Pellicle before active fermentation?

[bovineblitz]

I did a sour 6 days ago with ECY Flemish Blend, also threw dregs from a Cantillon two days in. I haven't seen any activity at all, just the formation of thin oily sorta brett-like looking pellicle. There has been zero motion in the wort or activity at all. I've done over half a dozen sours and haven't seen this before.

Normal? Pitch some more sacch? Any thoughts?

 

[Calder]

I think not getting activity for a few days is a good thing. Lets the bugs get off to a good start. However, I usually pitch some fresh sacc if I haven't seen anything after a few days. A belgian if I have it available. I usually have plenty of slurry around.

I pitch the sacc to make sure the beer ferments with sacc; eventually the brett will run the primary if you don't get sacc in there.

 

[bovineblitz]

Yeah, I figured 6 days is enough to warrant some more sacch. I don't have anything belgian laying around so added half a pack of S05. I figure if there's any sacch working at all it should create some flavor compounds, and if not the cali strain will at least do the work.

 

[dantheman13]

Yeah, if I don't get visible signs of fermentation after 7 days, I will pitch some Sacch. I think that if you go too long you can expose the beer to oxygen/infection. I let one go for a month once before pitching more yeast, and it turned out very oxidated (although that could have also come letting the airlocks go dry for too long).

 

[mothershipbrewing]

I'm also experiencing this right now. It's been about 72 hours since I pitched a slurry of 677, Beersel Brett and Cascade Dregs I had saved from my last Berliner. My last one I started with 677 only, added the Brett and Dregs after a few days, & pitched warm, like 100-110. I wasnt considering the Brett in the mix this time and pitched a little warmer like 115 probably and wonder if I did the Brett in.

I purged it with co2 and wrapped it in a blanket like last time except its no longer warm enough to keep it in my shed as it was back in July. Anyway, theres a good looking pellicle forming but Ive had no activity in my blowoff jug. Not sure what I should do here?

I was going to take a gravity reading to see if any sugars have been consumed if I dont see anything by tomorrow.

 

[bovineblitz]

Necro-ing this thread to say that the beer turned out phenomenal. Churning fermentation did occur after a couple more days but it was never all that violent. An initial lack of activity isn't really something I worry about anymore.