84 hours in... no bubbles

Ok so I used a vial of California Ale Yeast on my most recent brew that i started monday night.... First time using a yeast vial and i followed the instructions perfectly (3-6 hours at room temperature before brewing so i did 4, and shake well which i did)

I cooled down to room temperature and pitched the yeast, stirred for all of 3 seconds, and threw my lid on my bucket.

I still haven't seen any bubbles, and i mean none! (i noticed other threads about the airlock allowing some air to pass and i am 100% sure this is not the problem)

I'm bottling a brew i have in secondary this coming sunday and i was thinking maybe i should open up the bucket and check the gravity... if it hasnt gone down then maybe i should throw more yeast in the batch and go back into the primary for another week? This batch has 2 cans of light malt extract and a pound of honey in it so i feel as if it should be bubbling a lot! I appreciate any and all suggestions here guys!! thanks!

What temp are you fermenting at?

Put your ear up to the bucket/carboy and see if you hear anything.

Any chance you have a brew thermometer on the outside of your vessel to see if it is slightly warmer (which may indicate fermentation) than ambient?

Lack of stirring means the yeast had very little oxygen for growth, that will mean a slower start to the fermentation. Even with a bucket, you should be able to see if a krausen formed. If so, no problem.

Assuming you checked your SG, then yes, take a gravity reading. If it hasn't moved, pitch more yeast. I would just buy a pack of SafeAle-US05, it's cheaper, and it's the same strain (Cali Ale), and it's much less dependent on proper storage for results.

check it w/ a hydrometer. bubbling airlock is not an indication of fermentation (you may have a leak in the airlock - who knows).

take a gravity reading, or, simply open the bucket and look for some krausen (mucky stuff stuck to the inside of your bucket).

next time you might make a starter if you plan on using liquid yeast.

Like david_42 said, unless your aerated your wort the yeast is going to have a hard time taking off. But be patient, wait a few more days before checking the gravity or deciding to repitch. I had a weizen that took 5 days before signs of fermentation, after being told I would need a blow off tube for the first 2 days...
But, there is still a minor chance of air leaking out from the seal of the lid.

What's the gravity of your beer, bubbling or lack of mean absolutely nothing?

Revvy said:

bubbling of lack of mean absolutely nothing?

Click to expand...

Have you already started drinking today Revvy?
Or is this some backwards speak that is just meant to go along with your avatar?

Do you see bubbles if you squeeze the bucket or push on the lid? No? Then there may be a alternate path for the gas to escape.

Check with a hydrometer. if (no change) then { repitch(yeast); }