Fermenting/Bubbling Question

So i made 2 batches of beer. One from a kit, and one American Light Ale from scratch on Saturday evening. The one i made from scratch seems to be fermeting quite nicely and is bubbling constatantly. The one i made from the kit only seems to bubble once every 7 seconds or so. Is there somehting i may have done wrong? They are at about 60-63 degrees
Thanks for all the responses. This is the first batch i have ever made so im kind of new.
Thanks in advance for all your help

Did you use the yeast provided with the kit in your kit-brew?

What kind of yeast were they?

From what I've read, the yeast attached to Malt Extract cans,
for example, can be old and partially dead.

It may be that the temp may have been a little warmer in one. 60-63f. is kind of low for an ale. I would try to raise the temp to 65-70f. for a better attenuation. What type of yeast are you using? are they both the same?
mark
Beer Diary...

Yah i used the yeast from the kit.. Im not to sure what kind either were. I do have some left over yeast from the batch i made from scratch. Would you recomend dumping some of that in? Or will the yeast from the kit be ok, it might just take a little while longer?
Thanks again for all your help

Don't worry about it, and Don't use your airlock as a fermentation gauge...

Over 50% of my beers never have a bubble, it is normal actually for some not to bubble...

That's why we say you should never use a cheap chinese plastic airlock as a "fermentation Gauge," it's not...It's an airlock, nothing more, a VALVE to release excess CO2, to keep from blowing the lid off the fermentor...If it's not bubbling that just means that there's not enough CO2 to climb out of the airlock, or the CO2 is just forming a nice cushion on top of the beer like it's supposed to, or the airlock is askew, or it is leaking out the cheap rubber grommet, or you have a leak in the bucket seal...all those are fine...if CO2 is getting out then nothing's getting in....

That's why we recommend to new brewers to use their hydrometers, not their eyes. I believe MOST of the new brewer's "stuck fermentation threads are not, stuck, they are using the airlock as a "gauge" rather than checking gravity.

I have found that oldschool S types seem more reliable than the 3 piece to actually bubble. I think maybe co2 isn't always heavy enough to push up that plastic piece in the center of the 3 piece.

Also...Since you are dealing with yeasts, which are living organisms there is a huge wild card factor..meaning no two fermentations are ever the same..so comparing or trying to compare one to another is really useless...think of yeasties as wives or children and you will realize that it is pointless to pin them down...that it's best to just trust everything is all right..

It usually is...

Thanks alot buddy.. that information was greatly appreciated.. So How do i tell when its done?? Take a hydrometer reading after about 10 days or so?
what shoulc the readin be approx?
Thanks again

soccerbigt said:

Yah i used the yeast from the kit.. Im not to sure what kind either were. I do have some left over yeast from the batch i made from scratch. Would you recomend dumping some of that in? Or will the yeast from the kit be ok, it might just take a little while longer?
Thanks again for all your help

Click to expand...

Greetings.
First, welcome to the obsession.

I have a feeling your beer will be just fine. My first post on here was a "my airlock is silent" post. In the end, it turned out great.

The yeast have their own time table. Have a look at this thread. It will explain some things.

Welcome and enjoy!

Damn Rev. You're quick.

Read ths blog...http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/


You could do what a lot of us do and leave your beer alone for a month then bottle it...but yeah, you wait a minimum 10 days days (2 weeks is beeter) and take a grav reading.

Your reading should be the final gravity of your recipe or close to it...most recipes give you a range of og and fg's...if it falls in those ranges you're fine.

Revvy said:

I think maybe co2 isn't always heavy enough to push up that plastic piece in the center of the 3 piece.

Click to expand...

That could, at least in theory, stress the yeast according to the White brothers - if you (generic you - this is not addressed to Revvy specifically) see pressure building up inside the fermenter that isn't being released effectively via the airlock, I'd suggest manually venting from time to time (simply remove the airlock for a couple of seconds - don't blow in it or anything), replacing the airlock with a different one, or using the old foil-loosely-secured-by-rubber-band standby. It's not a huge deal by any means, and certainly nothing a beginner should worry about, but it's one thing people might explore if they get unexpected results.

Finally, I have found that carboy caps tightened with rubber bands seal my Better Bottle much better than rubber stoppers - since using this approach, I have always seen plenty of airlock action throughout the fermentation and degassing phase. During active fermentation, you can actually feel the gas escaping if you hold your hand or face a foot or two above the airlock.

There is no replacement for a hydrometer, but if a lack of airlock activity freaks you out, try the carboy cap/rubber band deal, and fill the airlock with StarSan. You will see (and hear) the gas escaping that way (it'll make a really annoying sound, too, because of the constantly forming and degrading foam partially blocking the airlock cover).