Milk stout, almost threw it out

So I started my first brew ever on 12-26. Never saw a single bubble come from the 3 piece air lock. I was very worried about it, but I live so far away from a brew shop I couldn't find time to get more yeast to re pitch. On 1-12 I finally got to the brew store and purchased a couple hydrometers that I forgot to get the first time and bought an oatmeal stout kit as I planned on throwing the milk stout away because I was sure it was a lost cause. I opened the fermenter and noticed it looked like something happened inside there. I tasted a little of the brew inside and was surprised that the sweet taste I was expecting was actually a smooth alcoholic flavor. Well SOB. I used the hydrometer, and it showed a gravity of 1.022 (1.024 was max FG) I decided to rack it and bottle it. The bottom of the fermenter had a yeast cake, highly gross looking btw, wasn't ready for that lol. They've been bottled for 5 days now, I can't wait to try it. I'm glad I didn't throw it out, still keep wondering why there were no visible bubbles? The oatmeal stout I brewed the same day I bottled started bubbling like crazy within 12 hours. Brewers Best kits btw

NOT
SEALED

hi

Agreed ... Lid wasn't sealed. Of course my bucket is worn out now so even closed it leaks.

Moral of the story is don't get hung up on airlock activity. Have faith in your yeast!

I guess so, it's a brand new fermenter, the one I have the oatmeal stout in now has been used before. I had checked the milk stout fermenting bucket a few times to be sure it was sealed, when I pressed on the middle of the lid the middle part of the air lock jumped. It's odd.

Actually Brand-O it's pretty common,that's why we say don't rely on air lock activity as a judge of fermentation.Welcome to the forum.

Keg lube would fix it without much mess. Unsealed is less than ideal, but probably ok.

You mean some keg lube around the seal? I wonder if vegetable shortening would work? I use that on refrigerator door seals all the time

Hmmm.....even a drop of shortening in the beer would be devestating. I would go with inert lube myself.

If you bucket lid leaks it is no big deal. Nothing is going to get in there.

Pitch your yeast and just let it so what yeast has been doing for thousands of years. The little guys know what they are doing and will produce beer.