[Keith G]

So yesterday I took a day off work to brew (it was like a mini vacation), and everything seemed to go fairly decent for my first time.  However, it has been over 24 hrs. and I haven't seen any fermenting activity from my fermenter.  Did I do something wrong, or miss a step? 

Any help would be great, and if I did do something wrong, is there a way to salvage my beer?

See notes below:



Kolsch Recipe Form   07/22/14            
               
Recipe Volume   5   gal         
Yeast   Safale US-05 Ale Yeast            
               
Malts   6   lb of Pilsen Malt Extract         
   1   lb of Pilsen Light Dried Malt Extract         
               
               
Calculated OG   1.048            
               
Hops   Amount (oz)   Time   % Alpha Acid      
German Traditional Pellets   1oz   60 min   6.7      
German Hersbruckner Pellets   1oz   30 min   2.8      
               
               
               
               
               
               
Procedure               
1.) Cleaned all utensils w/ B-Brite (have to use laundry tub in basement to fit kettle/buckets) and rinsed               
2.) Started boiling gallon of water for misc. use in separate 1 gal kettle               
3.) Poured 2.5 gallons of natural spring water into 10 gal. Kettle and started boiling process                
4.) Sanitized spoon, air lock, fermenter (and lid), thermometer, strainer, scissors, and Pyrex measuring cup               
5.) Once water was boiling I took kettle off stove and stirred in the 1lb of Pilsen Light Dried Malt Extract               
6.) Brought the wort to a boil and added 1oz German Traditional Hops and set boiling timer for 60min               
7.) Rehydrated the yeast w/ one cup of warm water and stirred.               
8.) I stir the wort every 2-3 minutes.               
9.) Once the timer reached 30min until end of boil I added 1 oz of German Hersbruckner Hops               
10.) Once the timer reached 15min until end of boil I removed the kettle from the burner and added 6lb of Pilsen Malt Extract               
11.) Returned the kettle to the burner and brought back to a boil with about 5 min until end of boil.               
12.) Kept kettle on for an extra 5 min as the boil was paused adding the Pilsen Malt Extract               
13.) Cooled the wort to 76 degrees in ice water bath in 50 min before transferring to fermenter through a SS strainer.               
14.) Aerated the wort by pouring between the kettle and fermenter once.               
15.) Pitched the yeast, shook the fermenter, and sealed the airlock (filled w/ Starsan solution)               
16.) Stored fermenter in dark closet at 72-74 degrees               
               
Fermentation               
At 12 hours no activity or bubbling out the airlock               
At 24 hours still no activity                
               
               
Result               
TBD               

[morticaixavier]

I would bet say 100$ that your beer is happily fermenting away in a bucket with a less than ideal lid seal. airlock activity is a crumby way of monitoring fermentation. pop the lid and take a look. I suspect you will see krausen a plenty.

A few hints for next time:

1) take tomorrow off work and start your second batch. the first one just doesn't last like it should.
2) chill further. aim for ~60-64 pitch temp and try your best to hold it below 70 for at least the first three days. You can do this with a fancy fridge and external thermostat, a big bin or water with ice or frozen water bottles, a 'swamp cooler' (a big bin with just a little water and a t-shirt or cotton towel wrapped around the bucket with the tail/hem in the water and a breeze), or a really cool place in your house (basement floor, overly airconditioned spare bedroom)

actually that's it. you did quite well for your first time.

[Keith G]

I also added about 3.5 gallons of water to the fermenter bringing it to 5 gal.  Forgot to add that step in my notes.

I'll open it up and report when I get home.

Thanks for the help.


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[Stevie]

Wrong thread

[Keith G]

So I popped open the lid and there's nothing going on.  It looks like the same wort I brewed but there's no foamy krausen.  I even checked the airlock and when you push the top of the lid it blows out the airlock, which tells me my seal should be half decent.


Any other ideas?


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[klickitat jim]

Give it another day or so

[Keith G]

Is there anything I should do in the future to get better fermentation results, or is this normal? 

Patience is hard when beer is involved, but learn it I shall!


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[morticaixavier]

what was the date on the yeast? it's possible the viability was really low although that seems odd for us-05. but as Jim says, give it a couple more hours yet. if nothing, take a sample and make SURE nothing happened. at the pitch temps you were at it could have happened really really fast.

[Keith G]

The use by date is Nov 2015.  I'll wait another day or so and see if I get anything.

Thanks for all the help again.


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[morticaixavier]

one other thought, how warm was the water you rehydrated your yeast in?

[Stevie]

How warm was the water you rehydrated in? I'm sure there is an upper limit the yeast can handle.

[Keith G]

About 80 degrees.  The "How to Brew" book said go around 90, but my boiled water cooled off little lower than I wanted when I rehydrated.


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[morticaixavier]

Fahrenheit? or Celsius? (no snark intended, just trying to be thourough)

[klickitat jim]

Deep breaths... check it tomorrow and let us know. Then we can take you through it step by step. Barley, water, and yeast want to become beer. You'll get there

[Keith G]

Sorry Fahrenheit.


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