Do I have a problem?

Brewed a couple of batches of beer Sunday 9/18. My first attempt by the way. One was a high gravity beer I measured it at 1.086. I aerated well I think, pouring the wort back and forth about 10 times and then did the same with the water I added. Pitched white labs WLP099 that I had made a starter from earlier.

Fermentation started within 12 hours, very vigorous bubbling and was constantly having to top off the airlock. Last night the airlock went dry when I was sleeping. Total time in the fermenter at the point I found this was about 36 hrs. It has now been in for about 48 hours and there has been little to no activity since running dry.

Any suggestions?

Air lock activity is not a sign of fermentation. Replace the air lock with a blow off tube if you have one, then you won't have to worry about the liquid in the air lock. Wait a week or so and take a gravity reading, that will tell you if fermentation has taken place.

You have a co2 layer on the wort so you are OK. Again airlock activity is not a reliable indication of fermentation Wait at least a week after signs of fermentation has stopped and take a gravity reading then wait a day or 2 and take another reading if it is the same fermentation has finished. Wait another week or 2 then you can package.

Gravity levels indicate fermentation, not airlock activity

fan1cowboys said:

... was constantly having to top off the airlock. (@36 hours total fermentation) Last night the airlock went dry when I was sleeping....

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I've seen people talk about having to refill their water locks, but mine tend to show little evaporation even after several weeks. I can't imagine a water lock drying up so quickly outside of fermenting in the Gobi desert...

Mals

Malstorme said:

I've seen people talk about having to refill their water locks, but mine tend to show little evaporation even after several weeks. I can't imagine a water lock drying up so quickly outside of fermenting in the Gobi desert...

Mals

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Sometimes negative pressure builds up in the fermenter and sucks the sanitizer (or whatever you put in your airlock) into the bucket. No big worries, just refill it and resume staring at the bucket, willing it to ferment as usual. Or whatever you do with your beer

If u r using a bucket those things leak like a sieve, if u have a clear Carboy u can see it moving. I'm with them. Wait ab week and take a gravity reading. You don't really need the water in the airlock Anyhow.

Ok, thanks for all the help. I checked the gravity after a full week and It reads 1.062. The original gravity was 1.086. Checked again 3 days later (today) and it is 1.062. Isn't this too low to be done. Recipe says final gravity should be 1.022.

that stable too high gravity may be a sign of stalled fermentation, but maybe not. don't touch it for a while, i mean a while, like 2 weeks. if at that point the gravity is still high search stalled fermentation and you'll find out how to fix it. but you don't have a problem just yet.

fan1cowboys said:

Ok, thanks for all the help. I checked the gravity after a full week and It reads 1.062. The original gravity was 1.086. Checked again 3 days later (today) and it is 1.062. Isn't this too low to be done. Recipe says final gravity should be 1.022.

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How did this work out for you? Did you have to re-pitch?

I racked it onto a cake from an oatmeal stout that had finished. It came to final gravity within a week. I have had it conditioning on some coffee and cocoa and will bottle in the next week or so.