Over 48 hours and No Fermentation Happening

[Jeff Murphy]

It has been over 48 hours and it does not appear to be any fermentation happening, all of my previous batches bubbled up to the point where i had to use an overflow.

I think my issue is I may have pitched the yeast with the Wort too hot, I was using a new larger pot to do a 5 gal batch, the temperature gauge was closer to the surface and i don't think the reading was accurate. I dropped the wort into the carboy when the reading was at 70, I let it sit about 30-45 min before pitching the Yeast. I noticed when i went to move the Carboy the glass was quite warmer than previous batches.

It is a 5 gal batch in a 6.5 gal carboy so lots of air, not sure if I killed the yeast or it is just slow fermenting due to the air in the Carboy.

Can this batch be saved?

 

[glenn514]

When I pitch rehydrated yeast, I aim for a temperature around 80°F. The water I use to rehydrate the yeast is also at about 80°F. Maybe 70 is too low???

glenn514

 

[TwistedGray]

Try another batch of yeast; it won't hurt anything.

 

[kh54s10]

You want to rehydrate in warm water. Some yeast companies suggest 90 and I have seen up to 110 if I recall correctly. Regardless 70 is not nearly too cold. In fact I never pitch that warm. I usually pitch at 64-68 degrees and keep the fermentation temperature there.

5 gallons in a 6.5 gallon carboy is pretty normal so that should not be an issue.

Is there any Krausen? Any churning in the wort? Next would be to take a gravity reading and see if it is dropping.

Then pitch more yeast.

 

[jjw5015]

When I pitch rehydrated yeast, I aim for a temperature around 80°F. The water I use to rehydrate the yeast is also at about 80°F. Maybe 70 is too low???

glenn514

70 is not too low. Depending on the beer style, and your ability to control ferm temps, it's actually too high as fermentation can get the temp up near 80 if you start at 70.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I dropped the wort into the carboy when the reading was at 70, I let it sit about 30-45 min before pitching the Yeast. I noticed when i went to move the Carboy the glass was quite warmer than previous batches.

It is a 5 gal batch in a 6.5 gal carboy so lots of air, not sure if I killed the yeast or it is just slow fermenting due to the air in the Carboy.

We generally ferment at temperatures well below the optimum temperature for yeast growth, in order to reduce off-flavours. But in the lab yeast are typically grown at ~86F, and ale strains will typically survive up to 100F+. So unless your thermometer was hugely off, then no, you haven't killed your yeast.

And yeast need oxygen to "breathe", so no, air won't hurt it, quite the opposite in fact!

You've not mentioned what kind of yeast you're using (dry, liquid, harvested?), but there's nothing in what you've described that would have killed it. Was it in date, had it been stored properly? Bubbles in the airlock are not a reliable guide to fermentation, they won't appear if there's a leak somewhere. Are you using the same kind of yeast as before?

It's always a good idea to have a pack of dry yeast in the fridge just in case of emergencies, I'd probably give it another 24 hours and then pitch more yeast.

 

[Jeff Murphy]

We generally ferment at temperatures well below the optimum temperature for yeast growth, in order to reduce off-flavours. But in the lab yeast are typically grown at ~86F, and ale strains will typically survive up to 100F+. So unless your thermometer was hugely off, then no, you haven't killed your yeast.

And yeast need oxygen to "breathe", so no, air won't hurt it, quite the opposite in fact!

You've not mentioned what kind of yeast you're using (dry, liquid, harvested?), but there's nothing in what you've described that would have killed it. Was it in date, had it been stored properly? Bubbles in the airlock are not a reliable guide to fermentation, they won't appear if there's a leak somewhere. Are you using the same kind of yeast as before?

It's always a good idea to have a pack of dry yeast in the fridge just in case of emergencies, I'd probably give it another 24 hours and then pitch more yeast.

 

[Jeff Murphy]

Sorry, here is a picture of the Carboy, there is very little action.

I used liquid White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast, I am brewing a cream ale, the yeast was stored in the fridge, i took it out about 3 hours to pitching to bring to room temperature. It is in the same Carboy and air lock as last batch. it is store between 68 and 70.

I used the same yeast the last time i brewed an IPA.

If i pitch more yeast is it better keep in the same fermentor or move to a new one?

 

[kh54s10]

That certainly looks like nothing is happening.

How old was the yeast. That is all I can think of because it seems that you did everything else properly.
Unless the temperature of the wort when you pitched was really in the range of 140F.

 

[kh54s10]

Look into making starters. You really should make a starter for any but the lowest gravity beers anyway. If you make a starter you will know if the yeast is viable before you get to pitching time.

 

[Jeff Murphy]

That certainly looks like nothing is happening.

How old was the yeast. That is all I can think of because it seems that you did everything else properly.
Unless the temperature of the wort when you pitched was really in the range of 140F.

The temperature was not 140, it was less than 100.

The yeast should have been good, the expiry on it was not until August 2018

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Sorry, here is a picture of the Carboy, there is very little action.

I used liquid White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast, I am brewing a cream ale

Looks kinda dark for a cream ale? But it looks like there's a thin layer of foam on the top, suggesting it's just starting?

Did you do anything to oxygenate the wort?

But 48 hours is a long time by WLP001 standards. I'd be tempted to fit a sanitised cap and give it a good old shake, then go to the shop and get some Fermentis US-05 , Wyeast 1056 or fresh WLP001. If there's no further sign of activity within a few hours, then pitch the new yeast.

 

[Jeff Murphy]

Looks kinda dark for a cream ale? But it looks like there's a thin layer of foam on the top, suggesting it's just starting?

Did you do anything to oxygenate the wort?

But 48 hours is a long time by WLP001 standards. I'd be tempted to fit a sanitised cap and give it a good old shake, then go to the shop and get some Fermentis US-05 , Wyeast 1056 or fresh WLP001. If there's no further sign of activity within a few hours, then pitch the new yeast.

There was very minimal foam on top and it hadn't changed in 2 days.

I aerated it vigorously before pitching the yeast.

I have now given it a good old shake and pitched some US-05, fingers crossed i get some action now.

Thanks Everyone for the feedback, I appreciate the help!

 

[bpgreen]

It looks like there's a layer of trub on the bottom, which suggests that something has happened.

Have you checked the gravity? It's possible that fermentation started, but is just going more slowly than expected, which might produce trub with little krausen.

 

[Jeff Murphy]

After pitching the yeast again the fermentation process has started.

Thanks for all of the comments.