Yeast Not Starting?

[Dawgchad]

I am at the beginning of my second big batch (5 gallon) of beer...a porter.

On my first batch, I used a trappist yeast. The packet was swelled huge after 3 hours and took off doing it's thing literally overnight. The thing was bubbling like a beast in less then 10 hours.

ON THIS BATCH, I used a British ale yeast. It had swelled slightly (maybe half as big as the first yeast had) after 4 hours, and I put it in because the packet clearly states that it does not need to completely swell.

So far, after 48 hours, the British Ale yeast is doing absolutely nothing. Nada. Zip. I have a big bucket of nothing happening.

The temperature has been kept perfectly within the range of both the recipe and the yeast packet instructions...at 71-72.

I'm thinking I need to warm it up? But really I'm grasping at straws.

HELP!!

Thanks,
Chad

 

[govner1]

Wyeast recommends 64°-72°F for their British Ale (1098). I'd cool it down to 66° & be patient.

 

[mfgann]

My Hefeweizen in the fermenter now took about 72 hours to take off (a white labs vial). It's went to work after that just fine.

I will mention that since then I've read that unless you can make a yeast starter, you should probably stick to the dry yeasts. That will be my game plan going forward. Fermentis safales seem to cover most basic styles.

Good luck

 

[Dawgchad]

Thanks. Will do.

 

[Dawgchad]

Yeast Starter?

I thought the nutrient packet and time to swell was the "Starter"?

 

[kh54s10]

Yeast Starter?

I thought the nutrient packet and time to swell was the "Starter"?

The packet is nutrient and just proofs and energizes the yeast.
The purpose of a starter is to grow more yeast cells. It is a small unmalted beer that is fermented and you increase the cell count.

The first beer was probably a weaker beer with a vigorous yeast.

The porter is a big beer and the yeast is often less vigorous. Have you looked it the bucket for signs of krausen? Have you taken a gravity reading?
Buckets are notorious for frightening new brewers as the lid leaks and they don't see the airlock bubbling, inside the beer is happily fermenting.

Since you did not pitch the optimum number of yeast cells it will probably just take a little longer.

Do not get too worried for another couple of days.

 

[kh54s10]

Check out these sites for information on making starters:

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

http://www.yeastcalc.co/homebrew-calculators

http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

 

[jbb3]

I will mention that since then I've read that unless you can make a yeast starter, you should probably stick to the dry yeasts. That will be my game plan going forward. Fermentis safales seem to cover most basic styles.

Good luck

For higher gravity beers, a yeast starter becomes more important to get the cell count up. But anything below 060 (5 gal batch) a direct pitch from a smack pack/vial should be fine.

 

[Dawgchad]

Have you looked it the bucket for signs of krausen? Have you taken a gravity reading?

Yes. Nothing at all.

I will lower temp to 66 and be patient.

 

[JonM]

Gravity reading?

My last brew (also a porter with British ale yeast) took off like a rocket 10 hours after pitching, raged like crazy until 24 hours after pitching, then slowed to nothing, which I find is really typical for WLP002/1968. That was at 64 degrees. You're at 70+, so I'd say there is a pretty good likelihood that it fermented out in less than 24 hours and you missed it. Take a gravity reading, if you haven't already.

 

[Dawgchad]

Gravity reading?

My last brew (also a porter with British ale yeast) took off like a rocket 10 hours after pitching, raged like crazy until 24 hours after pitching, then slowed to nothing, which I find is really typical for WLP002/1968. That was at 64 degrees. You're at 70+, so I'd say there is a pretty good likelihood that it fermented out in less than 24 hours and you missed it. Take a gravity reading, if you haven't already.

I did not miss it. It was checked visually every 8 hours.

Gravity check once.

 

[Dawgchad]

As I recheck everything. My yeast is British Ale II. Would that make a difference?

https://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=141

 

[Dawgchad]

UPDATE: Yeast took off and did a fine job all by itself.