Question with first brew

Ok I just did my first brew. I dd a half batch. I saw a few bubbles the third day, but after that glance I haven't seen any. The platic bucket isn't hot or anything. And I can't see if the kraussen formed ecause it's a platic bucket. After the secondary, can I taste it? I know it will be flat, jut to are if it's good or absolutely horrible.

I believe most brewers try each sample they take to look at the gravity when determining whether fermentation is complete. Hell, I tasted the wort sample that I took to test my Starting Gravity. Just tasted like flat, hoppy, sugary water.

The biggest thing about this hobby is patience.

Did you take a gravity reading before you put it into the primary?

What is your expected Final Gravity reading?

You need to let the beer stay in the primary until the FG is stable for at least three days. Some of us on the board do not use a secondary at all. We just leave the beer in the primary for a minimum of three weeks then go to bottle or kegs.

Like I said have patience and you will make good beer.

I have only done a few batches, but I will tell you this: I never throw a sample down the drain, wort or beer. Wort don't taste that great, but I drink it. I really think it is a neat experience to actually taste the difference between wort, flat beer, and final product.

RDWHAHB. an airlock is not a fermentation indicator its a pressure release valve. the "is not bubbling" airlock is common when brewing in a bucket. the CO2 is escaping somewhere else, probably around the lid that isn't quite sealed correctly. if your worried stick your good ear up to the bucket and listen. you should be able to hear the slight hiss of the bubbles coming to the surface. if your still worried take a hydrometer reading. if its lower than your OG then my friend you have fermentation. leave the beer in the fermenter till the SG stops falling.

Agree with Tipsy Dragon.

There is a chance your air is leaking outside of rim of the lid or something. Best bet would be to open it up and take a sample, just be sure to sanitize whatever you are putting into your beer, and don't put the beer back into the bucket that you used as a sample.

How long has it been in the primary? If your sample is going down from your original gravity, I'd just leave it at least 3 weeks total in the primary.

You could go to secondary or bottle at that point if your gravity has stabilized.

Just realizes something. I did a half batch, but I used te whole little packet of yeast. So I have double the yeast in there. What's th side effects of that?

There are no bad things that can come from more yest int the wort. All you did was make their job easier.

Nothing wrong with the whole packet of yeast. And yes you can taste test it. Please do, but be warned that you may think it isn't very good. It's common to not like the taste of beer straight from the fermentor. Conditioning, cooling, carbonation are a HUGEEEEE part of the beer process. I can't imagine why people have brewed beer for thousands of years without these steps.