Recovery from failed pitch?

[bbriscoe]

I brewed a Golden Ale on Sunday and direct pitched it with a seasonal WYeast 3739 that I had picked up last Summer and kept in the fridge since.

No activity whatsoever at 65 degrees house temp. I can't get any more 3739 so my plan is to either repitch it with Dual 1214's tonight, or buy one 1214 and create a 1L starter then repitch the starter tomorrow?

Which is preferable? Is there risk to letting the wort sit essentially unpitched for another day or two? Or sit grossly underpitched (would that be worse if I'm actually getting some activity but only enough to create off-flavors?).

If that is risky then I can just buy two of the 1214's and pitch ASAP before anymore time elapses.

 

[schokie]

You make a starter?

For comparison, I pitched a healthy glob of slurry of Wyeast 1098 saved from previous brew day 6 months ago. I aerated and used DAP, but no starter. Normally I would, but excuses, etc. No signs of fermentation until today, but now I have the beginning of a krausen.

Here's the situation you and I are in: the extra-long lag time increases the chance of infection and off-flavors from stressed yeast. If you followed good brewing practices and sanitized, you're probably safe from infection. Check out no chill brewing for confidence building. For the off-favors, not much to be done now other than control fermentation temps in a hope of minimizing off-flavors.

If your yeast is truly dead, then please repitch. Otherwise I think the damage is already done with extended lag phase flavor compounds already present.

If you made a starter, then disregard all after hello. You'll be fine. Just long lag phase for whatever reason. How are you defining activity? Try bumping fermentation temp up a couple degrees.

 

[Huds]

I think your yeast wasn't very viable. Lag phase usually takes 24 hrs but it may take a few days for activity to occur. I would wait another day. If no activity is present then pitch with two packs of the yeast of your liking.

If your sanitation practices are sound you shouldn't worry about it too much.

Good luck!