Is my beer lost?

I’m a first time brewer and this last weekend I cooked up my first batch of wort; I used the Northern Brewer Caribou Slobber Kit. I chilled my wort, added it to my primary fermenting bucket and topped it off. After aerating, as instructed I added my dry yeast and sealed it up. It has now been 72 hours since I’ve begun the fermentation process and I have yet to see any activity in the air lock. I spoke with a customer service rep from Northern Brewer and he felt that my storage area may have been too cool (approx. 62-64 degrees) and suggested that moving it to a warmer area would kit start the yeast. It has been over 24 hours since I moved it upstairs to an area where it is a bout 68 degrees and there has still been no activity in the air lock. I opened the lid and there was no foam or froth on the top of the wort. Do I need to start all over? Is my beer lost? :cry:

Thanks

Sure, you have seen us preach about 72 hours and you post this! :shock:

I bet if you buy another pack of yeast tomorrow, it will be rocking by time you get home. :wink:

As i mentioned it has been 72 hours; the customer service rep instructed me to check it out then.
I will try another yeast packet.
Thank you for your help.

I am guessing that within 12-24 hours it will take off.

I’m brewing a batch of Caribou Slobber as well. My first batch with my new kit. Things were bubbling away happily for 2 days, then just stopped. Had it in the basement, where it is cool, approximately 62 degrees. Am surprised to see your post regarding temperature. Instructions said cool and dark. I moved it to an area in our house which is approximately 66 degrees. What is the proper temperature?

I ferment almost all my ales in a fermentation chamber (commercial refrigerator with a temp controller) with the controller set to 59 or 60*. They all do just fine and finish very cleanly. The actual beer temp gets up to about 65* at the height of fermentation. After the krausen drops and the bubbling stops, I pull it out into the basement main area which is at about 66-68* and the activity will pick up for a day or so and then stop for good.

There is no “proper” temperature.

Yeast produce different flavor profiles at different temperatures. The most notable would be Wheat- banana/clove-, and Sasion- barnyard-, yeast.

Belgium strains have their flavors.

The more neutral yeast, s-04, s-05… can have a fruity flavor to them when fermented to high.

The same beer fermented at 62* will taste completely different than one fermented at 72*.

edit: My suggestion is to ferment at the low end of the suggested temps. On subsequent batches raise the temp. When you find a flavor you don’t care for, lower the temp on the next batch.

[quote=“r_bergmann”]I’m a first time brewer and this last weekend I cooked up my first batch of wort; I used the Northern Brewer Caribou Slobber Kit. I chilled my wort, added it to my primary fermenting bucket and topped it off. After aerating, as instructed I added my dry yeast and sealed it up. It has now been 72 hours since I’ve begun the fermentation process and I have yet to see any activity in the air lock. I spoke with a customer service rep from Northern Brewer and he felt that my storage area may have been too cool (approx. 62-64 degrees) and suggested that moving it to a warmer area would kit start the yeast. It has been over 24 hours since I moved it upstairs to an area where it is a bout 68 degrees and there has still been no activity in the air lock. I opened the lid and there was no foam or froth on the top of the wort. Do I need to start all over? Is my beer lost? :cry:

Thanks[/quote]

Which yeast did you use?
I pitched a pack of S-04 into three gallons of 1.083 beer and I saw signs of fermentation in three hours. The wort was at 62 and the yeast came straight from the fridge at 46.

I used windson ale dry yeast. I ended up checking the gravity of my wort and it was around 1.012, so it did ferment. I am in my last week of my secondary fermentation and will be bottling this upcoming weekend. I’m going to give it 2-3 in bottle before trying it; so I should know how it all turn out soon.

Bottle 1 soda bottle with your beer. Squeeze the O2 out and screw the cap on. The bottle will expand as CO2 is formed. No wondering what is happening in the glass bottles. Leave them for 3 weeks. You will be rewarded.

Also stir the beer after every 10-12 bottles to keep the sugar mixed up.