Wyeast 2206 Bavarian Lager is so so slow...

[Mirilis]

I brewed an Oktoberfestbier over the weekend for our clubs quarterly brew and I decided on this yeast because my lhbs don't carry WLP833. I made a half gallon starter and put 2 packs in it which is what the Mr. Malty calculator told me.

I pitched and aerated Monday morning at 6 am.. it's now exactly 72 hours later. I know that airlock activity is not the best sign of early Fermentation but I use a Speidel and can't see anything... Even so after three days I would have expected to see some... The starter I made the Wednesday before and it seemed to take forever also.. I left it on the stirplate around 24-28 hours then capped it and let it ferment out but it never really stopped... Come Saturday I put it in the fridge and it kept fermenting all the way till I pitched it.

Anyone else experienced slowness in this yeast? Typically I use WLP 830 or 833.. and W34/70 and don't experience near the lag time.

 

[eRicphtgr]

did you just overshot by heating up the starter this way?

 

[MrPowers]

What temp are you fermenting at?

 

[STMF]

Was your starter on your stove with the yeast in it?

 

[Mirilis]

Was your starter on your stove with the yeast in it?

LOL, no.. that was just to show that i made a 2 liter starter.. i didnt have a larger flask by the time i came around to putting the two smack packs in so i moved it to a thick PET 1gallon Jug.

 

[Mirilis]

What temp are you fermenting at?

The night before pitch i put the jug in the fermenter fridge (which is set for 50F).. so the starter should have been at 50 and the wort temp is holding strong at 50

 

[Mirilis]

did you just overshot by heating up the starter this way?

I always boil my starters this way now.. i put the water in teh flask and set it on the heat. Once it gets to around 150 or so i shut off the gas and mix in DME. Then i put it back on gas till it starts to boil and as long as i keep an eye on it then it doesnt boil over or anything. Keeps me from using SWMBO's sauce pans and having more crap to clean up, while also sanitizing the inner flask.

I put the foil over the top and then dunk it in an ice bath to cool

 

[Mirilis]

Nm... I looked in the tank and it had a thick (for a lager) krausen layer.. turns out my spiedel leaked co2

 

[stevehaun]

2206 is my go-to lager yeast. It is very reliable and usually ferments out in less than 2 weeks.