First Attempt at making a Lager

[Camel]

I am trying my first attempt at making a lager. I brewed a Pils on Saturday afternoon, waited for it to cool down to lager temps, pitched a white labs vial and stuck it in my extra fridge. It is now monday morning and I see no visible signs of formentation starting.

I understand that lager fermentations take longer then ales, but how long does it take for them to get going?

[Lufah]

That is a very small amount of yeast to pitch cold. If you don't have any activity yet you may want to pitch another vial of yeast. My lagers with a gallon starter usually take 24 hours to get going.

Travis

http://www.mrmalty.com/

[bub]

Chris White even says that a starter for lagers is reccomended, or did at one time. Also a lager ferment is not nearly as vigorous as an ale. Pour more yeast in that beast.

BUB (boob)

[Camel]

I have not ventured into making yeast starters yet and I thought Chris White had said a vial will be enough to ferment a 5 gallon batch so I was making a first attempt. As fermentation has not really started yet, you guys are probably right. There are a few small bubbles on the surface today but from looking at the airlock it has not started producing much of any gas yet (it hasn’t even pushed the water out of the center portion of the airlock yet).

The temperature is at a cool 48 deg F right now, which from what I read is in the low range for Lager fermentation so that might be slowing it down also.

I will try and make it by my local home brew shop to pick up another vial of yeast to pitch in after work if I can make it before they close.

Thanks for your advice.

[Speyedr]

If I recall, Chris said to pitch 1 vial but not to cool it down until fermentation already started. You have to "wake it up" first by pitching into warmer (room temp) wort to get it going, then cool down. I think he said that if you are going to start cold you need to pitch more yeast from a starter.

[Danno]

The temperature is at a cool 48 deg F right now, which from what I read is in the low range for Lager fermentation so that might be slowing it down also.

The type of yeast and the age will be a factor in getting the fermentation running. I split a 10 gallon batch between WL800 and 830. One was relatively freash and theother about 4 months old. I made a starter with each and pitch them up a second time. The 5 gallons with the 800 went like a raped ape. The 830 putted along the entire fermentation. I don't know if it was the age difference or the temp but wih making starters, I have to figure it was the temp.

I have found that with many lager yeasts. Some ferment well at 48, others need 55 to ferment strong.

[BigBadBrad]

I am trying my first attempt at making a lager. I brewed a Pils on Saturday afternoon, waited for it to cool down to lager temps, pitched a white labs vial and stuck it in my extra fridge. It is now monday morning and I see no visible signs of formentation starting.

I understand that lager fermentations take longer then ales, but how long does it take for them to get going?

Without making a starter and pitching cold, you may not see activity for up to 72 hours. That doesn't mean nothing is happening. You won't see much bubbling until the wort becomes saturated with CO2, which can take a while at colder temps. Don't worry about it, as long as your sanitation was good, the beer should be fine. You can pitch a second vial, but don't expect to see any great increase in activity. Did you oxygenate your wort before pitching? If not, you may want to before you pitch that second vial.

Brad

[Camel]

Without making a starter and pitching cold, you may not see activity for up to 72 hours.

I was hoping someone would more or less say "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew."

I went to get another vial but did not make my local homebrew shop in time as they close too early (6 pm). Although when I got home I checked the carboy and fermentation has started very slowly now.

Don't worry about it, as long as your sanitation was good, the beer should be fine.

I hope it was. I recently had an ale that had some mild but weird off flavors that I think was infected. My sanitation routine increased so much I practically sanitized my whole kitchen along with all my brew gear. My girlfriend said she wished I brewed every weekend just so everything would be that clean.

Did you oxygenate your wort before pitching? If not, you may want to before you pitch that second vial.

I do not have any oxygenating equipment and I rely on the “shake the carboy like a madman” procedure to oxygenate my wort. I do have an oxygenating system on my wishlist (along with 10,000 other brewing things).