Wyeast 3944

[Libigage]

Pitched some wyeast 3944 in my witbier at 18° ish as per instructions. 48 hours later there is nothing happening. Is this normal? Should I up the temp?

 

[foxbat]

How old was the pack, did you make a starter, how big is this batch?

 

[Libigage]

Pack was well in date, 22 litre batch. Just smack the pack to release the nutrition pack and left for 3-4 hour before pitching

 

[dave_77]

When ever I have used witbier yeasts from Wyeast or Whitelabs with a starter they have been rocking after 12 hours so I would imagine the yeast count was low and it's taking it's time to get going. Hopefully there was enough viable cells.
Although the pack was in date you can never be sure how the pack has been treated from lab to shop and then to you so always best to do some sort of starter.

 

[Libigage]

Update:- so I pitched Thursday with OG1044 and had nothing for 2 days. Checked Saturday just before I went away for the weekend and still nothing. Came back Monday and there was a 1/2 inch krausen on top but no movement below, so I took a reading and it read 1033, so it's started. Today the krausen is a good inch and the gravity is 1024, but still no visible activity below. Recipe said “free rise“ the heat so the temp for the last 2 days of fermentation is 26°c. I have temp control so since Monday I have been raising it by 0.5°c a day and it is currently at 20°c. Have I miss understood “free rise“. Yeast temp range on the packet states 18-22. Any advice or just carry on what I'm doing? I bought this AG kit from the MM and I should say even tho it still has a long way to go, the trial jar was very promising. Kit is called Brunchmaster 2000

 

[foxbat]

'free rise' is supposed to mean that you stop the fridge coming on and let it rise by itself to the new target temperature but I can't see how you'd ever get to 26C in this country except for one or two days every other summer so I'd be doing what you're doing and adding 0.5C at a time gently until it gets there. I hope you don't get stuck at the famous 1.020 with the underpitch, keeping it warm will help.

 

[Libigage]

'free rise' is supposed to mean that you stop the fridge coming on and let it rise by itself to the new target temperature but I can't see how you'd ever get to 26C in this country except for one or two days every other summer so I'd be doing what you're doing and adding 0.5C at a time gently until it gets there. I hope you don't get stuck at the famous 1.020 with the underpitch, keeping it warm will help.

Thank you, what do I do if it gets stuck? I've never had such a slow yeast. The party underneath it normally mental

 

[foxbat]

Thank you, what do I do if it gets stuck? I've never had such a slow yeast. The party underneath it normally mental

In all honesty I've never had a stuck fermentation and hopefully fingers crossed you'll be fine so I wouldn't worry about it yet.

 

[Libigage]

Right so as I said above, pitched yeast, nothing for 3-4 days, then a nice krausen on top. Day 11 and gravity is down to 1011, I can't see any yeast activity but then I haven't seen anything at all it's all been really slow. My question is that the krausen is still there and hasn't changed. Any ideas?

 

[Clint]

Swap that shelf. I'd put it up to top end of temp range.

 

[Libigage]

Temp range is 18-22, I've been raising it 0.5° a day. Currently at 22. Recipe says raise temp to 26 for final 2 days, what does this achieve? Now I've put the FV higher in the fridge and some of the krausen has sunk.

 

[moto748]

Have to say, every time I see a thread like this, it leads me to think, liquid yeasts seem more trouble than they are worth.

 

[Libigage]

Have to say, every time I see a thread like this, it leads me to think, liquid yeasts seem more trouble than they are worth.

Yeh this only the 2nd time I have used them