Fermentation can take 24 to 72 hrs to show visible signs.

Makes sense, tho with my long starters (I generally wait for about 3 days before I start my brew day) fermentation starts in a matter of hours, about 7-12 to be exact.

but I know to not freak out unless its been 2-3 days, depending on yeast

I started my first 5 gallon extract a few days ago. Making a hefeweizen and used WLP300 with the expectation of an active fermentation. Nothing happened in the first 24 hours, then came a little bubbling in the airlock. 12 hours after that, massive krausen, overactive airlock and some overflow. Glad I came across this thread and waited patiently

Yes, I started brewing a chocolate milk stout and I made a blow off. It was really active during that time but once its stopped overflowing I put the airlock on and very little activity . I was worried, but I'm glad to have ran into this thread. Thanks guys!

Can the beer be harmed by leaving it in the keg too long after fermentation has stopped? The kit says to ferment for 7-14 days, and everyone here recommends at least 3, maybe 4 weeks. If the fermentation has appeared to have stopped after 16 days and I left it in the keg for a full 21 days, could the batch go south? Or is it better to be safe than sorry? Thanks.

DallasHomeBrew2 said:

Can the beer be harmed by leaving it in the keg too long after fermentation has stopped? The kit says to ferment for 7-14 days, and everyone here recommends at least 3, maybe 4 weeks. If the fermentation has appeared to have stopped after 16 days and I left it in the keg for a full 21 days, could the batch go south? Or is it better to be safe than sorry? Thanks.

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Your fine. Just check your gravity to be sure ferm is complete. Let it sit for 2 weeks or so and let the yeast finish up their thing and clean it up. Think if it as a secondary without transferring your beer to another vessel.

dallashomebrew2 said:

can the beer be harmed by leaving it in the keg too long after fermentation has stopped? The kit says to ferment for 7-14 days, and everyone here recommends at least 3, maybe 4 weeks. If the fermentation has appeared to have stopped after 16 days and i left it in the keg for a full 21 days, could the batch go south? Or is it better to be safe than sorry? Thanks.

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rdwhah

DallasHomeBrew2 said:

Can the beer be harmed by leaving it in the keg too long after fermentation has stopped? The kit says to ferment for 7-14 days, and everyone here recommends at least 3, maybe 4 weeks. If the fermentation has appeared to have stopped after 16 days and I left it in the keg for a full 21 days, could the batch go south? Or is it better to be safe than sorry? Thanks.

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The longest I have gone in primary is 6 weeks but I usually aim for 3. Either way, the beer turns out great. I think kits tend to recommend shorter ferm periods because they know that people have no patience and it turns them over faster, this they sell more kits.

bleme, I think you nailed it on the head. I think they also recommend a secondary because most non beer enthusiasts probably feel icky seeing a little rice cake in their brew.

dannylerch said:

bleme, I think you nailed it on the head. I think they also recommend a secondary because most non beer enthusiasts probably feel icky seeing a little rice cake in their brew.

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Well, that and someone, somewhere, along the line can make some more cash on a carboy for doing secondary in.

Ogri said:

Well, that and someone, somewhere, along the line can make some more cash on a carboy for doing secondary in.

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I'm not sure it's really anything as sinister as that. More likely, it's just inertia--from what I gather, up until four or five years ago racking to a secondary was standard practice for almost all homebrewers, and was recommended by Papazian, Palmer and others. There are numerous threads about this so there's no need to rehash the whole thing but, suffice it to say, over time the weight of opinion among many HBers has shifted to a long primary/no secondary schedule. I suspect that HB shops simply haven't changed their standard advised protocols because it hasn't been THAT long since a secondary was considered de rigeur.

I myself still secondary most beers because I get better clarity that way (and because that's the way I've done it for almost a decade!), but I know I'm probably in the minority at this point. At any rate, I don't think the secondary instruction is some nefarious plot by LHBS's...it's just an artifact from a time when standard practices were different.

Will the way dry yeast was stored affect the time it takes for it to start fermenting? I kept my packet in the fridge for the most part but had it out for about a day after I received my kit and a few hours before I brewed.

Orfy said:

Don't worry if your brew takes up to 3 days to show signs fermenting.
Especially if you used liquid yeast and didn't make a big starter and oxygenate.
It is also worth noting that no bubbles in the air lock does not mean it isn't fermenting.

If at 3 days nothing seems to of happened then take a gravity reading to make sure you haven't missed the fermentation.
It is preferable to have a brew start fermenting as soon as possible
If you follow correct and advised procedures then I say most brews see activity in 6 to 18 hours. If this doesn't happen then it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. You may just not be seeing it or it's taking it's time.

It is quite common for new brewers to get worried after 24 hours to 48 hours.
They get told to wait and then realise that the advice was correct.

First brew, and worried - Home Brew Forums

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Yea, as far as I know, there could be nothing wrong with a batch with no apparent activity after 3 days. However, as you say, it is better to have it started way sooner so no wild yeast of bacteria start fermenting before the brewing pitched yeast. Since, it´s impossible to keep every bacteria/and or/wild yeast away when cooling and poring wort into a fermenter when brewing at home.

doubletapbrewing said:

Will the way dry yeast was stored affect the time it takes for it to start fermenting? I kept my packet in the fridge for the most part but had it out for about a day after I received my kit and a few hours before I brewed.

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Yes, to a certain extent. It's definitely a better idea to keep your dried yeast in a cool/cold dark place if you are storing for extended periods before using than to, as an extreme example, let it get exposed to direct sunlight and higher temperatures on multiple occasions. How much this will affect the lag period, or overall viability, I can't be sure.

I wouldn't have thought your example would be particularly detrimental to the yeast health as, when you think about it, the instructions often state that to re-hydrate the yeast you need to "pour the contents of the packet into water at about 100*f", so warm/hot room temps for a short length of time wouldn't really adversely affect the yeast condition, either.

I panicked after 24 hours of no activity. So the first thing I did was jump on this forum, I knew the answer would be here. I started to look at this thread, started to look for a substitute yeast, (LBHS sold me last Londan Ale and it was expired). By the time I found what substitute yeast I was going to use, and read halfway through this thread, fermentation took off. So once again it holds true, RDWHAHB! It ended up taking about 36 hours before I noticed visible activity. Not ideal I suppose, but bubbling like crazy now. So if you are looking for advice on what to do with no signs of activity, just wait, it will come.

Mickeymoose said:

I panicked after 24 hours of no activity. So the first thing I did was jump on this forum, I knew the answer would be here. I started to look at this thread, started to look for a substitute yeast, (LBHS sold me last Londan Ale and it was expired). By the time I found what substitute yeast I was going to use, and read halfway through this thread, fermentation took off. So once again it holds true, RDWHAHB! It ended up taking about 36 hours before I noticed visible activity. Not ideal I suppose, but bubbling like crazy now. So if you are looking for advice on what to do with no signs of activity, just wait, it will come.

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Since joining this group RDWHAHB has become my all saving mantra, I would be a brewing ball of stress without it!

I started my irish stout last night and no activity noted in my airlock yet. Got my fermenter down to 70degrees, and keepin it there. I have talked to a few people that have said that sometimes it will not even bubble... My last batch which was my first bubbled like crazy up until the last few days.. All of my wine is on a constant bubble.. Does it have something to do with the all grain recipe verses the extract I used last time? Thanks

Probably not. Maybe your bucket isn't completely sealed. Perhaps your airlock wasn't inserted tight enough. Doesn't matter, I'm sure you'll still have beer.

I'm cold crashing an extract stout right now that had NO airlock activity the entire fermentation, but still fermented completely with lots of krausen residue on the sides of the bucket.

I have different airlock activity experiences with each batch, even among repeat brewings of the same recipe. Most of the time it has nothing to so with your ingredients, process, or yeast, but with just how airtight your primary fermenter is.

RDWHAHB.

schokie said:

Probably not. Maybe your bucket isn't completely sealed. Perhaps your airlock wasn't inserted tight enough. Doesn't matter, I'm sure you'll still have beer.

I'm cold crashing an extract stout right now that had NO airlock activity the entire fermentation, but still fermented completely with lots of krausen residue on the sides of the bucket.

I have different airlock activity experiences with each batch, even among repeat brewings of the same recipe. Most of the time it has nothing to so with your ingredients, process, or yeast, but with just how airtight your primary fermenter is.

RDWHAHB.

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Exactly. My stout that I brewed a month or so ago had little airlock activity. A bubble once every few minutes, but that's it. The Boston Red I've got has no airlock activity whatsoever, but it's got a healthy krausen on top of the beer.

And it's only been one night, schokie. Check tomorrow for krausen, and take a gravity reading if you feel comfortable doing so.

Orfy said:

Don't worry if your brew takes up to 3 days to show signs fermenting.
Especially if you used liquid yeast and didn't make a big starter and oxygenate.
It is also worth noting that no bubbles in the air lock does not mean it isn't fermenting.

If at 3 days nothing seems to of happened then take a gravity reading to make sure you haven't missed the fermentation.
It is preferable to have a brew start fermenting as soon as possible
If you follow correct and advised procedures then I say most brews see activity in 6 to 18 hours. If this doesn't happen then it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. You may just not be seeing it or it's taking it's time.

It is quite common for new brewers to get worried after 24 hours to 48 hours.
They get told to wait and then realise that the advice was correct.

First brew, and worried - Home Brew Forums

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O.K. so it has been almost 72 hours (about 68 to be exact) and nothing from the airlock yet. I know. I read that the airlock bubbles are worthless for the most part, but I am a newbie and can't understand logic...

This is my 2nd batch. 1st is about 10 days old. 1st batch is an American Pale Ale and took about 36-48 hours to start bubbling and it did quite heavy for about 4-5 days. This batch is a American Light Ale. They both used the same yeast. Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast. Both were pitched about the same temp in the bucket (around 74) and stored at around 69 degrees. It got quite cold here in Chicago so the last 2 days the temp on the both batches dropped to around 65 but holding..

Should I open it up now a do a gravity reading and see or wait another day? Don't want to open and risk contamination unless I absolutely need to. I did a OG reading before I closed her up and it was 1.034.. The recomended Final gravity reading is 1.008-1.011..

I would peek inside and see if you have krausen floating. My guess is that your bucket just doesn't seal well enough to need the airlock.

bleme said:

I would peek inside and see if you have krausen floating. My guess is that your bucket just doesn't seal well enough to need the airlock.

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I've found that using a flashlight is a better method than opening up the bucket. Turn the lights off, stick a flashlight up to the side of the bucket (towards the top), and you will be able to see exactly what's going on in there without risking infection.

Thanks for the replies guys.. I did the flashlight thing last night and it looked like there was about an inch of foamy stuff on the sides of the bucket above the beer line, so assume it is doing it's thing.. I will take a gravity reading in a couple days to see what's what.. Thanks again..

I'm on my second brew and can vouch for this thread. The first brew was so crazy it required a blow-off tube within the first 8 hours. I was really freaking out when my second brew was showing no signs of fermentation after 16 hours, especially when people mention how strong/fast US-05 is. Low and behold, by the 24 hour mark I had a small layer of foam and now, 3 days later, it's going quite strong.

I probably already know the answer, but wanted some opinions anyway. Brewed a batch of rye pale ale.OG as supposed to be saw fermentation within five hours. Temps were as required until we left the house for a medical issue. I came home to find my inlays were cold and jacked up the temp. Fermentation room was. Comp,eye mess and the temp appeared To have spiked around high 70s. Besides the mess it looks fine and fermentation is continuing. Not sure how long the temp was sustained. I'm guessing it should be okay, but how worried should I be about off flavors

Lbillotto said:

Temps were as required until we left the house for a medical issue. I came home to find my inlays were cold and jacked up the temp. Fermentation room was. Comp,eye mess and the temp appeared To have spiked around high 70s. ........................................................................... Not sure how long the temp was sustained. I'm guessing it should be okay, but how worried should I be about off flavors

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The shorter the amount of time that fermentation temps were elevated to high 70's, the less off flavours should have developed. Getting them back down to where they should be as soon as, it seems like, you did probably helped and keeping them there until the first, vigorous, stage of fermentation, winds down, then raising them again to low/mid 70's will help the yeast stay active enough to clear up fermentation by-products, such as some of the off flavours and aromas produced in the first couple of days of fermentation.

What yeast were you using? Some yeasts thrive and do better at higher temps, others do better down at the lower end of their listed temp range.

First time homebrewing and I'm hooked. Made the Hop Head IPA on Saturday and all went well but pretty sure I messed the yeast part up. I followed the directions for rehydrating the yeast but swirled it in the measuring glass instead of stirring before pitching into the primary (read bad advice). Later that night I cleaned the measuring cup and realized it had the creamy looking white layer on bottom still. Probably yeast? I'm afraid a lot didn't get in. It's been 60 hours with no airlock activity. I get another yeast delivered tomorrow (72hours) and star san delivered tomorrow or Thursday (96hours). Should I add more yeast Wednesday without doing a hydrometer test (I'm out of sanitizer) or wait till 96 hours when I have everything to really see what's going on before I repitch? Thanks!

Saw this thread mentioned on the front page of HBT, and thought to myself "if I ever have a beer that takes even TWELVE hours to start bubbling, then I musta really messed something up"

Amazing how your views change over the years with brewing, once you develop all processes fully (ie. stir plate starters)

nickmv said:

Saw this thread mentioned on the front page of HBT, and thought to myself "if I ever have a beer that takes even TWELVE hours to start bubbling, then I musta really messed something up"

Amazing how your views change over the years with brewing, once you develop all processes fully (ie. stir plate starters)

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Yeah, I don't think you're the target market of this thread

progmac said:

Yeah, I don't think you're the target market of this thread

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Oh def not. I accidentally went to the main HBT page instead of the forums, and saw this thread advertised on the front page. Made me have a moment....

nickmv said:

Oh def not. I accidentally went to the main HBT page instead of the forums, and saw this thread advertised on the front page. Made me have a moment....

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That's exactly how i ended up here. HbT sure knows how to sell the content we give it!

I brewed Sunday and am fermenting in a 5gal sanke with the sanke fermenter kit. I was worried Monday night when I got home from work and there were no bubbles..but I woke up this morning and opened the chest freezer that I'm fermenting in and got a face (and lungs) full of CO2. There has got to be a leak/bad seal some where. I had a little trouble getting the tri-clamp fitting to seal with the top of the keg, so I'm guessing that's it. Didn't have a problem the first time I used it, but for now I just covered everything with some starsan'd tin foil

HOPEFULLY all is well :smack:

Stankonia said:

I brewed Sunday and am fermenting in a 5gal sanke with the sanke fermenter kit. I was worried Monday night when I got home from work and there were no bubbles..but I woke up this morning and opened the chest freezer that I'm fermenting in and got a face (and lungs) full of CO2. There has got to be a leak/bad seal some where. I had a little trouble getting the tri-clamp fitting to seal with the top of the keg, so I'm guessing that's it. Didn't have a problem the first time I used it, but for now I just covered everything with some starsan'd tin foil

HOPEFULLY all is well :smack:

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Wait, why do you say there has to be a leak somewhere? The CO2 has to go somewhere. That somewhere is the freezer you're fermenting it in.

I open mine during fermentation and get face-fulls of CO2 all the time. That's completely normal. Otherwise the whole thing would explode in a massive bomb of glass, wort, yeast, etc. Where does your CO2 normally go?

Maybe I'm not reading this right.


Edit: are you saying that something's wrong because you smell CO2 but see no bubbles? I think THAT'S probably what you're getting at. In that case, don't worry about it. As long as it's sealed enough to keep air from getting in, you're fine. Keep in mind -- CO2 is more dense/heavy than air, so it will not rise out of the carboy or let air in, unless you really rouse it and F with it.

I have a blow off tube going into a growler filled with sanitizer..there hasn't been ANY bubbles from the blow off hose..but like I said, it's definitely producing CO2.

My carboy caps dont seal completely tight half the time. Don't worry about it. As long as CO2 is coming out and is also in the carboy, air isn't getting in unless you leave the top completely off.

That's why they always say dont trust airlock activity.

So... about the waiting 24-72 hours for signs of fermentation to begin. I thought that I had somehow killed my yeast. I added about 1 1/2 cups of wort to a sterile mason jar and added my room temp liquid yeast, shook vigorously.

This is my first non-kit brew, by the way.

I added more yeast after not seeing any signs of fermentation (same amount of liquid yeast). Will my finished product be okay? Should I ferment as normal, or should I adjust my fermentation time?

-thanks
Partial-Mash Newb

Hey Newb. Assuming this is an ale, a "proper" fermentation should show signs of activity within no more than 12 hours (lagers may take a bit longer). By "proper" I mean you pitched enough yeast cells, the wort is at the right temperature, and you thoroughly aerated the wort. (If you do all those things, fermentation almost always begins promptly...within several hours.) So, if there's nothing happening by 24 hours, it's probably time to take some kind of action. If you pitched enough yeast, and the wort is a little cool (i.e. low 60's), try warming the wort to 70ish. If you did not aerate the wort, that's likely your problem, and you should do so right away. If you under-pitched, pitch more right away.

Sounds like you did re-pitch, right? So what has happened since you did that?

The act of re-pitching certainly wouldn't harm your beer...and it may save it. What may cause problems is the fact that it's been sitting so long without your yeast taking hold. But it is what it is, at this point, and re-pitching was a good step.

I need some advice....

I brewed a porter extract kit on Saturday night. As of this morning (60 hours or so) I have not seen any fermentation activity at all. I have not checked the gravity yet but am almost sure i didn't miss anything. The kit uses danstar windsor yeast.

2 possible problems... I think I pitched the yeast when the wort was too warm, probably 90 degrees. Also, my ferm temp is slightly cooler than recommend~ 60 - 62 degrees.

What should I do?

Try warming up the fermenter to the high 60's and swirl (don't shake...) the fermenter. At this point, if it's not too much trouble, I'd pitch another packet of yeast, as well. And yes, pitching at 90 degrees is too high, and is likely to result in off-flavors (due to the yeast producing excessive amounts of by-products at that temp). It's also quite possible that the yeast was killed. So hurry down to your LHB store and get more yeast!

GenIke said:

I need some advice....

I brewed a porter extract kit on Saturday night. As of this morning (60 hours or so) I have not seen any fermentation activity at all. I have not checked the gravity yet but am almost sure i didn't miss anything. The kit uses danstar windsor yeast.

2 possible problems... I think I pitched the yeast when the wort was too warm, probably 90 degrees. Also, my ferm temp is slightly cooler than recommend~ 60 - 62 degrees.

What should I do?

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Check gravity first. Then proceed with what milehi said if no fermentation took place.

Update: I did have fermentation. It was just much less active than my first brewing experience. Only had about 2.5" of krausen ring but gravity dropped form 1.060 to 1.029 so I think everything is fine. I did throw in another pack of yeast since I already had re-hydrated it.

Different beer and different yeast I guess. Patience