Slow To Start Yeast

[aking]

2 days 2 questions

as well as doing my first extract brew its my first time using liquid yeast and i pitched it at the perfect temp of 22deg its a white labs yeast. Anyway we are now 24 hours later and still no action from the air lock and its sealed as i can get movement when i squeeze it.

Do these yeasts take a while to wake up ? there is no foam or froth on top of the wort just a bit worried that if there's no good yeast in there working something else may get in ?

 

[Swinging Beef]

Mate, there is probably nothing to worry about.
I'm assuming you smacked the pack and let it swell before you pitched it.
Real lager yeast rarely makes a massive krausen, and air lock activity is no (or at best, a poor) indication of fermentation, anyway.

There is an excellent thread in the FAQ about fermentation and airlock activity I recommend you read before someone here with their head up their arse, flames you for not searching first.

 

[chadjaja]

I make starters with all my liquid yeasts and they usually go off like firecrackers. Some strains are slower starting more than others though and that info is usually on the company website or available with a quick forum search. I'd give it a bit longer and not worry too much. Was the whitelabs meant for a full batch?

 

[aking]

yeah it said it was pitchable but from what everyone is saying maybe a starter next time would be the go

 

[manticle]

Smack it, let it swell and at least feed it some dme until you see a bit of krausen. Use boiled cooled water and cover it. If the temp gets high, pour off the top liquid, if you can keep it to 20 just pitch the whole lot.

That's my lazy starter way - I recommend you at least read about the proper way of starting and building but my way is easy, proves the yeast is viable and gets it to a point where it's hungry.

 

[aking]

2 days and we have movement in the air lock hopefully slow and steady is a winner with an OG of 1070. thanks

 

[chadjaja]

With an OG of 1070 I definitely would of made a starter though. I'd say you have underpitched but it will still be ok.

 

[aking]

so will it just take longer or will in not ferment to a gravity as low as it probably should have

 

[aking]

seems like this yeast is a monster its come down from 1070 to about 1015 thus far. once it woke up it just did its thing.