How long do I have?

[Buckeye_dad15]

I did my first all grain batch of a Rogue dead man ale clone on Saturday evening. Checked last night and noticed it's not bubbling and my OG is still the same so I would imagine I need to repitch yeast. First mistake was probably not making a starter and I just pitched a dry pack.
My problem is I coach a HS ball team and with my work/game schedule, the earliest I can get to the homebrew store is probably Thursday. My question is my batch ruined or would I be able to repitch yeast(a starter batch this time) and be ok?

 

[kev211]

Patience grasshopper. Sometimes it can take up to 72 hours for signs of fermentation to show. Check today for activity. Yeasties are more resilient than you think. They'll take off and do their thing. If not, then it should be fine waiting til thursday when you can repitch

Edit: Like AlesofAnarchy said, if you do have to repitch... Re-oxygenate it.

 

[AlesofAnarchy]

Buckeye, a lot of unknown factors here, however I would wait another day before you let the panic set in! I'm assuming this is a higher gravity wort, so a starter would've been in order. The longer it takes to kick off the higher risk of bacterial infection. How well you sanitized will come in to play, after a couple days I usually go bat**** if I don't see any action, so I know that sinking feeling of a stalled fermentation. If you sanitized really well you might be OK, obviously the sooner you can re pitch the better. Make sure to get some oxygen in that wort

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

What temp was the wort when you pitched the yeast? I pitched dry yeast on top of the wort all the time without issue. I've never seen/heard of bum dry yeast packets, not to the point of zero activity over the course of 3 days.

Was the packet *really really* old, or had been treated very badly like placed in 120F+ conditions? Did you take the hydrometer samples at the same temperatures with the same hydrometers? Or did you take samples with a hydrometer and then refractometer? If there has been fermentation and you are looking at the gravity with the refractometer the alcohol can skew the results.

 

[Buckeye_dad15]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm fairly new to brewing(3 batches so far, first all grain) so of course I started reading more about starters AFTER I brewed this batch lol It's a 1.066 OG which everything I read said should really have a starter for.
I'm pretty OCD with my cleaning and sanitation Alesofanarchy so I hope to be alright there. I pitched the yeast at 64 and took a hydrometer reading at 64 both times Arkot so that reading should be the same and the place I buy my stuff at seems to keep his ingredients sealed and temp controlled, but I will dig the packet out and see if there was a date on it to be safe.
I just remembered my HS game is in the town of my homebrew store tomorrow, so I can probably get one of my asst. to ride the bus so I can drive and make a stop before the game. Don't think stopping the team bus at the homebrew store will be a good idea lol
Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated!

 

[HB_in_Subic]

For a 1.066 OG, I would use two packets of dry yeast. If you rehydrate, use tap water that has been brought to boil and cooled. Distilled is not good for yeast. I usually add about a teaspoon of Fermex to the rehydrated yeast to help it along.

 

[kurtnotkirk]

WHEW! Thank you! I just brewed my second batch last night, an IPA, which is my first attempt at all grain brewing. I pitched the yeast at about 10:30pm, and went to bed. I got up around 3am for a drink of water and saw absolutely zero activity, and a lot of sediment at the bottom. I saw this thread and am very relieved.

 

[Buckeye_dad15]

Walked in last night to check and it was bubbling away finally! But from now on I will make starters to alleviate the lag time and my worrying