Stout that did not that did not bubble the airlock

Okay guys and gals I could use a little help to figure out an issue i have with a batch of Stout I have in primary.

So it is an extract kit, Five gallon batch and my 5th batch overall and my first with liquid yeast.

I also had a really bad "hot break" 20 mins into my boil. I did not lose any of it. I have a big boil pot. I have never had a "hot break" like what I had. I was not pushing a great deal of heat when the "hot break" occurred.

So I brewed the batch that had a gravity of 1.061. I used a worth chiller and had a wort temp of 72 deg when I pitched the yeast. I took the yeast vial out fridge and thaw shook it and let is warm for 3 hours before I pitched it.

By Sunday morning it had yet to bubble the air lock. So being the man I am a gave the fermentor a little shake. I'll be damn if it didn't start bubbling. But it bubble continuously for 3 to 4 minutes and slowed to nothing.

So this morning a shook it and the same thing happened again. This time it foamed up in to my airlock so i have wort in my air lock.

So, did I screw something up? Feel free to scold, educated or lambaste me. This puzzles me.

I am guessing things to be normal and I just happened to have a situation where the kraeusen sealed the CO2 in and would not let it out.

Thanks for the help!

Take a gravity reading. If the yeast wasn't super old, you're probably fine. I have a bucket with a bad seal that never bubbles the airlock. Plus, airlock bubbles don't mean much in terms of fermentation.

I'd clean and sanitize the airlock and pop it back in. Other than that, leave it be (after you take a reading). I bet you'll find that fermentation is happening.

Finally, being your fifth brew, I'm guessing your temps are OK, but what temp are you fermenting at?

It doesn't matter whether or not your airlock bubbles, it's a vent, a valve, not a fermentation gauge. You might find this discussion on the superfluousness of airlocks something that will help you get a handle on this. It was started by a newer brewing who just grasped this concept, that beers ferment regardless of what an airlock does or doesn't do.

The temp is 72 degrees and is stays pretty constant, maybe warmer in the middle of the day.

Smelling what has some through the airlock.. Its beer I have not doubt.

I really hate taking a reading until I transfer to secondary or bottle. Some people test alot more than I do. I am just so afraid to take the lid off and I have no way of extracting a sample through the air lock hole ( I am in a 6.5 gal primary).

I am going to pull the air lock and sanitize it. I am going to give it a few days before I take a reading. It went in Friday night, I might just be patient, which is not normal for me. LOL

That helped a lot. Thanks! I feel better.