On Monday I made a three gallon batch of pumpkin ale using safale s-04 yeast. The airlock was going crazy for two days. Then...nothing. absolutely no airlock movement. I figured that b/c my apartment is soooo effing cold right now that the temperature was too low for the yeast. SO i filled my tub up with hot water and set my fermenter in there. Not even two minutes later, the airlock goes nuts. Bubbling twice as much as when I first noticed that it was really moving the days before. Did putting it in the bath really jumpstart the yeast that much? I mean it was so quick from the time i set it in the tub to massive airlock activity. This is strange
Now Explain This?!
- Thread starter DtownRiot
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ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
Suddenly warming up a liquid will cause dissolved gasses (in this case, mostly CO2) to come out of solution and make your airlock go crazy. The gasses in the headspace will also expand as they warm up.
Was putting in the bathtub easier than taking a hydrometer sample and actually seeing what it was doing?
There's a good chance that it just finished with the main part of the fermentation. Can't say that suddenly warming up your beer would do anything but cause problems with off flavors. Especially in hot water. Hot enough, and you'll just kill your yeast.
Was putting in the bathtub easier than taking a hydrometer sample and actually seeing what it was doing?
There's a good chance that it just finished with the main part of the fermentation. Can't say that suddenly warming up your beer would do anything but cause problems with off flavors. Especially in hot water. Hot enough, and you'll just kill your yeast.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
(Revvy should be here momentarily with everything you ever wanted to know about airlocks but were afraid to ask) 
No, you didn't START fermentation, fermentation was more than likely going on already...all you did when you put your fermenter in HOT WATER was to cause GAS TO EXPAND (CO2) and that is venting out your airlock. When you warm something up they expand.....
Your airlock wasn't bubbling more than likely because it didn't NEED TO. It didn't have any excess to need to vent out, OR it was getting out somewhere else...But it doesn't matter.
I know I've said to you before....quit thinking airlock activity is a gauge of fermention!!!!
airlock bubbling, lack of airlock bubbling, stopped airlock bubbling, fast airlock bubbling, slow airlock bubbling, heavy metal airlcok bubbling, or disco airlock bubbling really is not an indicator of what is happening to your beer, really isn't important, and it is NOT an accurate gauge of fermentation.
If your airlock was bubbling and stopped---It doesn't mean fermentation has stopped.
If you airlock isn't bubbling, it doesn't mean your fermentation hasn't started....
If your airlock starts bubbling, it really doesn't matter.
If your airlock NEVER bubbles, it doesn't mean anything is wrong or right.
Your airlock is not a fermentation gauge, it is a VALVE to release excess co2.
Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that anything's wrong, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working dilligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years....
The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. 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....
All you did was try to "fix" something that more than likely wasn't even broken...and without even testing it first.
Your airlock wasn't bubbling more than likely because it didn't NEED TO. It didn't have any excess to need to vent out, OR it was getting out somewhere else...But it doesn't matter.
I know I've said to you before....quit thinking airlock activity is a gauge of fermention!!!!
airlock bubbling, lack of airlock bubbling, stopped airlock bubbling, fast airlock bubbling, slow airlock bubbling, heavy metal airlcok bubbling, or disco airlock bubbling really is not an indicator of what is happening to your beer, really isn't important, and it is NOT an accurate gauge of fermentation.
If your airlock was bubbling and stopped---It doesn't mean fermentation has stopped.
If you airlock isn't bubbling, it doesn't mean your fermentation hasn't started....
If your airlock starts bubbling, it really doesn't matter.
If your airlock NEVER bubbles, it doesn't mean anything is wrong or right.
Your airlock is not a fermentation gauge, it is a VALVE to release excess co2.
Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that anything's wrong, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working dilligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years....
The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. 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....
All you did was try to "fix" something that more than likely wasn't even broken...and without even testing it first.
(Revvy should be here momentarily with everything you ever wanted to know about airlocks but were afraid to ask)
You were right....though I swear dtown and I have had this little chat before.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
Right on time, Revvy! heheheheheheh
And my airlock NEVER bubbles. Not once. Never ever ever.
and I make great beer (if I say so myself)
And my airlock NEVER bubbles. Not once. Never ever ever.
and I make great beer (if I say so myself)
hamiltont
Well-Known Member
S-04 is a very fast fermenter! Very fast! 2-3 days is not uncommon for the bulk of the fermentation to complete. I just had the very same thing happen with a 10 gallon batch of Sweet Stout. 3 days & all noticeable activity had subsided, at 62F wort temp. It won't get kegged until 3 weeks have passed though.
JesseRC
Well-Known Member
yup, pitched min on saturday, now it hardly doing anything. If you control temps on it, you dont even have to worry so much about blow offs.
agroff383
Well-Known Member
Heavy metal airlock bubbling now you are talking LOL!!! :rockin:
DavidSteel
Well-Known Member
2 things: you picked up your container and lifted the yeast from their rest at the bottom and then put them in a warm environment where they can flourish.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
*facepalm*
springer
Well-Known Member
Please don't post later that when you took the carboy out of the tub all the water got sucked back into the carboy from the airlock... take it off as it cools and just put some tin foil or saran wrap on the neck/Bung hole.I like that Bung hole Bung hole Bung hole feel like Beevis
Its the temp that made the CO2 come out of solution and the expansion of the headspace as Revvy already stated.
take it off as it cools and just put some tin foil or saran wrap on the neck/Bung hole.I like that Bung hole Bung hole Bung hole feel like BeevisIts the temp that made the CO2 come out of solution and the expansion of the headspace as Revvy already stated.
In two whole minutes
Oy vey.
*spike through my eyeball*
springer said:
BWAHAHAHAHAHA.......But do you use Keg Lube? Whenever I see that in the title of a thread I start the beevis giggle as well. Keg lube, now THAT sounds dirty.
Those of you looking on, please google the phrase under my name, "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" Dtown's post is a prime example of this classic logical fallacy.....and it happens way too often around here, especially with new brewers.
springer
Well-Known Member
No I need TP for my Bung Hole
s1080
Well-Known Member
I prefer smooth jazz fermintation
Stoopidwon
Well-Known Member
Ha Ha...Revvy is the greatest, without him n Yooper Im pretty sure I would have never made beer, probably would have thrown out all 5 batches and invented brand new swear words.....Now I actually have encouraged 2 others to brew with me and have actually helped solve issues, such as a non bubbling air-lock.....Revvy you are my brew hero!! ha ha that sounds silly.
Agroff, you are now my sig. Thanx. xD
lunchbox
Well-Known Member
It might have already been mentioned, but won't this cause his airlock liquid to be sucked back into the carboy when it's cooling?
So I take it you didn't read anyone else's responses?
Please don't post later that when you took the carboy out of the tub all the water got sucked back into the carboy from the airlock...:D take it off as it cools and just put some tin foil or saran wrap on the neck/Bung hole.I like that Bung hole Bung hole Bung hole
That's where the whole "Bung hole" sidebar began.
lunchbox
Well-Known Member
I read page one.
What's your page setting on? mine's iirc 40 posts per page, so everything is on my page one.
lunchbox
Well-Known Member
What's your page setting on? mine's iirc 40 posts per page, so everything is on my page one.
Mine is whatever the default is... but I'll be changing it now!
Yes, 40 posts per page should probably be the default. If anyone is still using dialup, they can change it to less.
If saying keg lube ever fails to make you giggle, just start calling it KL jelly.
springer
Well-Known Member
and always use KL jelly sparingly, to much will cause your bung to pop out of the bung hole prematurely . Just an PSA 
redraider629
Well-Known Member
My favorite type of bubbling is Power Metal bubbling.
