Lager fermentation failed to start

What was the date on your smackpack?

Is this your first lager? I'd always make a starter for a liquid lager yeast...or use multiple dry sachets. I can't imagine not doing so. Cheers

 

FWIW, he said it's a 2.75 gal batch.

 

Missed that, but the advice is the same...after rereading 46*F is low even for a lager.

 

My thoughts: I would raise temp to 54 (middle of optimum temps). If still no activity would start a new packet. Don't guess about quantities and sizes . . . use a calculator. The quickest/easiest calc is yeastcalculator.com. You'll need about 182 billion cells, probably around a 1L starter, but let the calculator do the heavy math (date, stirring, OG, etc). I'd make a 1.040 wort (dme) and stir for about a day at 65-70F. You can chill and decant in about 24 hours. Remember, lager yeast is always in slow motion.

I've waited 5 days to add new yeast (with good results) . . . you're pushing this limit.

 

Again, his batch size is 2.75 gallons. 182bil seems excessive. Though, I don't brew lagers.

 

Mr. Malty recommends either 3.5 smack packs, or a 2L starter with one pack. I know that his pitch rate calculator always errs on the side of pitching high, but it works. I love brewing lagers and don't always make as big of a starter as he recommends, but a starter in general is crucial, especially for lagers. I still usually have about a 24 hour lag period when pitching big.

For your scenario I would definitely let the beer warm up to the mid 50's in hopes of getting the yeast to wake up, and maybe even take the beer up to 60 and see what happens. Chalk this up as a learning experience if it doesn't work out.

46 is pretty damn cold, but with a proper pitch rate, the yeast would have slowly started. I tend to pitch at 48-50 and let that stay around that area for 48-72 hours, then after that time I start ramping the temp up a few degrees a day until it is in the low 60's, and then I will even pull it out of the fridge and finish at ambient temp(65-70) to finish and clean things up. Has worked out well for me. Lagers definitely don't need to take weeks/months to make, especially with the help of Gelatin.

 

My prediction: tomorrow you will see signs of fermentation once the wort/beer warms up.

My prediction is that you will not require this second package (since you are brewing a 2.75 gallon batch) but you should buy it if this makes you feel 'better'.

Cheers!

 

Another vote to let it warm into the mid 50s for a day or two to see if it jump starts fermentation

 

Why would you think 46 degrees was a good idea? 54 degrees is the sweet spot for me. I would raise the temp up to 60 to get your yeast working then drop to 54-56 and let it ride. Good luck.

 

This is about right, basically twice what an ale would require. If the packet was dated mid-March (?) then less than 60B cells were sent into action. Of course the real concern is the state of their health. Damn prima donnas.

For @fuzzbalz , any action yet?

 

In my experience, cold beers are very slow to start if you pitch directly from the satchel. A starter really seems to liven things up. More yeast? Yeah. Freshly churned yeast seem to really want to get back in the game. I'd be at the mid to upper 50s and be willing to cold condition for a few months to help it drink when it's done. I'd have a satchel of US-05 on hand and be ready to push it over the edge if you don't see anything in about a day. Don't hydrate it. Kill some of them off and let them start slow to try to let the CZ get going.

I have no experience with the strain. Wyeast's site doesn't say anything about a D-rest. I'd do one. After you see the airlock activity stop you should warm it up to ambient temp. There are rules here, like take a gravity reading, only for the last 5-10% of the gravity the yeast will consume, etc. Not for me.

Let us know how it comes out!


As for the choice food for starters you'll either use extra DME that you have around the house, or you'll probably take 3rd runnings off of light style beers.

A DME starter is 10g DME to 100ml water. Basically a 1:10 ratio for however big you want the starter. This gets you really close to 1.040

For AG, you just need an extra gallon or two of sparge water. Draw a 3rd batch into a stock pot and boil the 1.010 wort down on the stove while you're doing your main boil. Easy does `er and no need to boil vigorously. Focus on the beer. After you're done brewing make sure you work the 3rd runnings down to a 1.040 wort. Or, I tend to go further to concentrate the wort and save freezer space. Freeze and store for later. If it's concentrated, make sure you remember to add water to get your starter back down to 1.040 before pitching.

 

That yeast has no problem fermenting cold. I have a beer on tap that used this yeast pitched at 46F, fermented at 50F. The issue would be insufficient cells, poor viability, lack of O2 when pitched, lack of nutrients. If the yeast was warm and pitched into cold wort, that shocks the yeast, not good procedure.

 

The way I read between the lines is that you should start in the mid to upper 40s because by the time you get it regulated on a Georgia summer day you'll be right were you want to be. It's friggin hot this week.

 

I have fermented lagers from 52-65 degrees not sure there is much of a difference especially between 52-60 degrees. may have to do a side by side in the future on this. My next lager will be a Dunkel so probably not a good candidate. I take the opposite approach for pitching lagers. I pitch at 70 degrees then ferment at 54 degrees. Take care.