how can i tell if fermentation taking place?

It has been about 32 hours since I put my beer in the fermentor. I'm making American Amber from a Brewer's Best kit. My airlock is not bubbling. If I press down really hard on the top of my plastic fermentor, it begins to bubble, so I think it is sealed. When I open the top, I see a foam on top of the beer, with brownish spots all around. Is fermentation occuring, or is my beer contaminated? If its contaminated is there anything I can do now?

Did you use dry yeast? Did you rehydrate it? If so, what temp was the water? What temp was your wort when you pitched it in? What is the temp of the room where your fermenter is located?

Bobby

Wow. This is like deja-vu. Had the exact same kit, first brew ever by me. I had to check the temperature. That Nottinghams likes it at exactly 70 degrees. If you got foaming, known as krauzen, then you got fermentation going on. I was told that sometimes those buckets don't seal all that well. Best way to test, is get a hydrometer to know exactly for sure. The brown spots are probably bubbles of CO2 that have clumped together. My AA is at it's 3rd week and I already bottled it. I'm thinking about popping one open just to see if I even have beer. I made a second batch from BB using the Continental Pilsner, that stuff has been fermenting for over 48 hours.

First time ever brewing. Used dry yeast. Did not rehydrate bc recipe didn't call for it, although now I realize I should have. When I pitched it in the wort was less than 80 degrees, probably around 65-70. The temp of the room where the fermentor is located is about 76-78 degrees in the daytime. Warm I know, but this is the only option I have at the moment. I used a generic dry yeast from the kit.

Well I guess I must have fermentation going on then, because there is definately some foam and the small brown dots (many of them) are probably CO2 I guess. But why no bubbling? It seems to definitely be sealed because of the bubbles when I press down on the lid. If there is no bubbling I guess I should just open and drop in a hydrometer to test when I should rack to secondary? It started at about SG 1.038. With what SG should I go to secondary? Also, when reading my hydrometer, do I read it at the top of the foam? I don't really see how I can do otherwise without stirring up the beer, but my original reading is from the top of the beer, no foam.