Airlock activity at 7 hrs & nothing after 16 hrs. Please Help.

[ReggieDunlop]

This is my first time using a dry yeast (Safale US-05). I pitched the dry yeast in to 70' wort and placed in a chest freezer set to 65'. At the 7 hour mark I saw two bubbles per minute with the wort holding at 65'.

When I woke up in the morning there was no activity and temp control read 62'. I re-set the lid and airlock on the fermenting bucket to make sure it was sealed properly and re-filled airlock with vodka to fill line. I also gave it a brief stir with a sanitized spoon. I saw some top floating yeast pockets but no krausen. I'm looking for advice at this point.

Should I leave it alone for another 24 hours and repitch if there is no activity?

Also, the only thing I have to repitch is Munton's Dry Yeast. What happens if I use a different yeast than originally pitched?

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated? Thank you.

 

[CA_Mouse]

62 sounds a bit cold... I usually have mine at about 68 and have airlock activity for 36 to 48 hours. Let it warm up a little I would suggest between 65 and 68. Leave it there and don't touch it for at least a week.

 

[kh54s10]

Leave it alone for another 2-3 days. I would say the bubbles you saw initially were just from the temperature changing. Your fermentation is probably just now starting given the low temperature.

As to using the Munton's, I don't know what strain that is but it will give the beer a bit of a different taste. How much depends on how different the yeasts are.

 

[beergolf]

Airlock bubbling means nothing. Just leave it alone. You are trying to fix a problem that you don't even know you have. The yeast will work. They only way to determine if fermentation is taking place is to take a gravity reading. I am guessing that it has started and will finish.

The temp range for US-05 is 59-75 so you are fine.

I brew a lot and never had a brew not start. Give it some time, leave it alone and the yeast will do what yeast has been doing for thousands of years.

 

[Gameface]

In my general experience if yeast experience a temp drop of more than 2-3* they start taking a nap. It doesn't really matter what the temp is, just that they are rapidly getting colder so they shut down. When the temp remains stable for a while or when they warm up a bit they start getting active again.

No need to fix anything. Just RDWHAHB and let the yeast take care of it. They will.

 

[ReggieDunlop]

Thank you folks for the wisdom. About 4 hours after my initial post the airlock started bubbling. The temp is steady at 65. I appreciate all of you taking some time to give me your thoughts. Cheers!

 

[Revvy]

Thank you folks for the wisdom. About 4 hours after my initial post the airlock started bubbling. The temp is steady at 65. I appreciate all of you taking some time to give me your thoughts. Cheers!

Again, don't worry about what your airlock does or doesn't do...Read THIS , get the idea that an airlock is anything more than a cheap vent out of your head (you'll worry less and learn to trust the yeast more if you do,) leave your beer alone for a few weeks.

 

[ReggieDunlop]

Again, don't worry about what your airlock does or doesn't do...Read THIS , get the idea that an airlock is anything more than a cheap vent out of your head (you'll worry less and learn to trust the yeast more if you do,) leave your beer alone for a few weeks.

Good advice. I read your links and it makes sense. Thanks.