Stalled Lager

[Westco]

So I brewed up a Doppelbock the other day, chilled it to 45º and pitched. I let it go up to 49º-50º over the next 38 hours. It took 38 hours after pitching to get a active krausen. It has about a half inch going right now and I am holding it at 50º.

I have only done 2 lagers before so I can't tell if this is normal or not. The other ones did not tak as long to start up. About after 24 hrs after pitch I gave it some more O2.

If it matters at all I re-pitched from my last lager batch. I had plenty of yeast and pitched a tad more then what MR malty suggested for a beer of this size (1.086) The yeast has been sitting in my fridge for about a week before I re-used it again. I probably should of gave it a snack to wake it up before pitching. Do you think that this is why it took so long to start up? The yeast should be healthy and strong from the last batch.

Should I be worried about off flavors beings it took a while to get going?

[ajdelange]

Lager fermentations are not usually as active as ale ones but it is nice to have them throroughly underway withing 12 - 24 hours of pitching. I look for a substantial pH drop within 12 hours and gas evolution within 24. I don't usually see the krauesen form because the fermenter is stainless and closed. When did the airlock start to bubble?

This doesn't sound like a stuck fermentation but perhaps one that was a little slow to start. A bit of a feed would probably have been good for the yeast. Were they given oxygen? If not that would help too and rememeber in being tossed into wort of this strength they were subject to osmotic pressure beyond what they were used to.

I can't be sure, of course, but I'm guessing that the beer will probably turn out OK. Patience is a big virtue in this game.

[Westco]

I use open fermentation so no air lock. I put on a air lock after primary is over with. I don't think it is a stuck fermentation either. I am always trying to tweak the way I brew to get things perfect. So if a beer starts out this slow I want to know why so that I do not do it again. I thought I remember from a show on TBN that said if you reuse yeast with in a week or so that you do really have to "wake" them up. Its only when you have stored them for a long period of time like a month that you should feed them.

[Sent From My iPhone]

I think you're going to be fine. If you had and active krausen at 38 hours then you had fermentation well under way by then.

[Westco]

Well I hope so! I plan on aging this beer for 6 months then make another

[ajdelange]

I forgot to mention that another thing you can look for as a sign that fermentation is commencing is teeny tiny bubbles breaking the surface. The best way to see these is to shine a flashlight onto the surface at an angle and look at the surface from a low angle. You'll see this "twinkling" well before any foam actually forms. When you do see it you know you are underway.