3 Days Since Pitch - No Activity

[BrownCow]

Hi all,

I have put together my 10th ever brew (James Squire Amber Ale) and it doesnt seem to have started fermenting yet after 3 days. All my other brews tend to start (lots of airlock activity) with the first 24 hours.

Now the main differences are many:

1. New fermenter - same size/shape/colour etc as my other one - standard 30L barrel
2. Different airlock - my old one has the 'S' bend type, but the new one is like a little 2-piece bucket thing
3. Safale US-05 yeast @ 17-18deg - I usually do lagers with Saflager yeasts @13deg.

I pitched the yeast (and mixed it in) @29deg, then chucked it under the house where is stays a constant of between 17-18 deg.

So, I opened the lid this morning and peeked, and there is no froth whatsoever on the top of the wort......

Suggestions? Do i just leave it and hope it starts?

Thanks, in advance for any advice.....

 

[Pennywise]

Did you let the yeast come up to ambient temp before pitching?(assuming you keep yeast in the fridge) Going from fridge temp to 29 deg would have shocked the yeast. Did you "proof" it? I would be a liitle concerned about the fact you opened the fermenter with no activity. I would get another yeast in there pronto

 

[BrownCow]

The yeast was sitting on the counter at room temp for an hour or so (~25 deg) but was stored under the stairs, not in the fridge, which prob would have been ~20 deg.

Did I "proof" it? Hmmm........ that depends on what proofing is Sorry for the noob'iness.

 

[Pennywise]

Proofing is putting the yeast in a cup of cool boiled water, 25-30 deg would do, letting it sit so it puffs up then add a little bit of wort gently stiring every 5 or so mins for the next half hour. You should start to see the yeast do it's thing, if not, it's a dud, but that rarely happens. Although I dont do it personally it is recomended. I'm sure someone else has better info on proofing for you, as I said i don't do it

 

[barry2]

Hello Brown Cow.

I have US-05 in a brew at the moment.I rehydrated the yeast by adding it to 150ml of cooled boiled water(23C) in a sterilized cup.Left it covered for 10 minutes,stirred it and added it to the brew (21C) at noon on a Saturday.At 6am next morning my three piece airlock was bubbling at the rate of 24 bubbles a minute and the surface was covered with about 2cm of froth (krausen).
If the surface of your brew is completely clear it may be
1.The yeast was past its use by date.
2.The yeast had a temperature shock as referred to previously.

I suggest you buy another packet of US-05.

 

[hazz20]

Having the same trouble with my ale, 24hrs in and nothing doing. If the yeast was 'shocked' going from cold to warm, does that mean it's stuffed and a new pack is needed, or will it come good?

Hazz

 

[raven19]

Brown Cow,
A few other items for consideration:
1. Did you take an initial Hydrometer reading? If not maybe take one now, then another in 2 days - if its dropping you should be ok.
2. It is possible that there is a slightly air leak in your lid (lid rubber could have a grain or similar stuck in it letting air out), a fellow brewer and I have sometimes had issued with no airlock bubbling - however our gravity still dropped and beer was fine. Hence we had a small leak in our lid. Another mates fermenter has not bubbled for years but is still fine, no infections.
3. I repitched another yeast in a recent stout, however it was not required as my airlock was not working - my gravity was already dropping, and beer was being made!

Hope this is of help.
Best of luck.
Cheers.

 

[BrownCow]

1. Did you take an initial Hydrometer reading? If not maybe take one now, then another in 2 days - if its dropping you should be ok.

Yep, I did take an initial reading so I will have a look to see if it has changed. I am not optimistic that it will have changed because of the lack of foam on top of the wort, ie, the surface is completely clear. Not sure if this is a difinitive sign or not....

 

[raven19]

That certainly sounds like no yeast action then... the hydrometer will give an accurate outcome to see if things have changed. A spare yeast to keep in the fridge could be to go from now on though. I would also be wary of remving the lid - increase chance of infection.
Looking forward to hearing it goes well for you though!

 

[BrownCow]

Hmm, looks like I am not going to be able to get to my LHB until tomorrow arvo!!!! Doh! Anyone know how long the wort might last without yeast??? it will be ~ 4.5 days once I get the new yeast in there.....

 

[stm]

What was last night's hydro reading?

 

[BrownCow]

I have only done OG reading 3 days ago, once I get home ~5:30pm sarvo I will get a new reading and post it.

 

[Pennywise]

Hmm, looks like I am not going to be able to get to my LHB until tomorrow arvo!!!! Doh! Anyone know how long the wort might last without yeast??? it will be ~ 4.5 days once I get the new yeast in there.....

I think 4-5 days is pushing the friendship especially considering you opened the fermenter, but it's made now so midas well keep on truckin'. That's not to say it's doomed for sure

 

[rclemmett]

Hmm, looks like I am not going to be able to get to my LHB until tomorrow arvo!!!! Doh! Anyone know how long the wort might last without yeast??? it will be ~ 4.5 days once I get the new yeast in there.....

It's hard to say but I've the same situation before and it went 4 days until I got some new yeast in and it turned fine, no infection.

 

[raven19]

Cleanliness will go a long way to determining infection in the beer or not. maybe give the wort a stir with your sanitised paddle and grab a sample (with sanitised equipment) for tasting - not sure if it will be too early to tell though?
As per other's comments, I would pitch the yeast anyway. Youve spent some $$$ on the wort, best to turn it to beer, drink, and learn from the taste.
I would say you should be ok though.

 

[rclemmett]

It's hard to say but I've the same situation before and it went 4 days until I got some new yeast in and it turned fine, no infection.

Checked my brew log and it was actually five days before I got a new batch in.

 

[staggalee]

well, you were bloody lucky to get away with that :beerbang:

staggalee.

 

[EVOSTi]

without starting a new thread im having a similar problem.
brewing my first lager in a fermenting fridge with saflager at 12 degrees. pitched at 23 on sunday night and no activity. i did put the yeast in after taking it out of the fridge so i spose it could be shocked? i guess all i can do is buy another pack of yeast and chuck it in and hope to save it.

 

[datman510]

probably best to check your gravity reading, stupid airlocks. what was your OG? have you rechecked it?

 

[BrownCow]

Well, it seems that (as I have read in every book/on every forum) you should ONLY trust your hydrometer in these situtations. My SG has magically droppped from 1057 --> 1049 with very little visual indication that it was doing anything! Although, when I got home last night and checked it again (I just twist the top off, lift it 1/2 inch and peek in), there is about a 1 inch ring of very fine bubbles around the outer edge of the top of the wort.

I reckon I will just let it do it's stuff and see how it goes. I might also buy an S-bend type airlock for my new fermenter as well, as my other one always gives me an acurate indication of when I should be confirming sith SG readings that it is ready to bottle...

Thanks for your advice everyone, I will post the results once/if it's done.