Hi - I'm totally new to brewing and completed my first kit on Sunday. It's the Brewers Best American Amber. I followed the kit instructions step by step. I was worried because by Tuesday morning I still was not seeing any bubbling in the airlock. (I filled airlock half full of sanitizer water per the instructions and it has some bubbles on top of the sanitizer water that have been there since I filled half full). I put the fermenter bucket in a closet and it's been between 66 - 72 degrees. Yesterday I could notice the faint smell of my brew in the closet. Today I tapped the airlock with my finger because I was growing impatient and it's started bubbling! It bubbled most of the day slowly. Now tonight It's back to no activity. If I tap the airlock it's seems to bubble for awhile and then stop. The smell of the brew is getting very strong and starting to smell up my house (it smells great). Does this sound normal? Is there anything I can do to the airlock to make sure the bubbling stays active? Any suggestions for a newbie?
1st time brewing - no sign of fermentation?
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I'd think the below sticky will answer your questions.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/
BryceL
Well-Known Member
It sounds like its fermenting if you are smelling it. That means CO2 is being created and forced or the airlock. As the saying around here goes, don't judge fermentation by the airlock. Something duck as a loose seal could cause the airlock to not bubble much, or the bulk of fermentation could have happened over night. Just wait it out for a couple weeks and the yeast will do their job. Do you have a hydrometer to check the gravity?
Thanks for your reply. I have a hydrometer, when would you suggest I check the gravity? Should I wait and test after a couple of weeks? I'm thinking I should keep opening the lid to a minimum?
BryceL
Well-Known Member
About 2 weeks is a good starting point for most ales, longer for higher gravity beers. You will want to check the gravity and then check it again a couple days later. If the gravity remains the same then it is safe to bottle. If it drops, then wait a couple more days until you get consecutive readings that are the same. You are correct, you want to keep opening the lid to the minimum. Be sure to keep your theif or turkey baster well sanitized when taking samples. Most people recommend tasting the sample rather than dumping it back in the fermenter to avoid contamination.
Sometimes the airlock doesn't fit right or the lid on your bucket, but it sounds like its going off and doing well, don't worry about it
mike_in_ak
Well-Known Member
Whutever said:
.
Wait, then wait some more - it may take dry yeast 2 days to start bubbling.
What temperature was your wurt when you pitched your yeast?
boscobeans
Well-Known Member
From the smell you describe it is fermenting. One quick way to see if it is fermenting is to pop the lid as gently as possible so as to not disturb the layer of CO2 that shields the beer from oxygen. A quick peek into the fermenter should show krausen forming.
The seals in lids and around airlocks often leak and don't allow enough pressure to form in the fermenter to push out bubbles in an airlock. If you see foam or surface bubbles on the beer close it back up and wait three weeks then start taking SG readings. If you see A LOT of foam (krausen) and it is anywhere near to filing the fermenter put in a blowoff . The lower the temperature the more controlled the krausen will be in general so keep it so the beer stays at around 65. Fermentation generally will bring the beer's temperature above room temperature by 5 or more degrees.
OMO
bosco
The seals in lids and around airlocks often leak and don't allow enough pressure to form in the fermenter to push out bubbles in an airlock. If you see foam or surface bubbles on the beer close it back up and wait three weeks then start taking SG readings. If you see A LOT of foam (krausen) and it is anywhere near to filing the fermenter put in a blowoff . The lower the temperature the more controlled the krausen will be in general so keep it so the beer stays at around 65. Fermentation generally will bring the beer's temperature above room temperature by 5 or more degrees.
OMO
bosco
Sorry for my delayed response - the wort was 70 degrees when I pitched the yeast. I had 1 whole day of active bubbling. 2 days that I could smell it. Now its not doing anything. So I was just going to wait two weeks and start testing with a hydrometer.
Thanks for the advise. I will check it tonight when I get home. I was slightly afraid to open the lid but it sounds like its okay as long as I do it gently.
one of the reasons why air lock activity isn't a good indicator of fermentation is that the CO2 may be escaping elsewhere. if your lid doesn't seal properly or the air lock isn't jammed in properly, it will be easier for the gas to escape that way instead of pushing through the liquid in the air lock. so no bubbles doesn't mean that there isn't fermentation happening. just means there are no bubbles 
and on the flip side, the presence of bubbles doesn't mean there is active fermentation. it just means CO2 is being release, and there are reasons other than active fermentation to explain the release of CO2 from the brew (atmospheric changes, temp changes, being shaken/bumped, etc).
and on the flip side, the presence of bubbles doesn't mean there is active fermentation. it just means CO2 is being release, and there are reasons other than active fermentation to explain the release of CO2 from the brew (atmospheric changes, temp changes, being shaken/bumped, etc).
Hi All:
Thanks for all of your advice. I decided to be patient and let nature take its course. We've wired two weeks an took our frt hydrometer reading last night and got a FG of 1.014 which is within the FG values on the paperwork that came with the kit. We are going to take one more reading and if we get the same value we will keg it tomorrow. We did sample it and it tastes great! We are very excited. Does anyone have any suggestions or preferences on kegging? Ie. longer carbonating vs. shorter carbonating?
Thanks for all of your advice. I decided to be patient and let nature take its course. We've wired two weeks an took our frt hydrometer reading last night and got a FG of 1.014 which is within the FG values on the paperwork that came with the kit. We are going to take one more reading and if we get the same value we will keg it tomorrow. We did sample it and it tastes great! We are very excited. Does anyone have any suggestions or preferences on kegging? Ie. longer carbonating vs. shorter carbonating?
BryceL
Well-Known Member
I like to go with the set it and forget it method. Just set it to the desired psi (usually about 12) and let it sit for 10-14 days. This gives it time to condition as it carbs, you don't have to adjust it to serving pressure, and you don't run the risk of over carbing it. On the rare occasion that I am in a real hurry to get the beer ready I will crank it up for a couple days.
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