When To Pitch More Yeast

[MyQul]

I pitched some Mangrove Jacks Californian Lager yeast into a Lite steam beer/pseudo lager a little over 24 hours ago and there's absolutely no activity. I'm guessing it was a duff packet of yeast. The best before date was june I think and I've had it in my fridge a couple of months or so.
I've got a packet of notty so I will pitch that but when should I pitch it? I was thinking after 36 hours of no activity. This has never happened before

 

[TartanSpecial]

If it were me I'd wait up to 48hrs...but would be getting nervous by then.

 

[Simonh82]

I'd give it 48 hours too but I know how nerve wracking it can be.

I had a similar situation with a packet of Danstar West Coast Ale yeast. I chucked in some Wilko yeast after about 40 hours but it took off almost immediately afterwards, before the Wilko yeast would have had time to get going. Then reading up on American forums, apparently the West Coast yeast is a very slow starter.

The finished beer was none the worse for the extra yeast but it was the west coast yeast that seemed to win out both in terms of beer character and the fact it didn't sediment that well, unlike the Wilko stuff.

If you do want to pitch more yeast maybe take a hydrometer reading to check it isn't just working away quietly?

 

[MyQul]

Did a bit of reading and I need to give it up to 72 hours then take a gravity reading to make sure it's not doing it's thing on the sly.

 

[Jakeyboi]

I made a kit which had California lager written on the yeast packet. Wasn't MG, it went ballistic after 12 hours.

 

[MyQul]

ooo! Just checked it an I think it's started to do something - fingers crossed. Will have another check in the morning.

 

[Dutto]

Did a bit of reading and I need to give it up to 72 hours then take a gravity reading to make sure it's not doing it's thing on the sly.

My advice is LEAVE IT ALONE ... :thumb: :thumb:

... until you have double checked that the FV is perfectly sealed.

I have had many brews that have gone to completion without a single bubble showing itself through the air-lock and the only sign of life has been a krausen developing on the top of the brew and the layer of trub on the bottom of the FV slowly getting deeper.

In brewing terms it's called "Patience!" :whistle: :whistle:

 

[MyQul]

My advice is LEAVE IT ALONE ... :thumb: :thumb:

... until you have double checked that the FV is perfectly sealed.

I have had many brews that have gone to completion without a single bubble showing itself through the air-lock and the only sign of life has been a krausen developing on the top of the brew and the layer of trub on the bottom of the FV slowly getting deeper.

In brewing terms it's called "Patience!" :whistle: :whistle:

I've never used an airlock and just cover the FV with cling film. That's the reason I can look at what's happing in the FV without risk.

But your general advice is sound, leaving it alone to do it's own thing an paitience. I've just checked again and it's seems to be very slowly forming a krausen.

 

[TartanSpecial]

hopefully its up and going properly by now. Let us know how the brew turns out. I was thinking of trying a pseudo lager with that yeast.

 

[chewie]

Defo give it time, i brewed up an HBC premium pils kit on sunday morning, wort temp from CF chiller was in the ideal range for the lager yeast, this morning the air lock is starting to show the slightest bit of pressure building from last night, that's 2 days in almost. At that rate I'm expecting to see steady activity come thursday.

 

[MyQul]

hopefully its up and going properly by now. Let us know how the brew turns out. I was thinking of trying a pseudo lager with that yeast.

When I swapped out the ice bottle in the brew bag the krausen was very slowly begining to form. It's a 16.8 ambient in the bag so on the cool side which also may be slowing it down but I want it to be clean so as lager like as I can get it

 

[JFB]

Do you rehydrate your yeast @MyQul ?
I pitched some rehydrated wilko yeast into a porter late yesterday afternoon and it was starting to go before bedtime..

 

[MyQul]

Do you rehydrate your yeast @MyQul ?
I pitched some rehydrated wilko yeast into a porter late yesterday afternoon and it was starting to go before bedtime..

No I didnt. I normally just sprinkle it on the wort

 

[TartanSpecial]

maybe M54 benefits from rehydration first if its a bit fussy.

 

[MyQul]

maybe M54 benefits from rehydration first if its a bit fussy.

May be? I've used other MJ yeasts and just sprinkled them on the wort

 

[TartanSpecial]

Although they say you can sprinkle on the surface (which I agree normally works) when you read the detailed spec sheets on the eg fermentis sites etc they tend to recommend re-hydrating first so I always rehydrate these days.

 

[JFB]

No I didnt. I normally just sprinkle it on the wort

I suppose one good thing about rehydrating is that you can see that your yeast is alive and well before you pitch and if it is a little old your giving it more of a helping hand.

 

[MyQul]

I suppose one good thing about rehydrating is that you can see that your yeast is alive and well before you pitch and if it is a little old your giving it more of a helping hand.

Your right. I'm thinking I might give it an extra week (and maybe a rouse). I'll take a gravity reading after 14 days or so and see how things are

 

[Dutto]

Rehydrating yeast is fine. :thumb:

I normally take the time to do it, but with garage temperatures so low (6 degrees today) I now have to hump all of the gubbins into the house.

It's a real PITA but well worth the effort ... :thumb:

... I think! :whistle: :whistle:

 

[MyQul]

Although they say you can sprinkle on the surface (which I agree normally works) when you read the detailed spec sheets on the eg fermentis sites etc they tend to recommend re-hydrating first so I always rehydrate these days.

Re-hydrating is recommend for most dried yeasts but I'm too lazy to do it.


This is the slowest fermentation I've ever had. There's a thin pancake like krausen on the top now. Work! You lazy bleedin' yeasties!