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I bought an ESB 3kg bavarian wheat brew on the weekend. I was told by the HBS that it was a great beer and best of all came with the right yeast. So I took it home and set it up, pitched at 26 degrees with the supplied safale yeast 11g. 40 hours have passed and there is no action. The whole thing is air tight (When I push on the lid the airlock moves and stays moved for 10-20 seconds when I release it goes back.) I assume the yeasties were no good. Maybe got cooked in the shop or in transit or something. Who knows how long these things sit on the shelf.
But after spending $28 bucks on the pack I'm a bit disapointed. The only other yeasts I have are from old coopers kits or a safbeer (apparently spicy, peppery results). Should I just pitch the safbeer then go buy more yeast for my next brew?
I'm a bit disapointed cause the guy in the shop talked the esb kit up a bit.

Do you have any other signs of fermentation? Thing is, this sounds dodgy to me:

stays moved for 10-20 seconds when I release it goes back

Sounds like it's not quite sealed if it goes back. So yeah, any krausen or condensation on the lid?

There is condensation on the lid but no krausen.

It holds for 10 - 20 seconds cause that is how long I push on the lid for. I'm sure if I pushed on the lid for a minute it would hold that long. Anyway I'd expect there to be enough volume of CO2 going that a slight leak wouldn't leak it all and there would still be some airlock action.

Ah ok I misunderstood. Well, you could always pitch another safale K-97 if you can bring yourself to go back to the HBS. They might actually give it to you for free (at least they should) if you tell them what happened.

Does the water level back out? If it does, you have a leak.

Pitch another yeast (Safale), it wont hurt to try.

Cheers

Boonie

They should be keeping their yeasts in the fridge?

The airlock only levels back out when I release the pressure on the lid.

The yeast was kept under the lid on the top of the can o wort concentrate as per all kits. They keep their seperate yeasts in the fridge.

I rang the shop and he suggested I check the sg again to be sure and if absolutely sure they pitch the safbrew yeast I got for another brew and go and see him when I get a chance to get some more yeast.

squeeze the sides of the fermenter hard enough to send a couple bubbles out of the airlock. when you let go, it should back the water up a bit and keep it that way. if it levels out quickly, you've got a leak.

Just to put a conclusion to this old thread.
After about 5 days it finally fired up and bubbled away gently for a week. It had a FG of 1014 and was really cloudy and gross looking when I bottled it. It smelled okay and wasn't the most horrible thing I had tasted when it was being bottled.

I gave it a go a couple weeks ago and it is a sensational drop. Crystal clear and a really good tasting hoppy wheat beer. The best stuff I've made so far. So good in fact that I've gone out and got another 3 ESB 3kg kits. If they are all this good I can't see myself being able to go back to 1.7kg coopers/cascade kits...

gibovski wrote:Just to put a conclusion to this old thread.
After about 5 days it finally fired up and bubbled away gently for a week. It had a FG of 1014 and was really cloudy and gross looking when I bottled it. It smelled okay and wasn't the most horrible thing I had tasted when it was being bottled.

I gave it a go a couple weeks ago and it is a sensational drop. Crystal clear and a really good tasting hoppy wheat beer. The best stuff I've made so far. So good in fact that I've gone out and got another 3 ESB 3kg kits. If they are all this good I can't see myself being able to go back to 1.7kg coopers/cascade kits...

ESB is far superior than Coopers/Cascade. Another good wheat beer is the Brewcraft Bavarian Wheat, put it with 500g of Wheatmalt and a Brewcraft #15. Put in some Hersbrucker hops, and it is delicious.

hbg wrote:
ESB is far superior than Coopers/Cascade. Another good wheat beer is the Brewcraft Bavarian Wheat, put it with 500g of Wheatmalt and a Brewcraft #15. Put in some Hersbrucker hops, and it is delicious.

hbg, where do you get your ESB kits in Newcastle? and how much a pop are they?

Cheers

Boonie