72 hrs & no visible fermentation??

stevenryals · 03-05-2009, 01:07 AM

Hi all, I helped a neighbor get started on his first home brea... and he's having some probs.. wanted to get the experts opinion:

Brewed an oatmeal stout on sunday @ 3pm (so we're almost 80 hours in now)

recipe:
6.6lb light malt extract (liquid)
8oz flaked oats
8oz muntons chocolate
8oz muntons torified wheat
6oz muntons crystal 60
4 oz muntons roasted barley

7 aau target bittering
.25oz kent golding aroma...

went through the normal procedures..
everything went fine, well sanitized and airated.....

went straight to the basement (not on the floor) where it is roughly 65 degrees.. no fermentation, so after seeing this; neighbor moved it upstairs to his bathroom where its' roughly 68-70 constant yesterday, and still no visible bubble showing fermentation..

any instructions? thoughts? advice?

Not even pushing the water to show a positive pressure at this point..

thanks

TimmysPaleAle · 03-05-2009, 01:09 AM

advice: Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew!

stevenryals · 03-05-2009, 01:13 AM

Should I let it have a couple extra days in the primary? is it running late or what?????

Eves · 03-05-2009, 01:40 AM

Not trying to be a jerk or anything but....I don't see yeast listed. You did pitch the yeast, right?

OK...so assuming you did pitch the yeast... Personally I'd wait til the brew has been in the primary for 7 or more days and then check the gravity. Odds are you would be at or near your target FG at 7 days (not saying its done but it might be done fermenting). Airlock activity means nothing. My first 10 brews all had wild and very active airlock activity and then my 11th batch had zero airlock activity. Yet after a gravity check at 7 days the hydrometer reading was really close. After 3 weeks in the primary it was perfect. Sometimes you just have a brew without visible fermenation and all is still well.

cytokine · 03-05-2009, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eves

Airlock activity means nothing.

This.

As the previous poster has rightly pointed out, if you pitched yeast you are fermenting. Let your hydrometer answer this question after a week in the primary fermenter and you will likely find that all is well.

homebrewer_99 · 03-05-2009, 02:59 AM

What you are experiencing is called "lag time".

If you had made a starter a couple days ahead of the brewing date you would have eliminated this.

steelerguy · 03-05-2009, 03:13 AM

If there is no visible sign of fermentation (krausen, wort swirling around, airlock activity...) within 36 hours you should check the gravity. If it is not going down you should pitch some viable yeast.

The longer your wort sits around not fermenting, the greater the chance some bacteria or other fungus will start eating your glorious sugars and making your beer taste nasty.

stevenryals · 03-05-2009, 12:05 PM

I went over to his house last night to check it out, and low and behold... not enough vodka in the airlock!!! lol.... i walked into the bathroom where he had it and i could smell it straight off... added a bit of vodka, and instantly the bubbles started..

he went from depressed loser, to happy father of a baby beer in minutes lol

EvilTOJ · 03-05-2009, 12:14 PM

See, glad it was a simple fix. Well, not for the depressed loser part, he's still that.

I keed, I keed!

stevenryals · 03-05-2009, 03:04 PM

lol.. he was like me on my first brew though.. he was like "i killed it didnt i? DAMMIT I'VE KILLED MY BEER!!!!" lol...

i had a right laugh at him while I drank a home brew in front of him.. lol