I brewed an Oktoberfest on the 15th (approximately 3 days ago). I cooled the wart to 60 degrees and pitched the yeast dry. It is currently sitting in the guest house behind the main house at 52 degrees. There has been no sign of fermentation at all. Did I make a mistake by pitching at that low of a temp? Should I re-pitch? Or should I bring it in to a warmer temp to get fermentation started?
lager has no signs of fermentation at day 3.
- Thread starter JDSanders
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
What was the name of the yeast you pitched? For dry I think you would of been better with a double pitch at those temps. Take a hydrometer reading to see if it has budged at all.
What is your definition of a sign of fermentation? A bubbling airlock is NOT an accurate indicator of whether or not fementation is occurring. Especially with lagers because, since it's fermented cooler more co2 is retained in solution and therefore there's little if any EXCESS co2 escaping and needing to be vented out of the airlock.
The hydrometer is the best way.
The hydrometer is the best way.
I haven't taken a hydrometer reading yet (I fumbled my old one while taking the OG and am waiting for a new one in the mail). But there is no visible signs (no krausen) looks and smells the same as the day I put it in the fermenter.
SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
Just checking. A lot of the "lager" kits sometimes come with just generic ale yeast that work ok at cooler temps. Take a hydro reading, if it's not moved at all then either warm it up for re-pitch more yeast or both.
i have the same kit with the same yeast and maybe the same problems. it's also been 3 days and nothing visible. but i am looking for the same signs as i do with ale fermentation (this is my first lager) pitched at 60 as well, but my temp as been steady at around 58. the yeast is brewferm lager yeast 12g packet. says the the temp range is 50-59. i am very curious for some thoughts on this
The same answer, the only "visible" sign of fermentation that will tell you what is happening is the number on a hydrometer. If you don't take a grav reading, then all you are doing is making a conjecture based on usually inaccurate signs, like what an airlock is or isn't doing.
Lagers, especially fermented cold, take lots of yeast, and great aeration. If you didn't hydrate the yeast before pitching, you may have underpitched by 75%, as half the yeast may have died with dry pitching. I just did a Bock, pitched lots of yeast at 50, oxygenated for 2 min., and it still took 36 hrs. to start fermenting. I would add more yeast after hydrating, re-aerate.
