Please help!! Is it fermenting or ruined??

ara35 · 08-11-2009, 12:12 PM

First off, I’m new to this hobby and forum! I recently brewed a honey ginger ale. My cousin helped me, he has done about 15 batches and has really gotten good so he was willing to help me. Therefore, there should not be any problems with the actual brewing process. But I pitched it about 36 hours ago and have not seen any fermentation and there’s about an inch of white stuff on the bottom of the carboy. It was about 75-76 degrees when I pitched it, aerated it well beforehand. It’s in a cool place about 72 degrees now. I swirled it a little today and foam came out of the tube, so it could be starting. Not really sure what to do or what is going on. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

chode720 · 08-11-2009, 12:36 PM

Can you post a pic? Hard to tell without seeing it.

If you didnt make a starter, then 36 hours is not a long time to wait for vigorous fermentation. You may see some activity now, ie foam coming from blowoff tube, but it may be a little while until it really takes off

thedigitale · 08-11-2009, 01:36 PM

Don't swirl, don't open, don't think about it. It's fine. The layer on the bottom is trub and yeast and is perfectly ok.

First batch is tough, but if you wait it out you'll have good beer.

ara35 · 08-11-2009, 07:33 PM

i guess so. im still alittle nervous. i hope it works!!!
should i pitch again if it doesnt start by tomorrow morning?

**thantos** · 08-11-2009, 10:06 PM

Nope just wait, it will happen, what type of yeast did you use?

malkore · 08-11-2009, 10:22 PM

just sounds like your airlock isn't sealed tight so the gas is escaping elsewhere instead of bubbling.

if you agitated it and it foamed up, its fermenting just fine. leave it be.

you're learning early why a hydrometer, not airlock bubbles, are the only way to know what the beer is doing, and when its finished.

Droot · 08-11-2009, 11:28 PM

Unless you dis something really bad, you will have beer. I can't tell the quality, but I bet you will love it when its finally done.

David

**Picobrew** · 08-11-2009, 11:31 PM

I will echo: wait,wait,wait. I have had great beer from laggy fermentation starts, and I have had the same recipe/procedure result in differing lagtimes. If nothing happens in a WEEK (eg: no krausen), then I would be a bit worried.

**Nurmey** · 08-12-2009, 12:18 AM

Welcome to HBT! The first beer is the hardest but it gets much easier the more you do.

It sounds to me like your beer is fermenting or maybe has already fermented. As stated above, your hydrometer will tell you the story but there may be signs too. Is there a crusty brown line an a inch or two above the liquid level?

In any case, have faith that it's doing what it's suppose to do. Wait a couple weeks (that's the hard part of the first brew) and take a reading. If you absolutely can't wait for a couple weeks, it will not hurt anything if you take a reading sooner just be careful to sanitize everything that touches the beer. Don't add the sample back in, drink it! Don't be surprised if it doesn't taste like you think it should; it will get much better with age and carbonation.

**ChshreCat** · 08-12-2009, 12:33 AM

Usually you'll see krausen on your beer for a few days, but it's not unheard of for it to rise and disappear overnight or to not even get much krausen in a fermenting beer. As the other wise men (and wise Nurmey) said, leave it be. If you're really risking a nervous breakdown, go ahead and take a hyrdometer sample and see if it's dropped and that'll put your worries to rest.