My Beer Seems To Be Barely Fermenting

[fgcguitar]

The facts: I made an IPA last night with a SG of about 1.064. I pitched the yeast at about 2AM and now it's 1PM the next day. I'm using a 5 gallon carboy with a blow-off tube.

I have a couple bubbles but nowhere near the activity that I've had for any of my previous batches and I believe it comes down to one of three issues:

First, it's just too early to worry and I should be more patient. This sounds like the best problem to have but doesn't do much to alleviate my concerns this second.

The second problem may be that when we bought the liquid yeast it ended up sitting in the car for about 9-10 hours before making it back into the fridge. It wasn't that warm outside but wasn't that cold either. The yeast had a born on date of 10/6/09 so I figure it would still be fresh. How bad is that?

The third problem is that we didn't really aggravate the beer much when we put the yeast in. Is it ok to shake and mix up the carboy once we've put the yeast in? I've been worried about oxidation but don't know if it's a concern in a sealed carboy.

To recap: Does liquid yeast go bad if not refrigerated within 9-10 hours? Can I aggravate/shake/mix the contents of my carboy once the yeast has been added?

Thanks in advance for any advice!!!
Adam

[Sent From My iPhone]

To recap: Does liquid yeast go bad if not refrigerated within 9-10 hours? Can I aggravate/shake/mix the contents of my carboy once the yeast has been added?

If the car was baking in the sun for 9-10 hours and the temperature inside got up to 120 degrees then the yeast may have gotten cooked. If the car was in the shade or garage then you should be OK. And yes, you can shake the carboy once yeast has been added. Did you make a starter or just pitch the vial/smack pack. If no starter and poor aeration then you can expect a long lag time.

[Brandon]

The facts: I made an IPA last night with a SG of about 1.064. I pitched the yeast at about 2AM and now it's 1PM the next day. I'm using a 5 gallon carboy with a blow-off tube.

I have a couple bubbles but nowhere near the activity that I've had for any of my previous batches and I believe it comes down to one of three issues:

First, it's just too early to worry and I should be more patient. This sounds like the best problem to have but doesn't do much to alleviate my concerns this second.

The second problem may be that when we bought the liquid yeast it ended up sitting in the car for about 9-10 hours before making it back into the fridge. It wasn't that warm outside but wasn't that cold either. The yeast had a born on date of 10/6/09 so I figure it would still be fresh. How bad is that?

The third problem is that we didn't really aggravate the beer much when we put the yeast in. Is it ok to shake and mix up the carboy once we've put the yeast in? I've been worried about oxidation but don't know if it's a concern in a sealed carboy.

To recap: Does liquid yeast go bad if not refrigerated within 9-10 hours? Can I aggravate/shake/mix the contents of my carboy once the yeast has been added?

Thanks in advance for any advice!!!
Adam

Its only been 12 hours. Dont worry yet. I would swirl it up some though. You didnt say if you made a starter so I am gonna assume you didn't Make one next time.

[uncle_bad_touches]

+1 on starter and airation. Underpitching and lack of O2 are probably the #1 and #2 causes of a sluggish initial ferment. However, if you're seeing signs of fermentation after 12 hours you'll be fine. I usually don't start to worry for at least 24 hours or more.

[fgcguitar]

You guys are awesome!!! I love this board! I just joined a couple days ago and it has been so comforting. Thank you all so much for your advice. I'm not sure how to make a starter. I'll listen to the Brew Strong episode on starters tonight and see if I can figure it out.

Thanks again!
Adam

[ajdelange]

In general the faster the fermentation starts the better but 12-24 hours is not an unusual length of time to wait for visible activity to appear. The fact that you didn't aerate well may make it take even longer. Things are going on in a fermentation before there are any visible signs. One of the first things yeast do is start to excrete acid to make the pH more favorable to them (and less favorable for competing organisms) so if you have a pH meter measure the pH at pitching and look for a drop as soon as a few hours later. As soon as you see the pH start to dive you can feel assured that the fermentation is underway. As the yeast start to ferment CO2 is produced but it takes quite a while for the CO2 to saturate the beer to the point that foam appears. Well prior to the appearance of foam tiny bubbles rise to the surface. They can be seen breaking it by shining a light on the surface of the beer and looking at it from a shallow angle.

[brewinhard]

If you aren't a fan of making starters, try using fermentis dry yeast US-05. Just be sure to rehydrate it before pitching. It is a fast fermenter and I can't tell the difference between WLP 001 or WY 1056. Plus, its cheaper and heartier than liquid yeast.

[boobookittyfuk]

with an OG of 64, you may not need a starter if you are using wyeast. If you use white labs, I'd make a starter everytime no matter what the OG is. I have noticed that wyeast smack packs start much faster than white labs.