Yeast isn't reacting quite right

[ExcessPixels]

Hello,
First post here so please bear with me.

I started my first ever brew this week with a brew shop kit, just something to tickle the taste buds.
I pitched my yeast as normal and I'm not seeing much reaction after about 72 hours now, no foamy head or anything (pictures here).

I'm using the brew shop BrewDog Punk IPA kit.

I have a suspicion that my yeast may have died, but not entirely sure, as after the first night of fermentation I checked the area temperature where I was fermenting and it was at 18 Degrees C.
Do I need to re-pitch some yeast or re-oxygenise it? Or just continue to be patient (as I know that is a big part of this process)?

I'm only concerned as every video I've seen around here kits has seen a big spike in visible fermentation in the first 24-48hrs period.

Thanks in advance for the help!

-Ben

 

[terrym]

Warm it up and see what happens. I suggest 20*C.
Otherwise was the kit inside the BBF date?

 

[ExcessPixels]

Warm it up and see what happens. I suggest 20*C.
Otherwise was the kit inside the BBF date?

So, I have had it at 20/21*C for 48hrs now as I got terrified when I saw the 18*C and still nothing much occurring, a bubble about once every minute seconds, but that seems oddly inactive to me? And the Yeast was BBF 2023 according to the packet.
Thanks :)

 

[terrym]

After 72 hours and 48 hours at 20*/21*C you should have seen something resembling a yeasty krausen on top, and given your set up some steady bubbles through the airlock.
If you pitched the yeast when the wort temperature was below 25*C you wont have harmed it.
You could try rousing it, but in the meantime I would get hold of some more yeast with the intention of adding it. If you are in the UK and have a Wilko near you their Ale yeast is normally very reliable. Third to half a packet should be more than enough for what looks like 5 litres of wort. But I would not keep fiddling about with it until it either gets going or you have added new yeast.

 

[ExcessPixels]

After 72 hours and 48 hours at 20*/21*C you should have seen something resembling a yeasty krausen on top, and given your set up some steady bubbles through the airlock.
If you pitched the yeast when the wort temperature was below 25*C you wont have harmed it.
You could try rousing it, but in the meantime I would get hold of some more yeast with the intention of adding it. If you are in the UK and have a Wilko near you their Ale yeast is normally very reliable. Third to half a packet should be more than enough for what looks like 5 litres of wort. But I would not keep fiddling about with it until it either gets going or you have added new yeast.

My wort was 22*C when I pitched it, is there such a thing as under oxidising the beer when shaking/pitching - it just seems so flat.
I will go and have a look in Wilko, hopefully it's classed as an "Essential Shop"
I will head there tomorrow and grab some - would I need to re-oxydise after pitching more yeast? I lack so much knowledge, sorry haha!

 

[terrym]

My wort was 22*C when I pitched it, is there such a thing as under oxidising the beer when shaking/pitching - it just seems so flat.
I will go and have a look in Wilko, hopefully it's classed as an "Essential Shop"
I will head there tomorrow and grab some - would I need to re-oxydise after pitching more yeast? I lack so much knowledge, sorry haha!

In my view spending a minute or two aerating wort is enough if you have induced a froth on the wort.
Wilko website said they were open or I wouldn't have suggested it
Whether you re-aerate the wort is up to you really. If it was O2 saturated to start with, not much will have changed.
Hope you manage to get it going in the end

 

[ExcessPixels]

In my view spending a minute or two aerating wort is enough if you have induced a froth on the wort.
Wilko website said they were open or I wouldn't have suggested it
Whether you re-aerate the wort is up to you really. If it was O2 saturated to start with, not much will have changed.
Hope you manage to get it going in the end

Okay, I might give it a re-jig when re-pitching, hopefully I'm right in assuming that it isn't time sesitive whether the yeast is fermenting or not...
I will let you know how it gets on, thanks for the advice :)

 

[johncrobinson]

First off i will never critise a new member getting things aibit wrong

 

[An Ankoù]

Your first picture appears to show the beginnings of some activity on the surface. Leave it until tomorrow morning and see if it covers with a whitish coating of head. If not, I'd rush out and get some new yeast to pitch, but I'd be surprised if you have to.
You're right to be worried though. 72 hours is a long lag time and increased the risk of infection. Your set up looks very clean and sound, however. I'm in a panic if I haven't got a yeast cover in 24 hours, which is why I always rehydrate dry yeast or get a liquid yeast started before pitching nomatter how fresh it is.
But I think you're going to be ok, if I've interpreted your picture right.

 

[ExcessPixels]

First off i will never critise a new member getting things aibit wrong

Haha thanks, I feel there is a "but" coming..

 

[ExcessPixels]

Your first picture appears to show the beginnings of some activity on the surface. Leave it until tomorrow morning and see if it covers with a whitish coating of head. If not, I'd rush out and get some new yeast to pitch, but I'd be surprised if you have to.
You're right to be worried though. 72 hours is a long lag time and increased the risk of infection. Your set up looks very clean and sound, however. I'm in a panic if I haven't got a yeast cover in 24 hours, which is why I always rehydrate dry yeast or get a liquid yeast started before pitching nomatter how fresh it is.
But I think you're going to be ok, if I've interpreted your picture right.

So, I'm still sitting here with little to no activity after pitching the yeast on Sunday so just over 72 hours now, I feel like not rehydrating the dry yeast was a big mistake and I should be rushing to get more yeast now You're right, there was a small layer of krausen on the surface but nothing really...

 

[Rodcx500z]

Is the lid on the fv forming a tight seal could be co2 is bypassing the airlock, happened to me when i first started brewing

 

[ExcessPixels]

Is the lid on the fv forming a tight seal could be co2 is bypassing the airlock, happened to me when i first started brewing

If you mean the lid onto of the carboy, I am struggling to unscrew it so I presume so, didn't think of that though

 

[Rodcx500z]

Mine was a plastic fv had me baffled for a while, hope the brew turns out ok

 

[ExcessPixels]

Mine was a plastic fv had me baffled for a while, hope the brew turns out ok

A crikey! Yeah, this one is a plastic carboy with a plastic lid which seems to be very tight, thank you though - me too!

 

[terrym]

So, I'm still sitting here with little to no activity after pitching the yeast on Sunday so just over 72 hours now, I feel like not rehydrating the dry yeast was a big mistake and I should be rushing to get more yeast now You're right, there was a small layer of krausen on the surface but nothing really...

There have been threads on here about whether to sprinkle dry yeast directly onto the top of the wort, rather than rehydrate or make up a starter. My recollection was, like for many things on this forum, there was no consensus one way or the other whether it was the best thing to do. And some manufacturers/suppliers recommend it, others don't as far as I am aware.
So you have done nothing wrong by sprinkling the dry kit yeast. If dry yeast is healthy, and the conditions are right, it should have formed a visible foamy krausen within 48 hours in my view. The krausen may only last a few hours and it might not be more than a few mm thick but it will be more than a few bubbles on top. So that's what you should be looking for, especially since you have a see-through fermenter unlike many homebrewers, and not a few bubbles from the airlock, which are helpful but not essential to provide indication of whether the fermentation has started or not. 72 hours plus without any noticeable activity in my view needs more yeast and if the original yeast does wake up in the meantime so be it. But the longer you leave it the more likely your wort will go off, however small that possibility. Finally there are times in brewing when you need to intervene when things don't appear to be going right, and I believe that this is one of them

 

[johncrobinson]

Terrym has given you a good answer.
Personally I am a BIG,BIG fan of starters but dont panic just yet.Yeast can seem to be a bit slow on the off.Give it a few more days.
If you make starters in future (and i say this to wine and beer makers.) you wont have this problem
Simples

 

[ExcessPixels]

Terrym has given you a good answer.
Personally I am a BIG,BIG fan of starters but dont panic just yet.Yeast can seem to be a bit slow on the off.Give it a few more days.
If you make starters in future (and i say this to wine and beer makers.) you wont have this problem
Simples

Thank you, I will definitely be making starters in future - we live and we learn, been so stressful though! Haha

 

[ExcessPixels]

There have been threads on here about whether to sprinkle dry yeast directly onto the top of the wort, rather than rehydrate or make up a starter. My recollection was, like for many things on this forum, there was no consensus one way or the other whether it was the best thing to do. And some manufacturers/suppliers recommend it, others don't as far as I am aware.
So you have done nothing wrong by sprinkling the dry kit yeast. If dry yeast is healthy, and the conditions are right, it should have formed a visible foamy krausen within 48 hours in my view. The krausen may only last a few hours and it might not be more than a few mm thick but it will be more than a few bubbles on top. So that's what you should be looking for, especially since you have a see-through fermenter unlike many homebrewers, and not a few bubbles from the airlock, which are helpful but not essential to provide indication of whether the fermentation has started or not. 72 hours plus without any noticeable activity in my view needs more yeast and if the original yeast does wake up in the meantime so be it. But the longer you leave it the more likely your wort will go off, however small that possibility. Finally there are times in brewing when you need to intervene when things don't appear to be going right, and I believe that this is one of them

Thank you so much for this advice, I think I'm going to have to intervene as you have said. I'm still seeing nothing, so, and hopefully this is right, I'll be making a starter and re-pitching that into the fermenter and re-aerating it.
I'm off to Walk tomorrow, hopefully there has been no infections in this time and/or it hasn't gone off, would be a real shame.
Thanks again

 

[johncrobinson]

With a starter you KNOW if your yeast is any good or not.

In this case as the clock is ticking re--piching yeast to get a fermentation "going" might be the best bet.