Beer Not Bubbling (fermentation prob.)

Hi guys,

I've brewed 8-10 batches of beer without any type of hitch, and this time I think I goofed (say it ain't so!).

We brewed a partial mash with cinnamon, almond extract and peppermint. It got super thick (almost like molasses) and I added a bit more water to the wort as it was boiling (60mins). Basic follow through, added the wort to ~3gal of cold water, cooled to appr. temp. and pitched the yeast.

No fermentation action in 2 weeks (I gave it the benefit of the doubt).

Can I re-pitch yeast? Is it fermenting even though it's not sudsing up? IS THIS BATCH A WASH!? (say it ain't so!)

Looking for answers

-The Maestro

What does your hydrometer say?

Have you taken a gravity reading? Airlock bubbling only tells you that your airlock is or isn't bubbling, not if your beer fermented.

I didn't check yet, going to tonight (it's at my brothers, he's at work till 4:30).

Could you elaborate on your post so I know what I'm looking for? The OG was 1.061 (off the top of my head, I can't remember).

I bet it did its work when you weren't looking. Hydrometer reading first, then repitch. What yeast was it?

Fear not.

mackinskor said:

I didn't check yet, going to tonight (it's at my brothers, he's at work till 4:30).

Could you elaborate on your post so I know what I'm looking for? The OG was 1.061 (off the top of my head, I can't remember).

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I'm not sure waht you want elaborating on? Why to take a grav reading? Why airlock bubbling is a bad way of judging?

The grav reading will tell you NOW where on the journey from Original gravity to terminal gravity, your beer really is. You have the OG...you recipe should tell you what the FG should be...and your gravity reading will tell you what you beer is doing NOW.

Your airlock is not a fermentation gauge, it is a VALVE to release excess co2. To keep your beer off your ceiling. Nothing more.

The only answer that is accurate or consistant, are the numbers on the little stick. I have had every airlock bubbling/non bubbling/slow bubbling/fast bubbling/little krausen/big krausen/slow forming krausen/krausen staying 3 weeks after the hydro showed terminal gravity scenario imaginable in nearly 1,000 gallons of beer, and none of that stuff is as sccurate as 30 seconds with a hydrometer.

NOT go by airlocks, or size of krausen, or a calendar, the horoscope or the phases of the moon (those things in my mind are equally accurate).

Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in....

Thinking about "doing anything" like repitching, or bottling, or racking, without first taking a hydrometer reading is tantamount to the doctor deciding to cut you open without running any diagnostic tests....Taking one look at you and saying, "Yeah I'm going in." You would really want the doctor to use all means to properly diagnose what's going on?

chefmike said:

I bet it did its work when you weren't looking. Hydrometer reading first, then repitch. What yeast was it?

Fear not.

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Eeka, I didn't write down what kind of yeast, but it was a liquid-ale yeast.

OG was 1.064

Revvy said:

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Thinking about "doing anything" like repitching, or bottling, or racking, without first taking a hydrometer reading is tantamount to the doctor deciding to cut you open without running any diagnostic tests....Taking one look at you and saying, "Yeah I'm going in." You would really want the doctor to use all means to properly diagnose what's going on?

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Thanks! Will check in the afternoon

If it is fermented, it will be down lower, maybe 1.020 or lower.

Post up what it is.

RDWHAHB. I did pale ale 2 weekends ago and was worried all week when I didn't see airlock activity. But every time that came to mind, Revvy's Words of Wisdom set me to ease. I checked my gravity after a week, and much to my surprise, I was at my FG. I'll never let airlock activity worry me again.

Hydrometers never lie!

dpittard said:

Hydrometers never lie!

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Unless they're defective

My first couple of brews bubbled and burped so vigorously that when my last brew hardly bubbled at all I almost posted the same thing. Even after writing up a number of "Check your hydro" posts myself! Knowing better I just let it sit until my expected finish date, took a reading and sure enough I was exactly on target.

I would also say RDWHAHB.....EXCEPT that you mentioned that you added some additional componets that ordinarily do not go into beer (i.e. the spices and almond extract).

Was the almond extract suitable for brewing? Extracts many times have preservatives that will inhibit yeast growth.

chefmike said:

If it is fermented, it will be down lower, maybe 1.020 or lower.

Post up what it is.

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Current Gravity = 1.015

It's really thick. I'm going to check it Wednesday to see if it moves. If not then it's bottling time this Saturday

mackinskor said:

Current Gravity = 1.015

It's really thick. I'm going to check it Wednesday to see if it moves. If not then it's bottling time this Saturday

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So you see now, that fermentation and a bubbling airlock are too different things, right?

Glad it worked out.

revvy said:

so you see now, that fermentation and a bubbling airlock are too different things, right?

Glad it worked out.

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rockstar