primary fermentation

[The_Dutch]

hello all,
So i want to start off by apologizing for this thread. i am new to the forum, and i am still trying to figure the page out.

anyway,i did a kama citra IPA extract brew the other day and everything went great. That is, until my thermometer took a **** just as i started to cool the wort. It was late, and no place was open to go buy one, so i took a guess at the temp. I took a hydrometer reading, and when i dumped the tube, i felt the temp, and it was cool to the touch. I pitched the yeast, and set it down in my basement. I came across it 48 hours later and had zero activity in the airlock. I know that is not a surefire way to tell, but i am wondering if the temperature being wrong could have an effect on my fermentation. I know it was not too warm, so i am leaning more towards the cold route. Will too cold of wort, kill the yeast? Will it just take longer to take off? i'd really like some answers guys so any info will help. Thanks
The_Dutch

 

[Revvy]

Well, you said it, that airlock activity is NOT a good indicator... if you really want to know you take a gravity reading... But I wouldn't even bother for a few more days. There's a sticky at the top of the beiginners forum that say "fermentation can take up to 72 hours to take off.)

Just walk away and relax.

 

[tomwhit19]

i had the same reaction as you after my first all grain brew...simply put like @Revvy said just walk away and relax for a few days then take a gravity reading

 

[SlitheryDee]

Cold won't kill the yeast. If the wort was what you would call "cool" to the touch, it was probably in the 70 degree range. That isn't bad for the yeast at all. In fact, it would have been ok if it was 60 degrees, and that would've felt flat out cold to the touch. You're probably just in the lag period, which can last as long as 3 days.