benpen

Recipes 

I brewed my pumpkin ale yesterday and as I finished up I realized I did not have an airlock. Not sure where I misplaced it but that's not the issue. Instead I pushed a piece of clear tubing through the hole in the lid of my fermenting bucket that I would normally put the air lock and placed the other end in a jug of water. The kit called for sg of 1.044 - 1.046. I did not take a reading yesterday but this morning it was 1.050. There is no krausen yet either. How often should I check the gravity and when should I start seeing krausen?

Thanks

Ben

Kaz

Recipes 

Krausen depends on how you handled your yeast, usually 12-48 hours, but sometimes there can be a longer lag time. I would wait until you see the krausen comes and goes, then wait another week and then check the gravity a few days apart and if it has dropped and holds steady, it is good to package. Given the lack of an airlock, your tubing into water is perfect, usually called a blowoff.

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Draft 1: Belgian Chocolate Stout
Draft 2: Belgian Wit
Draft 3: Double IPA

Primary 1: Irish Red Ale
Primary 2: Weizen

On Deck: Imperial Stout, Berry Wheat

Leithoa

Recipes 

+1
If by day 3 you still don't see any signs of fermentation then I'd probably repitch with the same yeast. Sometimes krausen doesn't form well or it falls before you get a chance to see it.
As far as starting gravity was this an extract or all-grain kit? If you're a quart of liquid short or got a higher extract efficiency than the recipe accounted for that would explain the higher gravity. The only 'downside' is you get buzzed faster.

Unless you're on a tight schedule there's no need to check gravity until you're ready to bottle. The kit probably gave a time table but 7-14 days is pretty average for low-moderate gravity beers.
Like Kaz said you just want to make sure fermentation is complete so you don't get gushers or bottle bombs when you bottle.

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1°: Ginger Amber, Blackberry Melomel, Cider; 2°:Orange/Clover blossom mead, Banana wine; Conditioning:Cyser, JAOM, In like a Lion RIS ; Drinking: British Mild, In like a Lion RIS