No bubbles in air lock

In your original post you stated: “I rehydrated the yeast first…”

Is it safe to say you used a dry yeast? If so, there is no need to aerate/oxygenate prior to pitching the yeast. Now for liquid yeast aeration/oxygenation is needed.

Cheers!

 

The question about not seeing airlock activity and wondering if your yeast are dead is possibly the most frequently asked question here. While it can be difficult to diagnose a problem via internet (as opposed to being there), there are usually some different reasons why people do not see airlock activity:
(1) the seal on the fermenter is leaking.
(2) the fermentation is finished
(3) the fermentation has not started in a vigorous way yet, but will soon

I'll admit to being in this position once or twice and convincing myself that the answer to the question was either #3 or dead yeast. The way to arrive convincingly at one of these answers is to take repeated gravity readings. If you find your gravity has not changed after a few days, adding more yeast is probably a good idea. Do you have a means to check gravity and have you done so? If not, I recommending getting yourself a wine thief or pipet for drawing beer from your carboy and a hydrometer or refractometer for checking gravity. If you have a nearby homebrew shop, they should be able to set you up. And while you are there, pick up an extra pack of yeast as insurance.

I'll make a different set of observations. It sounds like you are deviating from convention in several ways: making a starter with dry yeast, making a starter from sugar, using a clean wash cloth to cover your starter. While there are many approaches to brewing and convention is not always the best approach, it seems you have taken your first steps into brewing without much guidance or perhaps without ideal equipment. It makes me think you would benefit from brewing with someone who has more experience, having a look at howtobrew.com, or perhaps watching some of the many youtube videos on beginning homebrewing. None of that is meant to be dismissive of questions you bring to this forum. Keep 'em coming.

One other thing. As one who harbors some regrets over the numerical suffix to my userid, I'll suggest you consider a new userid. Not easy to type 12345678910111213141516.

 

Uh. giving yeast a choice of sugars to party with is a very tricky proposition since sugars range in complexity, and that yeast also tend to be lazy and like to do the easy stuff first. Actual Sugar is a simple sugar and that you fed dry yeast, who already have the nutrients required to wake up and get going on pitch is akin to giving them a tank of hippy crack too early at a party, and if you need them to do any real work after noticing it was there FIRST. They are going to be slow, to useless. i.e. drunk and lazy.

 

It has not specifically been mentioned yet so permit me to be the first: buy a homebrewing book and read it cover to cover before brewing your next batch. I recommend a hardcopy of How to Brew by John Palmer.

Cheers!

 

I did mention the website, so some credit to me, right?

 

Yes, credit to you for mentioning the website.

The hardcopy of the book has been quite updated and this is why I made specific mention for the OP to purchase the book (and read cover to cover).

Cheers!

 

Kit instructions often come up short on details. They are designed for new brewers and with that in mind, they are simple and don't suggest using equipment that you may not have (like hydrometers or refractometers). They also do not anticipate problems you encounter, so I don't criticize you for trying to find solutions. However, if you think you'd like to explore this hobby more, I'll stand by those resource suggestions. This really is a hobby where you can make a lot of progress at the front end of the learning curve. I was at the verge of quitting after three bad batches in a row, 15 years ago, nearly to the day, when I started to find those types of resources (this forum was one of the resources that helped).

Another concern I have is that prepackaged kits could sit on shelves for a while. Depending on the kit and the vendor, maybe this is still true, somewhere. This concerns me because yeast in those kits may not be stored under conditions that preserve yeast health. I'll generally trust something sold by a homebrew shop, but a Mr. Beer kit purchased at Walmart and given to me by Aunt Irma as Christmas gift... that yeast is going in the trash.

Hope the beer turns out fine.

 

Which book were you following?

ETA: I see you said kit instructions. As @pweis909 and @JackHorzempa said, read "How to Brew."

 

No.

I would. And I'd bet they have a copy of "How to Brew" there also.

 

What do you mean by "this?"

 

Hey there "1".

As mentioned by @PapaGoose03 , to post an image on BA a third-party hosting service is required; I use Imgur. Others are photobucket, flickr, etc.

Upload your picture to the hosting service site.
Click on your picture that you uploaded and you should see several options for links that can be copied….select the one that says "direct link".

Come back to BA and start composing a post.
There’s a row of icons just above where you type your reply.
Click the image icon (looks like mountains and a sun/moon, next to the smiley face).
Paste the ‘direct link’ you copied from the hosting site.
Click “Insert” and you should be good to go.

Adding some pics (worth thousands of words) to your posts will help others help you.


Did you begin with a TrueBrew starter kit? The ones I saw are 5-gallon kits and include a triple-scale hydrometer.
If yes you should bone up on how to use the hydrometer, instructions for which are typically included with the hydrometer and are definitely covered in (wait for it….) How To Brew.
Staggered sampling and readings will confirm yeast activity, or lack thereof.

 

I think he's saying it is "still nothing" in his post.

 

The DME is probably still usable, but it will be a pain in the arse to dissolve it. But the condition of the DME kind of says the kit is old and was not stored very well in the store. If yeast is included in the kit, it likely is in worse condition. Was this a sale item? You may be dealing with a store that isn't paying attention to their inventory.

If budget is a concern about buying the "How to Brew" book, at least give it a read online. It's free to read at HowToBrew.com and will still give you good info even though it's the 1st edition of the book. Later you can get a hard copy of the latest edition in which you can use a highlighter, write notes, etc. Maybe Santa can bring you a copy.

 

The extract has been exposed to oxygen and moisture and is likely degraded.

If the store is a HBS (Home Brew Supply) and not Bed, Bath & Beyond, or similar and you do return the extract, I'd suggest exchanging for a whole new recipe kit (not just the DME) and inspect it in the store before leaving. Look for holes in bags that should be sealed tight, and look for a date on the yeast pack.. If the yeast pack has no date, ask the store what yeast they recommend for the style of beer you're brewing and pick up a couple packs, one for now and another for insurance (check the date on those as well).
If you're not confident the store knows what they're talking about, ask here about yeast for the style before heading back to the store; you'll get feedback.