Ok been over 72 hours and no signs of fermenting starting

[tankmech]

Ok Sunday afternoon I brewed a weizenbeir from brewers best. As of today I still have not seen any signs of fermentation. not really site what to do next. Any ideas would be helpful. Going to take a gravity reading as soon as I am finished with dinner.

 

[freisste]

What signs have you not seen?

Any gravity measurements?

Temp when yeast was pitched and temp held since?

 

[RM-MN]

There are 3 signs of fermentation. First and by far the least reliable is airlock activity. Second it the presence of krausen. Much more reliable than the airlock but sometimes the only way you know you had krausen is the presence of the ring of gunk it leaves which looks a lot like the gunk left from the bubbles when you aerated. The third is to use the hydrometer to test for gravity. If the gravity is less than what the expected OG for an extract kit or measured OG for all grain you have fermentation. This is the only sure way to tell.

 

[skullface1818]

Agreed, more details are needed......but what I would suggest you not do is panic and do something drastic. I've had the same problem before when I let a starter of yeast sit for too long. it went dormant and it took almost 4 days for activity to pop up, and in the meantime I freaked out and took it out of my fermentation chest freezer. I figured that more heat might start things up!

Good thing it was not outside for too long!

 

[tankmech]

Ok cracked it open, no krausen ring, og was exactly the same as when I pitched the yeast. I think I may have pitched the yeast to hot. The temp is still at 70. Probably killed the yeast, but not sure. Going to cool it a bit and wait again. Or what are some suggestions?

 

[freisste]

What yeast and what pitch temp? I'm going out on a limb and guessing no starter?

 

[tankmech]

It was a dry Munich yeast. That came with the kit. Followed instructions on line about getting the dry yeast going. Pitch temp was I believe 76. Don't have my notes with me downstairs.

 

[jrgtr42]

It was a dry Munich yeast. That came with the kit. Followed instructions on line about getting the dry yeast going. Pitch temp was I believe 76. Don't have my notes with me downstairs.

Usually yeast will survive anything up to about 100 degrees, so 76 (Fahrenheit, right?) wouldn't be a problem. Worst that would do is give some off flavors to the finished product.
What instructions did you follow to get the yeast going?
At this point I would recommend getting thyself to a LHBS, get another pack or 2 of yeast and pitching that.
At this point, don't worry about a starter, just get it in there and working.

 

[peterj]

What instructions did you follow? Did you rehydrate? What temperature and how? What was the gravity and how much did you brew? 5 gallons?

Don't cool it. That will slow it down even more. 70F and 76F are nowhere near hot enough to kill yeast. Yeast are actually most "comfortable" at around 100F. But brewers like to keep them in the 60s or so.

 

[tankmech]

The instructions came of the danistar Web site. It was a 5 gal extract kit from brewers best. Og started at 1.046. For days later it is the same. Won't be able to get to my lhbs till Friday to pick up some yeast. If I keep the bucket sealed up will the wort survive until then?

 

[C-Rider]

It was a dry Munich yeast. That came with the kit. Followed instructions on line about getting the dry yeast going. Pitch temp was I believe 76. Don't have my notes with me downstairs.

I always pitch dry yeast when it gets below 78*. LIving in Hawai`i hard to get lower than your water temp. LOL Never had fermentation not start but often no bubbles. Also I never use a starter, but then I'm only making 2 gallon batches so there is plenty of yeast to go around.

 

[GASoline71]

Did you oxygenate the wort? Give the fermenter a shake?

Gary

 

[tankmech]

Yea gave it done good shakes, like I always do. I will give it till Friday after work, if still nothing I will run to my lhbs and pick up some yeast. Then re pitch it.

 

[freisste]

Any idea how old the yeast was? That's my last idea.

As was said, there's no way you killed it at 76 and there's no way it went to sleep because 70 is more than warm enough.

Plus you shook up the wort to oxygenate. Really all you could have done better was use pure O2 and rehydrate the yeast (if you didn't...that was unclear to me).

So I'm stumped. You gravity isn't particularly high, so it's not like the yeast should have had an exceptionally long lag phase for reproduction...unless your pitch rate was actually extremely low (yeast was not viable for some reason).

 

[tankmech]

I don't remember the date on the package. Did the same I always do when brewing. So I am stumped also. So hopefully come Friday when I can get to my home brew store the wort will still be good.

 

[jrgtr42]

Waiting almost a week for things sure isn't ideal for the wort, but if it's still sealed, you should be OK. I know you opened it at least once, to check that the gravity is still the same.
Don't open it until you pitch the new yeast, make sure your airlock is full, that's all you can do for now.

 

[andy6026]

Do you recall what temperature you rehydrated the yeast at?

My only two guesses is that you either got a pack of unviable yeast (who knows, it could have got fried in storage or in transport), or you murdered it (tee hee) when you rehydrated it.

 

[tankmech]

Just a update, finally my beer has started to ferment. Hopefully it turns out good tasting. Thank you all for your advice.