Stuck fermentation=bad bucket seal

Hey for anyone out there looking at all the stuck fermentation threads like I have been. I put together my first AG 4 days ago a Dry Stout and I was getting a lot of air lock activity within 24 hrs (man it was going nuts) but waking up this morning (day 4) there was ZERO activity. I then started researching stuck fermentation threads and after reading many many posts on many threads I decided to take a sg reading. My starting gravity was 1.050 and I am expecting a FG around 1.010, the hydrometer read 1.020! its only been in the primary for 84 hrs!! so my fermentation is not only probably not stuck but probably almost completed. I put the top back on the plastic pail fermenter and gave the whole thing a good shake just in case (probably shouldnt have done that) and replaced the air lock, the pressure from me shaking up the beer caused some beer and foam to be forced out of the seal around the entire top of the fermenter. I am betting what I thought was stuck fermentation is actually a leaky pail seal so dont freak out (as I did) RDWHAHB.

I ferment strictly in my better bottle now because I like seeing the airlock activity and have the same problem with my pail seals. Every Ale I've done has dropped the krausen before the 7th day.

Jayhem said:

I ferment strictly in my better bottle now because I like seeing the airlock activity and have the same problem with my pail seals. Every Ale I've done has dropped the krausen before the 7th day.

Click to expand...

Man its nice to see whats going on in there, if I could I would have all glass carboys but I already have enough invested in beer making for my first year. I just cant bring myself to let anything sit around unused or I would just stick to the glass.

Stated and restated, but bubbles do not equal fermentation. If you don't get bubbles, it can absolutely be due to a bad seal. The only way to know if fermentation is going on is to compare gravity readings on different days.

Also note that fermentation usually slows down after that first initial rush; it can take a while to finish out.

If you are measuring fermentation progress in days, you are probably in too much of a hurry. Relax, let the yeast do their thing. You'll be much happier with your better beer.

Revvy will be here shortly im sure...

Wait. I repeat. Wait! Let it ride for a few more days (weeks may even be appropriate here). 84 hours in primary is not that long for fermentation time. You have a long way to go!

As mentioned, bubbles do not indicate fermentation. Only a hydrometer will tell you whether fermentation has occurred. Bubbles are fun to watch, but are not reliable in terms of measurable fermentation activity.

Let that sucker sit in primary for at least 2-3 weeks before taking gravity readings (saves potentially wasted beer!). This allows your beer to ferment and condition. Then bottle and carb for at least another 3 weeks.

Patience is the key to great homebrews!

RDWHAHB and enjoy the hobby! Give us an update in a few weeks, let us know how its coming along!

Ryan M.

Shaking was not the best of ideas...but I've seen worse.

My general rule of thumb is to forget about it for a couple of weeks and let the yeast do its thing.

fermentation doesn't care about the bucket being sealed or not.

definatly not in a hurry Brewdad, I now have 8 brews for a total of 40 gallons brewed (some over a month in the secondary) and this was the first time in this bucket and the first time fermentation appeared to stop, dont get me wrong I was definatly worried but I did some digging on the forums here and took a gravity reading just like I should and it confirmed that nothing was wrong. I decided to give the pail a shake based on the forums as well...its just that I found some pro shake info before I found anti-shake info but in retrospect I think i will just let the yeast do its thing next time.

you should never shake it once fermentation has started (unless its a huge beer). you can gently swirl the fermenter to rouse the yeast, but don't shake.

dcp27 said:

you should never shake it once fermentation has started (unless its a huge beer). you can gently swirl the fermenter to rouse the yeast, but don't shake.

Click to expand...

While not shaking seems to be the majority opinion and I agree shaking was both probably not necessary and may be harmful it is definatly not everyones opinion and for us NOOBS searching forums for answers to our questions it is easy to find completly different answers to the same question. It would appear that a good percentage of info found online are just opinions therefore we are left to read and formulate our own opinion as to what to do.

I only ferment in buckets because its easier for me to harvest yeast and none of my lids seal good. With that said ive never had a bad fermentation, never seen 1 bubble in my airlock, just peek in the day after I pitch to make sure its going and leave it alone.

Spacepuppy said:

While not shaking seems to be the majority opinion and I agree shaking was both probably not necessary and may be harmful it is definatly not everyones opinion and for us NOOBS searching forums for answers to our questions it is easy to find completly different answers to the same question. It would appear that a good percentage of info found online are just opinions therefore we are left to read and formulate our own opinion as to what to do.

Click to expand...

Who exactly said it was a good idea to shake your beer after it has fermented? If you've ever stored any food or drink in any context, you've probably attempted to remove or seal away oxygen in order to keep it fresh for as long as possible (i.e. pressing excess oxygen out of a Ziploc bag before sealing it or putting the cap back on a condiment bottle before putting it back in the fridge). Why would beer be any different?

I'm not trying to single you out, but I think it bears mentioning that common sense will help you sort a little fact out of a lot of fiction when it comes to reading stuff on the internet. At the very least, don't do anything to your beer that you wouldn't do to any other type of food or drink that you handle every day.

Anytime my BB's and carboys are full, I have a couple of buckets that I will put to use. Same deal-no bubbles, but no problems. I actually think everything about buckets is better (racking, harvesting, cleaning, etc) but I just don't use them all that often.

Shaking a sealed up fermenter should not cause oxidation since there should be nothing but CO2 perched on top the beer in there. Shaking however will dislodge the bitter residues that cling to the sides of the fermenter after the krausen falls (see Palmer's How to Brew) and could result in bitter off flavors.

i'm a newbie and one recurring things I see in threads that I don't understand.

Airlock-Who in the hell instructs people to go to the airlock right away. I have done 3 brews and strictly go with a blowoff tube. you can see the bubbles and have no risk of blowing the lid of your bucket/fermenter. AFter 3-4 days when the major activity is done, than I go with the airlock.

CPFITNESS said:

i'm a newbie and one recurring things I see in threads that I don't understand.

Airlock-Who in the hell instructs people to go to the airlock right away. I have done 3 brews and strictly go with a blowoff tube. you can see the bubbles and have no risk of blowing the lid of your bucket/fermenter. AFter 3-4 days when the major activity is done, than I go with the airlock.

Click to expand...

In a 6.5 gal bucket with a 5 gallon batch of beer and 1.5 gal headspace the krausen will usually not reach the airlock. When you try to ferment a batch with less than 1 gallon of headspace that problems arrise...I almost lost a carboy this way.

TTB-J said:

Who exactly said it was a good idea to shake your beer after it has fermented? .

Click to expand...

do a google search on stuck fermentation should I shake? and your going to see more than one result that says anything from no way under no circumstances to stir gently to shake gently to shake well. It has become apparent to me that just like information on my profession the information on beer brewing has plenty of people lacking good information expressing a wide variety of opinions.

and yes I will take that personally when you call my common sense into question, the idea that somehow I dont have common sense after i spent some time (obviously not enough) researching what i saw as a possible problem then being told I have a lack of common sense because I believed what I read is insulting.

I use buckets and stopped using airlocks altogether. I just leave the lids loose. Easier, faster, less to clean, no danger of pressure buildup. When I do use a carboy I just put aluminum foil over the top.