No yeast activity

[jlanius]

Just finished making a batch of Belgian wit. It’s been over 48 hours, and no movement in air lock. Shined a flashlight on it. No Krausen ring. Finally decided to open the bucket. No, and I mean no, fermentation activity. Layer of greenish gunk floating on top, which I assume is some hops that didn’t filter out. OG was 1.048. Pitched with WLP545 pure pitch. This is the first time I haven’t used a smack pack because my brew shop didn’t have what I wanted in a smack pack, but the shop owner said it was direct pitch. I have another pack of yeast. Should I warm it up and pitch it? Is there something else I can try?

 

[Pappers_]

There could be a lot of variables, its not that unusual for there to be a lag, although its not great. White Labs yeast is fine, great, so unless you have reason to believe that it was dead (pitched into really hot yeast, really old, frozen or boiled), it will get going eventually. On the other hand, no harm in pitching more yeast.

The temp you're at can impact lag time, so if you're quite a bit below 65F, raising the temp a might encourage the yeast.

 

[Tom Foolery]

One reviewer on their web site commented that it has a long lag time.

 

[jlanius]

Pitched in the low 70s. I’ve got it in the corner of the bedroom right now. Normally it would be in the chest freezer with the temp controller on it, but with a cold front, the freezer never would have stayed warm enough. House is set at 70, and I have the carboy elevated so as not to be sittting in the cold air at floor level.

 

[Pappers_]

Pitched in the low 70s. I’ve got it in the corner of the bedroom right now. Normally it would be in the chest freezer with the temp controller on it, but with a cold front, the freezer never would have stayed warm enough. House is set at 70, and I have the carboy elevated so as not to be sittting in the cold air at floor level.

that should be fine, temp wise

 

[jlanius]

I have grains to do another batch, but I think I’m going to order a smack pack, and keep the other WLP in case I want to throw it in the first batch. I don’t like going outside my LHBS, but this is for Christmas 6 packs, and I dragged ass and need to get this stuff working.

 

[monkeymath]

I'm currently at 72 hours with no activity might just be my first dumper ever.
Different yeast, though, and old slurry from the fridge.

I usually read these threads here and think "dude, relax, it just takes a bit longer". But now I find myself in the same boat... And I stress out badly.

 

[rburrelli]

I'm currently at 72 hours with no activity might just be my first dumper ever.
Different yeast, though, and old slurry from the fridge.

I usually read these threads here and think "dude, relax, it just takes a bit longer". But now I find myself in the same boat... And I stress out badly.

Has there any change in gravity? I don’t see where you mention gravity at all. That would be the indicator.

 

[jlanius]

And what’s worse, as far as my other AG brews, this one went the smoothest. Nice rolling. Chilled quicker, first time using the wort chiller. No stuck sparge. I guess what I like about the smack packs is, you know without a doubt the yeast is activated.

 

[jlanius]

I don’t get it. OG was 1.048 I’m sure of it. Just took a gravity reading and it’s showing about 1.015 which is impossible.

 

[VikeMan]

I don’t get it. OG was 1.048 I’m sure of it. Just took a gravity reading and it’s showing about 1.015 which is impossible.

Assuming your hydrometer is good, it sounds like the bulk of the fermentation came and went while you weren't looking.

 

[monkeymath]

I'm currently at 72 hours with no activity might just be my first dumper ever.
Different yeast, though, and old slurry from the fridge.

I usually read these threads here and think "dude, relax, it just takes a bit longer". But now I find myself in the same boat... And I stress out badly.

Quick follow-up:
Today, *six days* after yeast pitch, fermentation has kicked off. By now, it's hard to tell what exactly is at work now, might just be bugs from the ambient air, I guess.

I feel tempted to just let it ride, then check if the gravity has dropped significantly (to ensure brewer's yeast was involved), and taste a sample if the smell is alright.
However, this might be dangerous in terms of botulism... ? Iirc hops should inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum, but I'm not sure if that's enough of a safeguard.

Thoughts?!

 

[monkeymath]

Quick follow-up:
Today, *six days* after yeast pitch, fermentation has kicked off. By now, it's hard to tell what exactly is at work now, might just be bugs from the ambient air, I guess.

I feel tempted to just let it ride, then check if the gravity has dropped significantly (to ensure brewer's yeast was involved), and taste a sample if the smell is alright.
However, this might be dangerous in terms of botulism... ? Iirc hops should inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum, but I'm not sure if that's enough of a safeguard.

Thoughts?!

I'm kind of losing my **** now.
It took SIX full days for fermentation to start, and then within a few hours it's "yeasts gone wild", spewing kraeusen through the airlock.
What the ...

 

[BrewZer]

So now it's time to second guess... did you aerate your wort before you pitched? How old was the yeast packet? How COLD was the yeast packet?

I agree with your decision to let it ride... you can taste it just before you keg/bottle it and decide whether or not to keep it then. But I'd lean toward bottling it unless it just absolutely sucks. I've had plenty of beers get better in the month or so between bottling and unbottling.

 

[monkeymath]

So now it's time to second guess... did you aerate your wort before you pitched? How old was the yeast packet? How COLD was the yeast packet?

I agree with your decision to let it ride... you can taste it just before you keg/bottle it and decide whether or not to keep it then. But I'd lean toward bottling it unless it just absolutely sucks. I've had plenty of beers get better in the month or so between bottling and unbottling.

It was definitely forces of evil at work. The smell was off - not actually terrible, more like a newborn sourdough - and the stuff that came through the top had the consistency of snot. Down the drain it went. And I spent my Saturday morning performing a major exorcism on my fermenter.

 

[bjlesm]

Just experienced this as well, 1.08 NEIPA with London III, took 48 hrs to get any activity, pitched 2 packs, hoping it picks up today, kind of slow at the moment