So I started my California common yesterday, and there is still no fermentation activity. Now my question is, does lager yeast take longer to start up, or am I stuck here with a dud. I used Wyeast 2112 and the bag was about half inflated (smacked the night before) when I pitched, and I have been aerating it about once every two hours since it still has not started up, yet. Any suggestions?
I've also tried to get a starter going with what was left in the bottom of the bag, just in case, but it, too still hasn't shown any activity. The closest yeast I have on hand is my Wyeast 1007, which I'd rather not throw in, though I'm sure it'd come out fine. Could I have just gotten a dud?

Thoughts and suggestions would be mucho appreciated.

Did you start with a starter of just the bag? If you did not make a starter, you under pitched. It may take a while for activity to start. Also, what temp did you pitch at and what temp is it now? Stop aerating. Once should be enough for that beer. Don't want to risk infection since you have no activity. Is your airlock/bucket tight? Maybe the CO2 is escaping and you can't see the activity...

Yeah I have to ask myself if your sure theres no activity.

Remember 2112 is a bottom fermenting yeast.
I would be very careful with it until you are sure.

I'm also making a California Common this evening.

Temp was about 76 when I pitched, and it's holding steady at about 65. The airlock is tight and everything, but I probably underpitched. I've been going off of the top part of my airlock (three piece type) and it's not raised at all, which is why I'm having my suspicions. We'll find out tomorrow morning whether or not it's going.

2112 is a lager yeast, it will take longer to kick in, so dont worry. You under pitched so it mite
be slow to show sign of ferment but give it some time. Don't drop the temp no more, leave it
at 65 or so till it starts then drop the temp. DONT WORRY
Matthew

FWIW, 76F is way too high to pitch this yeast. You need to chill the wort a few degrees below fermentation temp before pitching.

Good to know for future ref. Unfortunately, I think I've got an infection in it. I've got this lovely spider-web looking 'krausen' and in the center of it is what looks like protein coagg. I doubt it's protein and it's probably mold, I'll find out if it grows in the morning. Unless this is normal for uvarum types, in which case woohoo. But I have a sinking suspicion that this is mold.

I don't think you would get mold that fast.

It sounds to me like some trub that got into the primary.
I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

Also especially because this is a California yeast that should be alright.
Now 76F is high to pitch this at, That could have just caused you a stagger.

I think you will find the beer is alright.

Any bubbles in your airlock?
What Shawn said.
Don't worry
Matt

1.) 2112 is not really a true lager yeast

2.) although #1 is true, 2112 likes to ferment at cool temps. Pitching at 76F was a big mistake, and you should be fermenting at in the 58-62F area

3.) without a starter, you'll not only have a longer lag time, you might have trouble getting it to finish fermenting properly

4.) I'm willing to bet ya a beer that it's not mold

5.) leave it alone and see what happens

Thanks guys, still no activity in my airlock, though. Live and learn, right?

Forget the airlock...are there any visible signs of fermentation?

Right on!!!

What Denny just said

Bubble, bubble, foiled my troubled, I watched my airlock and watched it bubble. Thanks for the help guys, it seems to have finally kicked into gear and is bubbling away slowly but surely. Out of curiosity, should I be worried about blow off? I can set one up if it needs it, but I'd rather use the airlock if I can.
Again, thanks for helping me through my first pseudo lager.

FWIW, I use a blowoff on every batch. There's no downside to it, and that way you're prepared in case you need it. I often leave the blowoff on all the way through primary. And you need to stop thinking about bubbles so much.... You can get fooled by watching bubbles too closely. The fact that they're not there doesn't necessarily mean it isn't fermenting, and the fact they're around late in fermentation doesn't necessarily indicate that the beer is still fermenting. Take gravity readings and learn to recognize the other signs.

Believe me, I really wanted to take a hydro reading, I was just too paranoid at some nasties getting in when I opened the airlock. I usually go by my hydro to determine when the ferm is finished, not the bubbles. Though, what are the other signs of fermentation besides a krausen, hydro, and bubbles. I would love to know, as I am still a bit of a novice, and this would be my third ag brew. The other two, a hefe and a kolsch, went off without a hitch, but then again, I didn't know I needed to use a starter on a lager. Good to know for next time. As far as using a blowoff tube, I'm guessing you use a 1 inch, does that fit over the mouth of the carboy? I've noobishly been using my stopper and jamming a 3/8" hose into it for my blow off. It works well, but I'd rather do the 1".

When I used buckets, I used the 1" (IIRC) stuffed inside the neck of the carboy. I'm on buckets not, and I either use the 1" on them, or a stopper and 3/8" tube. Although that worries me a bit, I usually get little to no trub in the fermenter, so I feel reasonably safe. Speaking of reasonably safe, as long as you take the usual precautions, don't worry too much about opening the fermenter. Youo certainly don't want to do it all the time, but occasionally to take a look or a reading is fine. Basically, the way I do a rough judgment about the sate of fermentation is to consider how much time it's been in primary (after a week or so, I figure it's gotta be getting close), what the krausen looks like, and a hydrometer reading. Bubbles don't do much for you because you can be getting bubbles from your airlock after fermentation has finished. Temp changes can cause the residual CO2 left in the beer from fermentation to be outgassed. In general, though, it's seems to always work better for me to wait a bit longer than to rush things. One last thing...lager or not, the beers I've brewed have always turned out better when I use a starter than when I didn't. Your choice....

I don't use airlocks and havent for a long time.I use carboys to ferment in and use plastic
baggies and rubber bands to hold them on the neck of the carboy. I look for signs of fement
with a small flashlite, shining it on and in the fementing beer- it will be 'rollin' and tumblin', churning away and some foam on top. when this movement stops I let it set for another week or so, maybe do a D-rest, then Xfer to secondary and lager. it's always worked for me.
I look for other ways to see any visible signs of fermentation sides bubbles. Guess theres
more than one way to skin a beer

I know you mentioned this in my carboy bomb post, Matthew, but I never asked: have you ever had that baggie get gunked up? And what happened if it did; did it shoot off, nothing, etc. I like the idea, just weary on the bag shooting off after being clogged and spraying krausen everywhere.

Strangely, my ice bath is too efficient at keeping the temps down. I just went to check on the temp, and the external water temp was at 34F... Not cool, *antipun?* I wanted it to stay at 50, since I know that 2112 won't do well at such cold temps. I popped a few of those ice bottles out and I plan on letting it get back up to 50F. I'm actually shocked, since I used the exact same system for my kolsch and it remaind around 50F the entire time. It seems like everything is trying to go wrong so that this goes downhill. Weird.

Make sure to monitor the fermenter temp, not just the ambient/water temp.

I always forget to remind that I brew 3.25 gals. or so, so I have plenty of head space in th carboy, but there are a lot of strains of yeast that will crawl stait out the carboy and blow
the baggie off or gunk it up as you said ,so yes I clean them upand put another three baggies
on them. they won't pop of, the rubber bands arent on that tite. with lager yeast I never worry about them - not enough krausen to worry 'bout there.Kolsch yeast worry or use a blow off.
1007 Germ-ale, blow off some times.
I keep an old towel covering the top of the whole thing that way its not so messy but this doesnt happen that often- maybe one 1 out of 10 -15 batches 'cause it's only 3 gal. batch.
Matthew

Yeah, I need to get around to getting one of those sticky thermometers for my carboys, but I'm lazy and just add a few degrees to the ambient temp. Usually, in the form of 2-3 degrees above ambient, since the center of the carboy is often warmer because of the ferm process. Eventually, I'll get that therm, though.

Matthew- since I use a 6.5 gal carboy with a 5.5 gal or so batch, the bag thing probably would be rather messy for me. Though, I do use the towel on top to make clean up easy, and to cool it down. I learned that a towel was easier than a shirt to deal with, plus the last shirt I used dyed the water a lovely shade of pumpkin orange.

Yeah, Denny had you strait -blow off tube. That would be the way to go, safe than sorry and no mess to clean up no matter what kinda yeast you use.