wyeast not fermenting

jetski33 · Feb 9, 2014

I brewed a Belgian Dubbel with Wyeast 20 hours ago and no hint of fermentation-wort is not even close to a single bubble.First time i have used a liguid smack pack yeast.I smacked it and kept it at right temp,it swelled some but not a lot,is this batch ruined?do i add yeast from another exctract kit?I also shook it up good so i know it was not a problem of mixing.Thanks for any help!I did not take a reading and noticed a kind of snarky comment on a similar thread about wyeast and to wait 72 hours so no need to respond to this-i am just a little panicky since this is the first time i have not had a visible ferementation on top.

unionrdr · Feb 9, 2014

Liquid yeast usually need a starter in anything above 1.060 or so in my experiences. for a dubbel,you might not have pitched enough yeast. It can take a couple days to get going.

BigFloyd · Feb 9, 2014

unionrdr said:
Liquid yeast usually need a starter in anything above 1.060 or so in my experiences. for a dubbel,you might not have pitched enough yeast. It can take a couple days to get going.

This ^^^^^.

I'd actually recommend doing a starter when using liquid yeast for any ale over 1.040, especially if the vial or smack pack isn't super fresh. For a dubbel, you're looking at 1.062-1.075 OG. An appropriate size starter is a must.

A packet of decently fresh (or stored in the fridge) dry yeast, properly rehydrated, is good for a 5-gallon ale up to 1.060 since it has in the neighborhood of 200-220 billion cells.

BansheeRider · Feb 9, 2014

jetski33 said:
I brewed a Belgian Dubbel with Wyeast 20 hours ago and no hint of fermentation-wort is not even close to a single bubble.First time i have used a liguid smack pack yeast.I smacked it and kept it at right temp,it swelled some but not a lot,is this batch ruined?do i add yeast from another exctract kit?I also shook it up good so i know it was not a problem of mixing.Thanks for any help!I did not take a reading and noticed a kind of snarky comment on a similar thread about wyeast and to wait 72 hours so no need to respond to this-i am just a little panicky since this is the first time i have not had a visible ferementation on top.

No your batch is not ruined. What was the OG and the manufacturing date of the yeast?

stpug · Feb 9, 2014

Assuming your gravity was not above 1.070, I actually think you may have done a good thing by not making a starter. Generally speaking, starters are a good thing and a form of insurance to create a good beer. In the case of a Belgian beer, you should be pitching on the low side to increase ester formation which is what makes a belgian a belgian. Additionally, since you most likely did pitch on the low side (a good thing for belgians and other ester-dominant styles) you will be looking at a significantly increased lag time. As long as you're sitting at a good temperature, I would not worry about this beer. Just hand tight and it will likely work out very well and belgiany.