no airlock bubbles, but krausen

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philipc

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I started a batch about 4 days ago. I have not seen any bubbles coming from the air lock, but I have peered in through the air lock hole and noticed a healthy looking krausen. The air lock appears to be filled properly with vodka, and I have pressed down on the lid of our pvc brewing bucket incase it did not get sealed. Any ideas about what could casuse this? Should I be concerned? I think I am going to rack to a secondary after a week and will check the gravity then to see if it has fermented fully.

Thanks,
Philip
 
It's almost surely fine: I'm guessing that the bucket or airlock has a small leak somewhere and therefore the system isn't airtight enough for the airlock to be bubbling.

I'd take a gravity reading and look to rack fairly quickly (assuming the gravity reading confirms fermentation) into a more sealed container.
 
If you press lightly on the lid, does the vodka move? It doesn't take much of a leak to prevent airlock action. If you have a krausen, you have fermentation. Your plan for racking sounds fine.
 
Yes, If I press on the lid I can get the air lock to bubble. I think I'll just rack fairly soon after the krausen falls. This Imperial IPA smells really good. I'll let yall know how it goes.

Thanks,
Philip
 
You may have gotten the real active bubbling overnight after you pitched the yeast. You are almost certainly in good shape.
 
cweston said:
It's almost surely fine: I'm guessing that the bucket or airlock has a small leak somewhere and therefore the system isn't airtight enough for the airlock to be bubbling.

I'd take a gravity reading and look to rack fairly quickly (assuming the gravity reading confirms fermentation) into a more sealed container.
This pretty much mirrors my experience last week when I had an American Pale Ale in the secondary. I used Fermentis US56 yeast which when I use it blasts right off big time. This time after 2 days still no bubbles in airlock but krausen. I decided to take a SG reading and saw it had dropped from OG .047 to .040. I'm using a SSIndustries 6 gal plastic fermenter with a screw top and have for 3 or 4 of my 10 brews. Tried to tighten it by hand thinking it was leaking. Still no bubbles. Very puzzling. A day later took another SG - down to .022. Light went on. I poured some sanitizer around the edge of the cap - tiny bubbles all the way around. This time tightened cap with a big pipe wrench! Bubbles started in airlock at a rate of 80 per minute. Racked to secondary at the end of a week with a SG of .011. Lesson - relax, don't worry, have a home brew and get a new o-ring for the fermenter cap.
 
I had a similar thing happen to me. It just turned out to be a leaky seal on my bucket, and when i racked to a 5 gal. glass carboy, I had the normal air lock activity. So, after that, I went and bought a 6.5 gal. glass carboy for primary, and haven't had any troubles. My leaky bucket brew isn't quite ready yet, so I don't know about contimination, but my guess is that the CO2 was escaping so there wasn't any chance for anything bad to get in.

Cheers!
-Rick

Primary: Honey Amber Ale
Secondary #1: Octane IPA
Secondary #2: Oatmeal Stout
Bottled/drinking: American Amber Ale
 
I've done five brews, only two have bubbled. They have all turned out excellent (except one, but that is a different story). Don't worry about it, your beer will be fine!
 
:mug: My name is Gary and this is my first post. I have brewed in the past but havn't in about 12 years. I won't say how old I am but I used to brew with Blue Ribbon Extract and bakers yeast:eek: I started brewing again and my first has been in the bottles almost a week (NB Irish Ale) and a Nukey Brown in the primary 3 days old. This forum is really great. I maybe should have posted this some place else but it is in reference to sealing the top on a bucket type primary fermenter. I have found if you use several pieces of plastic wrap folded several times into strips and placed around the top edge and then bang the lid on you get a very good seal. The plastic wrap can be sanitized first
 
ga1ba2 said:
:mug: My name is Gary and this is my first post. I have brewed in the past but havn't in about 12 years. I won't say how old I am but I used to brew with Blue Ribbon Extract and bakers yeast:eek: I started brewing again and my first has been in the bottles almost a week (NB Irish Ale) and a Nukey Brown in the primary 3 days old. This forum is really great. I maybe should have posted this some place else but it is in reference to sealing the top on a bucket type primary fermenter. I have found if you use several pieces of plastic wrap folded several times into strips and placed around the top edge and then bang the lid on you get a very good seal. The plastic wrap can be sanitized first

Meh, I just consider it an open fermentation. Fancy! ;)
 
Do you have bubbles sticking to the sides of the air lock? out of my 3 brews so far i have only witness actually airlock bubbling once and only for one evening. very fast and furious. All excellent brews. Have a home brew and relax my friend!;)
 
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