Yeast died, TWICE! Help!

[TCD]

Hi All, I'm new here and seeking help. I brewed last week and worked from this recipe: https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/442880/chocolate-coconut-stout. All went well but, for some reason, my yeast never took off. I gave it 5 days and re-pitched. It's 3 days later and still no activity. I'm not sure what to do? Can I pitch a 3rd time? Do I just wait? Do I accept that I made a very tasty NA? This happened once before when I tried to brew a stout but my blonde ale comes out great every time. I appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Hogarthe]

Have you taken a gravity reading? If you are judging activity just by airlock bubbles sometimes the air pushes out somewhere else(bucket lid or around the carboy bung) instead of going through the airlock. If the gravity hasn't changed then you really have no fermentation. You can re aireate the wort to get oxygen in it then add another pack of yeast.

 

[Nosybear]

Have you taken a gravity reading? If you are judging activity just by airlock bubbles sometimes the air pushes out somewhere else(bucket lid or around the carboy bung) instead of going through the airlock. If the gravity hasn't changed then you really have no fermentation. You can re aireate the wort to get oxygen in it then add another pack of yeast.

Ditto that. Yeast is pretty hard to kill. If it's sat there for three days with no fermentation, it's ruined. The best I can get from forced fermentation tests is four days without spoiling. But I bet it's fermented and you didn't notice it.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Them imperial yeast packs are also 200 billion pitch. so as long as you waited for wort to reach pitching temp and didnt cook them all you should have beer and a delish one by the looks of the recipie.

 

[Hawkbox]

Yeah I'd suggest taking a gravity reading before you do anything else.

 

[TCD]

Thanks for the advice. I aerated after the second pitch and that did the trick. I checked my gravity the other day and I was up to 6.55 ABV. Next time, I'm going to aerate more and double pitch. I appreciate the help!