lallemand Kolsch that both took 24 hours to drop a single gravity point; I have another beer with London that was practically finished by that time.

I've panicked a couple of times and thrown in extra yeast, but I'm pretty sure in hindsight that I was overreacting. I have no evidence of ever having dry yeast that's been damaged, in 300+ batches.

 

[Teufelhunde]

The original yeast is a SafAle 05 and the ambient temperature is between 65 and 66.
I have used that strain before at those temperatures, but never had any issues

For me, US-05 is always a very slow starter, I wouldn't worry about it....

 

[Miraculix]

OK. Didn't know that NB was repackaging yeast for their one gallon kits.

I bet something went wrong during the repacking and the yeast died.

 

[hotbeer]

I would have checked the SG of the beer/wort before dumping in another pack of yeast.

Sometimes fermentation happens with little visual evidence.

 

[IslandLizard]

I used the pack that comes with the kit, it's the us-05 that Northern Brewer has reconditioned in smaller quantities for 1-gallon batches (4-5 grams?). Pack was not opened before.

What does that pack look like? A professional pouch from Fermentis, or a repackaged hack job by Northern Brewer in a generic plastic baggy?

OK. Didn't know that NB was repackaging yeast for their one gallon kits.

I haven't heard about that before either.

If Fermentis produces small(er) yeast packages in their factory, targeted to be sold with smaller kits, that would be A-OK.

But if those reduced size yeast pouches are repackaged from bulk packs by Northern Brewer, that can be very worrisome. Dry yeast needs to stay dry! Any moisture that stays in contact with the dry yeast will degrade it quickly, and affect performance.

 

[mac_1103]

Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see where NB actually specifies what the yeast in these kits is. The instruction sheet just says "Bru Yeast Small Batch American Dry Ale Yeast." Doesn't even say how much is in the package.

edit - the Belgian Tripel kit instructions say Safbrew Abbaye (now known as BE-256) and tell you to use half of the sachet.

 

[Brewer393052]

Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see where NB actually specifies what the yeast in these kits is. The instruction sheet just says "Bru Yeast Small Batch American Dry Ale Yeast."

I asked them what their yeasts were, and the answer is that the "english ale" is S-04, "american ale" is S-05, and "wheat ale" is wb-06. Also they say they have it repacked for them in smaller size, meaning at the factory. Which is probably why they're doing it for the most common yeasts (ie. not for saflager or be-256) in their 1-gallon kits.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I asked them what their yeasts were, and the answer is that the "english ale" is S-04, "american ale" is S-05, and "wheat ale" is wb-06. Also they say they have it repacked for them in smaller size, meaning at the factory.

+1 x 2!

Thanks for taking the time to ask them and ...

... for taking the time to "report back" what you found.​