Wyeast Kolsch slow to start?

[hopmadness]

So it's been 24 hours now and nothing out of the air lock. When I shine a flashlight on top of the primary (so I can see in a bit)....doesn't even look like a krausen is forming (which is actually what concerns me). Anyone else have a slow start with this yeast.....thoughts on repitching. Oh yea....temp is at 60 F.

 

[Shawn Hargreaves]

Nothing to worry about. That's a nice cool temperature (perfect for a Kolsch) which will slow down yeast growth compared to a warmer fermentation. You want to keep it nice and cool and slow to get that clean Kolsch flavor. A day or two lag time is no problem at all.

 

[Brew-boy]

Was it healthy yeast you pitched? Did you make a starter?

 

[hopmadness]

It was a smack pack...so no starter. I know they're supposed to be slow based on other posts/comments here....but no sign of a krausen yet? I'll see how things go over the next few days

 

[ifishsum]

You can make a starter with a smack pack, in fact I always do. It makes for a faster start to fermentation, especially if you're keeping temps on the low side.

Haven't used that strain though. It should go if your pack swelled, I'd give it another 24-48 before I started worrying too much.

 

[GreenwoodRover]

I'm quickly coming to the realization that liquid yeast ABSOLUTELY needs a starter if you want a clean, quick beer.

I am right now sampling 2 recipes with similar base grains and IBU's (an irish red and an english brown). The brown was brewed a full week later than the red and was pitched with a healthy starter, the red did not have a starter. Both were fermented at the same temp. The brown is good, bordering on great, the red still has some time before I call it average...

EDIT:
BTW I brewed a Kolsch with the same wyeast as the OP last weekend. I made a 1.5L starter in a 1/2gal growler with 1.040 wort. I chilled and decanted the clear liquid. Pitched at 56F and within 6hours I had some nice airlock activity. By the next morning the temp from active ferm was creeping up to 60F so i put it in a cold water bath because on a 5.5Gal batch in a 6.5Gal Carboy, the krausen had risen to within 1" of the stopper.

 

[kuphish]

I've used that yeast strain and had a nise krausen within 24 hours. My pitching temperature was 65, though, so that may explain the faster start. I'd give it a little more time.

 

[Cookiebaggs]

I used this strain in a kölsch last month that I washed in 08. 10 months old!

Made a 1200 ml starter that took a day longer than usual on the stirplate but did take off.

I had 11 gallons at 57-58º and had blowoff! :rockin:

At 24 hours, you just have a little more lag time than usual. It will take off. I assume you aerated well?

 

[Saccharomyces]

Kolsch is a slow starter, 36-48 hour lag times are typical. I had a 36 hour lag when I pitched it into a starter! And the yeast was fresh, only 3 weeks after the mfg date, too.

 

[-Dan-]

I must be the lucky exeption! Whenever I use Wyeast Kolsch, the blow off tube gets busy in 12-18h with fermentation starting usually around 6-8h after pitching... and this without starter. Starter is even a little quicker.

 

[Mad_Milo]

As long as that smack pack puffed up, it'll start. If you pitched at 60, it's gonna take a bit to find the go pedal.

RDWHAHB

 

[Hammy71]

I dumped Ed Wort's Octoberfest (yeah,yeah....I know it's march..) on the yeast cake of his Kolsch on Saturday (WLP029). Expected a quick reaction from the fermentation (Kolsh with starter took off with 8 hrs...).... Well the Octoberfest (on the yeast cake) took over 24 hrs to even start (at 65 degrees), was getting a little worried but she's happily bubbling now. Only thing is the color of the foam in the carboy. Left side is a nice light color...the other half is really dark brown. Oh well....I'll just have to wait and see.....

 

[hopmadness]

Hmmm...48 hours after pitching and still no airlock activity, no sign of a kruasen when trying to shine a flashlight over the top to get a peek in at the surface. The smack pack didn't swell but I "smacked" it only a few hours before pitching....this has happened to me before with lager yeast.....so I just assumed that it was ok and probably just a slower yeast.

 

[dagamore]

kolsch style yeast is know for being very low flocculation, check the current specific gravity vs the start specific gravity. It might be going along fine, just not gassing all that much, also you might not have an air tight seal on the carboy/bucket, also I know in the past i have not had enough vodka in the airlock.

 

[hopmadness]

Well....for future reference.......72 hours later the Wyeast Kolsch is starting to bubble
Primary is at 60 degrees now and I'm psyched.

 

[clcchristiankc1]

I've used this yeast a few times slow to start but when it does watch out airlock blown ff usually blow off tube probably better option

 

[oceanselv]

Kolsch is actually an ale and a 60 temperature is slightly on the low side for an ale. As long as the yeast was good fermetnation should start. Give it a few days or perhaps raise your temp to about 68 and let it go.

Sorry about the double post. I'm not sure how to delete this

 

[oceanselv]

Kolsch is actually an ale and a 60 temperature is slightly on the low side for an ale. As long as the yeast was good fermetnation should start. Give it a few days or perhaps raise your temp to about 68 and let it go.