This is my third batch of beer a white beer. I brewed this on Monday evening and now(wednesday) there is still no bubbling from my air lock. I forgot to take a gravity reading before I pitched the yeast. What should I do? Should I be worried? The yeast I used was Wyeast 3944. I did not make a starter.
No bubbles from Air Lock
- Thread starter dabull25
- Start date
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How is the seal? I had a batch a few batches ago that didn't appear to be fermenting. I checked the seal of the bung to the fermenter and low and behold, it just wasn't a good seal. I hit the bung back into place and watched a really violent fermentation through the airlock.
Have you checked to see if you have a good seal on the grommet/bung?
3944 is usually a very active yeast. I would look to see if you at least have a krausen forming. If not, I'd say something is wrong.
3944 is usually a very active yeast. I would look to see if you at least have a krausen forming. If not, I'd say something is wrong.
Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
Better leave it alone for a few weeks, then carefully add priming sugar, bottle and send it to me for evaluation. I'll let you know how it turns out.
If you pitched liquid yeast without a starter, then it has it's work cut out for it. Leave it for at least 14 days or so, then take a gravity reading. If the recipe told you anticipated OG, then assume you hit it. If you aren't sure what your anticipated OG was, then use something like Brewtarget to determine it. Then you can measure SG and compare with anticipated FG. In any case, after a couple of weeks, 3 successive SG measurements that are identical will indicate the fermentation is complete. If you aren't anywhere near anticipated FG in a couple of weeks, pick up a packet of Nottingham from your LHBS and toss that on there. That should finish it up for you.
theblaster
Well-Known Member
can you see into your fermentation container (ie, carboy or bucket) and if so, can you see a foamy layer on top? That would count as a good sign.
Stick your nose near the airlock. does it smell like the sweet nectar of the gods? If so, that's also a good sign. And as others have suggested, check everything to make sure it is on tight (if brewing in a bucket, check the edge of the lid all the way around).
Stick your nose near the airlock. does it smell like the sweet nectar of the gods? If so, that's also a good sign. And as others have suggested, check everything to make sure it is on tight (if brewing in a bucket, check the edge of the lid all the way around).
I also brewed on Monday with the same yeast. However, I made a 2l starter for my 5 batch. 24 hours later it was producing huge bubbles in the blow off jug. Temp also spiked to around 80F, could have been higher. However as of this morning it's down to 62F (about ambient garage temp), producing slow bubbles with a standard airlock. FYI, it was the SWMBO slayer recipe w/ a starting sg of 1.052.
I wouldn't pitch more yeast right now. I'd follow Wyrmwood's advice and just wait and see what happens. Or if you really want to know now, take a gravity reading today and another tomorrow. If there's a difference, the beer is fermenting.
A loose seal on a fermenter lid can prevent your airlock from bubbling, as can a number of other factors. I've brewed many, many beers that came out great and for which I never saw or heard a single "bloop". As many on this board have noted in the past, the airlock is not an accurate indicator of fermentation - a gravity reading is the only sure way to know if the yeastie boys are during their job.
A loose seal on a fermenter lid can prevent your airlock from bubbling, as can a number of other factors. I've brewed many, many beers that came out great and for which I never saw or heard a single "bloop". As many on this board have noted in the past, the airlock is not an accurate indicator of fermentation - a gravity reading is the only sure way to know if the yeastie boys are during their job.
badhabit
Well-Known Member
I would agree 100%. I just kegged a brew that it took 3 weeks to ferment out. I saw a little, very little activity the 2nd and 3rd day in the primary and then nothing after that. I did end up checking SG just because I thought for sure I had a stuck fermentation. The part that drove me nuts is that I have made this beer many times and never had this experiance.
doctorRobert
Well-Known Member
open the lid and look at it...you'll know if its fermenting.
