when do I get concerned about no fermentation?

[kevy_kev]

I smacked my Wyeast 2112 (California lager) pack on Sunday around 11 AM. When I pitched it at 8 that night it was barely swollen, maybe the bag had swollen an inch or so. I decided to pitch it anway into wort about 80 degress, a little warm but from what I read temp shouldnt kill yeast until in the low 100's. Nights are getting a little cooler now so the house is in the mid 60's and the carboy is about 65-68 degress.
As of this morning at 8:30 (about 36 hours later) there was still no fermentation. Should I give it more time or should I go and get more yeast tonight?

 

[Evan!]

Give it more time. Friday before last, I made a belgian dubbel, and pitched a Wyeast Belgian Abbey Activator pack directly into the wort with no starter. After a weekend of stressing out, and even going so far as to get a bunch of yeast from a local brewpub, fermentation finally started on Monday night, a full 3 days after pitching. Naturally, I was concerned about infection---sweet wort sitting for 3 days is sketchy---but when I racked into secondary this past weekend, it was, hands down, one of the best beers I've made. So if you have the cojones to stick it out, I'd do it. RDWHAHB...though, I must confess, I couldn't relax all weekend. Luckily it turned out well.

That was my yeast teaching me a lesson: always make a starter, and always aerate your wort. So I ordered an aeration kit from AHS, and this past weekend, made a winter warmer with starter-ized yeast and aerated wort....no lag time, and beautiful, vigorous fermentation. I'm never pitching without a starter again if I can help it.

 

[david_42]

72 hours and actually, you'll want it to cool down more. 65-68F is pushing it.

 

[kevy_kev]

It is still upstairs now. I usually keep my carboys at room temp until ferm. starts then they move to a closet in the basement where it is around 60 this time of year. The lady at the LHBS says 2112 is a room temp lagering yeast so it doesnt need to be in a fridge.

I did kind of aerate, well as much as I could. I strained the wort as it went into the carboy to get the hops out, then I shook the carboy for about 30 seconds. There was a nice froth on top that has all dropped now. I usually have a very active ferm. in less than 12 hours. This is only the second time I used liquid yeast.

Ahh well.. I will keep an eye on it. If I wasnt at work I would RDWHAHB

Thanks for everyones help. If I have nothing by tomorrow night I will repitch.

 

[david_42]

Is she from the UK? Wyeast says 58-68F for 2112. Froth is good, I think it's working.

 

[Mike-H]

It will start to go, trust me.... I havent been making starters and my liquid yeast always takes around 2-3 days to take off! I finally bought a starter kit so no more waiting for me...

 

[kevy_kev]

sorry Dave I should have mentioned I am cheap. In the winter my heat is set @ 62 so 58-68 falls right into my range for room temp. I do admit I pitched it a little warm, around 80.


Anyways.. counting down the clock so I can go home and Relax with a brew
think I am going to look into starters while I am relaxing.

 

[Evan!]

It will start to go, trust me.... I havent been making starters and my liquid yeast always takes around 2-3 days to take off! I finally bought a starter kit so no more waiting for me...

FYI: lag time is not a good thing. Sweet wort that's sitting around for 2-3 days with no fermentation is high risk for some kind of infection---there are tons of nasties that would love to beat your yeast to the punch...and not very many of them give the beer nice flavors.

In a perfect world, you should see fermentation within a few hours. This is why I started making starters---I got tired of stressing out over long lag times, wondering which little invisible bastards were trying to get at my wort. It's a small price to pay for such peace of mind. Not necessary, but not a bad idea either.

 

[kevy_kev]

I went home from work last night around 6:30 and checked on my beer. There were white spots on top of the beer that I was PRAYING were not an infection but instead the start of Kraussen. Still no sign of bubbles. By 8:30 I was getting a bubble every minute or 2. This morning at 8 I was getting a bubble every 3 seconds with about a half an inch of kraussen.
YIPPEEEEEE.... It is starting. Now to hope that 2 days wasnt long enough to get an infection. Tonight it will get moved to the basement to a cooler spot where I am probably going to let it sit until next weekend giving some extra time for the slow start.