How dangerous is it to..

...take the top off my fermenting bucket to check the wort (take a SG reading, check for some foam on top)? I pitched the yeast and sealed it up about 45 hours ago. Since then the C02 valve has remained bone dry, I know this is a terrible indicator but it worries me nevertheless. I must say though if I press down on the top and push some of the air up out of the valve it smells like delicious beer.

Not Dangerous...just a bad idea.

Leave it alone....after 2 weeks in the fermenter, and preferably 3 bottle it and take your gravity reading then.

Lay it down BK. But seriously, I couldn't agree more. Ignore the book that tells you 3-5 days. Leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks. You and your friends will appreciate it.

phishie said:

Since then the C02 valve has remained bone dry

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This probably isn't the problem, but when I read this it sounds like you're expecting water to somehow collect in the airlock. You did put water (or preferably StarSan or vodak) in it, right? And by bone dry you mean it hasn't bubbled?

If that's not the problem, then maybe you just don't have the lid on really well. Some of them require a good deal of strength to close (and open later) properly, and it's not unheard of for people not to have them on properly allowing CO2 to escape from the bucket via the seal instead of via the airlock.

phishie said:

... Since then the C02 valve has remained bone dry,

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I'm not sure what you mean by this. You mean airlock? The little thing that you put water in, and then put it on the top of the fermenter through the hole?

Make sure the airlock is filled up to the line with water or vodka. You can hold it up to the light to see the line. Don't overfill, but fill it to the line.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, duh. I forgot to put water in the C02 valve.... how bad is that?

Fill It....NOW....





Right NoW!








Ok, It's filled right?













Ok...now that it's filled...it's fine...you're going to be saved by Physics. C02 is heavier than air....air is where the oxygen is...and the C02 that has been produced during fermentation will push the air and O2 out the top.

it's fine. add some sanitized water in there now. or vodka would be even better.

phishie said:

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, duh. I forgot to put water in the C02 valve.... how bad is that?

Click to expand...

You are not the first one- there are NO instructions with any of this, so it's hard to know what to do. Don't worry. It'll be ok, but keep it filled from now on, ok?

3...2...1... and we have bubbles. Haha, thanks guys, I should have remembered this from the first time I brewed but that was 3 years ago.

I had water in for a few minutes until I remembered the vodka I have stowed away in the back of the liquor cabinet. I sucked the water out with a straw and mmmmm mmmmm that was some tasty malty water.

All is well now, thanks once again.