Have I killed Mr Yeast?

[giddy-kipper]

Oops,
First kit brew on the go and as usual with me it is run then walk. I thought I'd be clever and give the yeast a head start by adding it to tepid water with some sugar and leaving it somewhere warm for an hour. Trouble is I forgot to add the sugar. Doh!
24 hours in and no sign of movement or gas from within the FV.
Should I hang on for another day or admit defeat and turn tee-total?
Regards,
Gidds

 

[bottler]

Add the sugar now mate.1 kg or what it says on the tin, and give it a stir, and leave it alone for a week. :thumb:

 

[alawlor66430]

It'll be fine, just leave it to do its thing, I've had brews that have done nothing for 24 hours or so then one morning it's burst into life, so don't worry about it

 

[SloeBrewer]

Did you forget to add the sugar to the yeast starter, or to the kit in the fermentation vessel?

If you forgot to add it to the yeast, it's not an issue. Sugar would have got the yeast active, but hydrating the yeast is more important. Don't rely on airlock activity, it can take a while for the yeast to start eating the sugar in your wort and producing CO2. Also, many FVs aren't airtight, so the airlock doesn't bubble as the gas escapes elsewhere.

 

[giddy-kipper]

Thanks all for replies,
Sorry I wasn't clear in what I did (or didn't) - I forgot to add a little sugar when I was starting the yeast, I have added the 1Kg of brewing sugar to the FV.
So it sounds like I may be OK.
Thanks again for your replies, I will go to sleep cuddling my FV.
Cheers, Gidds

 

[jonnymorris]

You're better of rehydrating yeast in water without any sugar anyway. Well done.

http://www.mashspargeboil.com/why-you-should-bother-and-how-to-rehydrate-dry-yeast/

 

[Good Ed]

as jonny says, don't add sugar to your yeast. You are rehydrating your yeast, so use a little cooled boiled water only.

 

[giddy-kipper]

Thanks everyone for your calming words.
3 days later and I have a foamy top to my FV which I am delighted about! My missus thought I was mad as I was fiddling about in the cupboard with a torch to try and see if there had been any developments.
I think my brewing cupboard is a bit cool for fermentation (all of our house is cold in winter), so I might need to think about some sort of heater. I have measured between 18 C and 20 C in the cupboard in the evening, but I reckon that drops in the day when no-one is in.
Anyhoo, thanks again for your comments/support.
Gidds

 

[SloeBrewer]

Glad it's started in the end. Now, put the lid back on and leave it alone for 2 weeks! One of the hardest things in homebrew is being patient, but it's worth it in the end :grin:

Also, 18-20 is perfect for brewing beer, as the yeast will generate some heat on the initial fermentation. It's best to keep it under 22C to avoid fusel alcohols being created.