Please help!! Is it fermenting or ruined??

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ara35

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

there are tiny bubbles rising to the top, there is a brown crust about 2 inches above the foam, and the foam is about 2 inches thick.... are those good signs??

and thanks for all the responses. very very helpful
 
I would guess you are at "high kreusen" or peak fermentation. This will fall in a few days. Let it sit and clear for another two weeks or so after fermentation has ceased.
 
well my cousin said that it should be pretty vigorous for a couple days and it never was... is this a problem?
 
If you have 2 inches of foam and then there's a crusty ring 2 inches above that, you're doing great. You had a big krausen and it's falling now.
 
well is there any danger by adding another vial of yeast to be safe at this point?
 
Have you even taken a grav reading yet through all these discussions?

That would answer your question about your beer instantly and have given you piece of mind, instead of using a flawed method like looking at an airlock as a guide.

Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happenning, doesn't mean that anything's wrong, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working dilligantly away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years....

The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in.....

Thinking about pitching more yeast before taking a hydrometer reading after waiting an intial 72 hours, is the same thing....thinking about a "cure" before we even know if the beer is even "sick."

Nothing I have read of your info leads me to believe that there is anything wrong or "different" with your beer than any of the other nervous first time brewers who post on here.

The cure for that is to take a hydrometer reading, pure and simple.

It's really really hard for this stuff NOT to turn out. :mug:
 
that is a great point REVVY. that is a really good idea.

i will go to the store today, buy a vial of yeast and a hydrometer (was using my cousins when i made it). it started at 1.050 so how far under should that be? if its 1.048-1.049, should I pitch it again or does that mean its good? and if it is right, then i'll just save the yeast for the next batch. cause if for some reason this doesnt go perfect, i am not giving up. sound good....?
 
I wouldn't even bother buying a vial of yeast at this point unless you're starting another batch in the near future. If you're going to wait until you taste this one before you brew again, wait on buying the yeast. Your brew is FINE. I know it's FINE. If it's not FINE I will strike myself in the nads. I swear! Take a sample and check the gravity. If it's above 1.018 I'd be shocked.
 
If it is ANYTHING under your OG, then it is fermenting and you should relax, and leave your fermenter alone. The yeast really do know what they need to do.

Hey how come Chesire mention the H word and you ignored it, but I mention it and you jump to it?

:D
 
It is not needed as it sounds like you have had a normal fermentation going.

Here are a few pics to help you if your beer looks like the one on the left you are right where you need to be. Don't worry about comparing color or anything other than the Krauzen or (foam) If you have a Hydrometer use it to take a reading and compare it to your OG.

6175_1185656996141_1069759232_601074_2228788_n.jpg


Here is a short video of an active fermentation.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld3YWtVhr9Y]YouTube - VID 00009[/ame]
 
I apologize Chesire,
i came into work and saw about 7 responses and it didnt really hit me like the whole doctor comparison did. apologies
 
Just to chime in here... There's a certain masochism to brewing; the waiting in the face of uncertainty is excruciating, particularly the first few times. But it's an excellent opportunity to exercise your Iron Will. Don't buy the extra yeast. Don't check the gravity every hour. Don't revisit over and over the mistakes you may have made in the process. Prepare yourself mentally for the 3 week bottle conditioning that will stretch your willpower to the breaking point. Give your friends all your bottle openers and tell them not to return them for a month no matter what you say. Embrace the torture. Wait serenely. Compared to this, quitting smoking is a cake walk.

I apologize Chesire,
i came into work and saw about 7 responses and it didnt really hit me like the whole doctor comparison did. apologies
 
Just to chime in here... There's a certain masochism to brewing; the waiting in the face of uncertainty is excruciating, particularly the first few times. But it's an excellent opportunity to exercise your Iron Will. Don't buy the extra yeast. Don't check the gravity every hour. Don't revisit over and over the mistakes you may have made in the process. Prepare yourself mentally for the 3 week bottle conditioning that will stretch your willpower to the breaking point. Give your friends all your bottle openers and tell them not to return them for a month no matter what you say. Embrace the torture. Wait serenely. Compared to this, quitting smoking is a cake walk.

Wow....a combination of Zen Calm and Opus Dei self flagellation...

lkzyz89efm_clap.gif


I'm impressed. :D

I would have gone for a more rdwhahb vibe, but this works too!

:mug:
 
well it was at about 2 bubbles per second when i put the bubble counter on, was a s.g. of 1.020 (starting was 1.050) and it actually tastes pretty legit for only being 3 days in. i am happy to say it seems to be properly fermenting!
 
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