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I roll my eyes every time I read what I'm about to ask but I'm getting paranoid. I pitched yeast into a brew 11am yesterday and it's now about 7pm, more than a day later. No obvious signs of fermentation yet. It's my first time using a fridge as a fermentation chamber and it's dialed in nicely at 17 C. FYI it's an IPA with 1056 yeast. Is it time to worry yet?

Did you just sprinkle the yeast in? Hydrate? Starter? Any reason to doubt it's viability?

I wouldn't be worried about it, personally. If I had more yeast around I'd probably toss it in, however. If you don't see anything tomorrow then maybe it's time to find some. If 17C is colder than your'e used to fermenting at then perhaps it's a bit slower getting going - basically, if you underpitched it might be a bit more noticeable.

I made a 2 L starter that I chilled the night before brewing. I let it warm up while I was brewing. It is the first time I used liquid yeast 17 C is a little cooler than usual for me but it's said that 1056 can handle it.

17 should be fine, I try to start most of my beers there, regardless of yeast type. At this point though, I'd raise it up. Can you please elaborate on the yeast starter process? How long did the starter go for? Was it active? After chilling, did you pitch the whole starter or just the sediment?

Also, when did you buy the yeast, and what's the date on the package?

2l on a stir plate started Wednesday. Lots of activity chilled Friday and I decanted about 3/4 of the liquid and pitched everything else. Bought the yeast a day or two before at NG, manufactured in April.

Well, that all checks out then. Was 17 your pitching temperature, or did it start colder? I'm really not seeing any reasons why it's not fermenting. Are you sure it's actually not fermenting? If it's in a sealed bucket, maybe it's just not completely sealed.

I just opened the lid to have a peek. Huge krausen had formed. And quite the crack by the airlock hole. I guess all the gas was getting out. Lesson...check everything before freaking out. Thanks.

Not sure if this matters but 17c is 62f and that is the bottom end of that yeasts temperature range. You might experience a slower start to fermentation as a result.

Wyeast lists it at 15, or 60ºF. A lower starting temperature can lead to a slower start, if the pitching rate is low, but it can lead to a cleaner beer. Like I mentioned above, I start most of my beers in the low 60's, except for in summer.