brewed my first batch, but having doubts.

[TheSnakeJake]

so i brewed my first batch of beer on monday evening (west coast pale ale). i think everything went ok, except that my electric stove had a hard time boiling the wort so i had to leave the lid on most of the way. anyway, i cooled the wort added it to my fermenting bucket and added cool water. stirred vigorously with a wisk. sprinkled the yeast on top and stirred again(per directions). then put the lid on and the air lock. nothing happened for 24 hours. so, i popped the lid last night and stirred again (per directions). now it has been close to 48 hours and i haven't seen a single bubble come out of the air lock. did i do something wrong? did i get some bad yeast? it was a dry yeast packet btw. any help or info is greatly appreciated...

-jake

 

[abracadabra]

Could be old yeast that's dead. That happens. It's a good idea to hydrate the yeast with water an hour or so before pitching. It could be not enough aeration or a combination of both. Give it another 24 hours and if nothing happens get another packet of yeast. Hydrate it aerate the wort then re-pitch.

It also could be that you don't have a good seal on the bucket is there foam on the top of your wort?

 

[cheezydemon3]

GET SOME GOOD YEAST!!

For god's sake do not open it again until you have some.

 

[patsoxbru6]

Hey man I'm really new to this as well but I thought it could be up to 72 hours before you saw anything in the airlock.

 

[Revvy]

If you keep openning and stirring your beer, you could be doing damage to it.

The only problem I see is that you are paying too much creedence to your airlock...in fact one of the reasonss your airlock isn't bubbling probably has to do with the fact that you've opened the fermenter a few times.

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. And the peak of fermentation has already wound down, so there's simply no need to vent off any excess co2.

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....

Thinking about "doing anything" without taking a hydrometer reading is tantamount to the doctor deciding to cut you open without running any diagnostic tests....Taking one look at you and saying, "Yeah I'm going in." You would really want the doctor to use all means to properly diagnose what's going on. It's exactly the same thing when you try to go by airlock.... Thinking about re-pitching without taking a hydro reading is tantamount to doing the same thing.

You'll be much happier if you get out of that habit...you will find that fermentations rarely don't take off, or just Stop...In fact I've never had a beer not ferment. BUT half of my fermentations, spread out across 9 different fermenters, never blip once in the airlock.

Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that any-thing's wrong,, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working diligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years..

Another thing...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/ It may also still be reproducing as well, that's called lag time and is perfectly normal as well.

Relax and leave it alone for awhile, and after it's been 72 hours, take a hydro reading...but quit stirring it up.

 

[Sacreddog717]

Airlock is not a good determination of fermentation. That rhymed. I am just finishing up an IPA that I didn't see a single airlock bubble from. I checked with a hydrometer and it is coming along perfectly. 3 weeks in the primary. Tastes good too. Should bottle this weekend.

 

[TheSnakeJake]

thanks for the replies... i have only opened it once, and there was no visible foam yesterday when i opened the lid. i guess i will just leave it alone and hope for the best.

i also forgot to mention that i dropped my hydrometer in the sink and it broke before i could take an initial reading.

 

[TheSnakeJake]

is there any other signs of fermentation that i should look for? should it smell like the wort in the small bathroom where i am storing my primary fermenting bucket?

 

[Poolplayer]

is there any other signs of fermentation that i should look for? should it smell like the wort in the small bathroom where i am storing my primary fermenting bucket?

By "fermenting bucket in the bathroom" you don't mean the toilet right? That will definitely have some off smells "funny, I don't remember having corn"

 

[BBKing]

thanks for the replies... i have only opened it once, and there was no visible foam yesterday when i opened the lid. i guess i will just leave it alone and hope for the best.

i also forgot to mention that i dropped my hydrometer in the sink and it broke before i could take an initial reading.

Haha, this has happened to me also.

It sucks waiting on the replacement to arrive in the mail.

 

[david_42]

If this was an extract recipe, you can calculate the original gravity with assurance that it is correct. Also, covering an extract batch during the boil isn't a big deal. The chemical (DMS) that people worry about, is boiled off in the process of making extract.

 

[abracadabra]

thanks for the replies... i have only opened it once, and there was no visible foam yesterday when i opened the lid. i guess i will just leave it alone and hope for the best.

i also forgot to mention that i dropped my hydrometer in the sink and it broke before i could take an initial reading.

Most people that regularly use hydormeters have broken a few, they are very fragile.

In my opinion Revvy's analogy is way over the top. There's good no reason to freak the newbies out. Plus it completely flys in the face of his RDWHAHB avitar.

One of a doctors oaths is to first do no harm. You are not going to hurt you beer by putting more yeast in. And a packet of yeast is going to cost $2.50 vs the $20+ you probably spent for the kit. The fact that you saw no visible sign of fermentation after 48 hours re-affirms my suspicion that you need to re-pitch. Letting it sit with no visible sign of fermentation will just let any wild yeast get established. If anything adding yeast will help overwhelm any wild yeast that's in there.

Your fermentation my yet take off I have no way of knowing but having a spare packet of yeast on hand if it doesn't is cheap insurance.

It is also very common that pre-packaged beer "kits" have old and or damaged yeast. Plus you are most likely not going to ruin your beer by taking a peek. (But being able to see what's happening is the reason many beginners like glass and or clear plastic carboys. They can see what happening without opening the fermenter)

Making beer ain't brain surgery or rocket science and it is fairly forgiving of mistakes. It's not idiot proof either but I see no sense in making a mountain out of a mole hill. If you have a nasty environment and or don't sanitize your equipment the wort can get contaminated.

I made mistakes along the way and the beer turned out good none the less.

 

[Revvy]

In my opinion Revvy's analogy is way over the top. There's good no reason to freak the newbies out. Plus it completely flys in the face of his RDWHAHB avitar.

Funny, but based on the responses I get with that answer, I don't "freak out the new brewers" I actually calm them down.

Maybe if you read some of the responses to this answer that I give 50 or more times a day, you would realize that......


You may think it's an over the top analogy, but you're in the minority.

I get a dozen responses like this every day;

That very timely analogy of the doctor (I'm headed for a routine visit now) makes me see your point quite clearly. Thanks!

Your advice and comments have given me more hope and determination to continue with me brewing home brew beer, I see your point exactly
Thanks Revvy for advice and time put in reply...Cheers from UK!

I wouldn't keep posting it if it didn't help folks.....

And as to your comment about "bad kit yeast" that's an analogy that's over 30 years old. It's really rare these days to find yeast in a kit that is any different than the yeast sitting next to it at the homebrewstores....Especially if you are buying a kit from a Reputable manufacturer/Distrubitor like the countless homebrew shops and online retaliers....they are not including "junk" yeasts with their kits...

They wouldn't dare....in a consumer driven economy these days?

Unless you bought liguid yeast through the mail in the heat of summer, or added your yeast into boiling wort, your fermentation will happen.

It doesn't need to be tinkered with, or worried about.

Yeast just don't not work anymore, that is an idea that came from the bad old days before homebrewing was legalized in 1978 when yeast came in hard cakes that travelled in hot cargo holds of ships ...And then sat under the lid of blue ribbon malt extract for god knows how long on grocery stores shelves.

Even the Notttingham recall, was not an issue with non viable yeast, but of slow performing yeasts.

But since 1978 yeast science has been ongoing and the yeasts of today, wet OR dry are going to work in 99.9% of the situations we have, if you give them the time to do so.

But every noob who starts an "my yeast is dead thread" just really pertpetuates a fear that has come from way back then, they got it from Papazain and other brew books written Thirty or more years ago, and were told horror stories of those yeasts, and it influenced their writing, which influence nervous noob brewers as well.

And then, most of the time, you new brewers then freak each other out!!!! You see an "infection" or "Not fermenting" thread title, or 10 on a given day and most of you don't even read the story behind it...you just see a dozen yeast is f-d up threads...and then believe my yeast has the potential to be f-d up.

But as the guy who answers those questions on a daily basis and finds out that no hydro reading was taken, nor has it been 72 hours, and THEY (not you) ARE going by airlock bubbling- AND when they do take a hydro reading or pop the bucket lid, they see that there was a krausen....and most of the time they actually post back, to say they were being paranoid, and fermentation DID happen.

But to someone who actually doesn't follow up on those threads, they think that yeast is so damn fragile....when it is the brewer's nerves that are.

But Unless you bought yeast through the mail in the heat of summer, or dumped it in boiling wort 99% of the time your yeast will do it's job...no matter what the title of many threads APPEAR to say.

Yeast handling and growing is a science, AND a BUSINESS[EVEN DRY YEAST GANG, they are all grown in labs, not fly by night operations (that's why the whole argument about dry being sub-par to liquid is really idiotic)..and with the internet, and books, and magazines, including this months BYO btw, even the most inbred LHBS employee SHOULD and probably does know how to properly handle and store yeast prior to selling it to you.

 

[techrunner]

yes, listen to the good revvy, just let it sit and dont think about it. start shopping for the next kit, and dream about what equipment you want to get or build. just put it in a room with the temp on the bucket in the low 60s, and leave it alone. my first batch i was also waiting for a sign from my beer, but there wasnt any. so i left it alone in the corner for a couple weeks. lo and behold, when i finally couldnt take it anymore, and i cracked the lid, and i was sure i'd have to repitch, i saw a nice little ring of krausen (bubbles and foam) on the sides of the bucket. now that it sat a month in the primary and another month in bottles it tastes pretty good. itll ferment, just give it time.

 

[abracadabra]

Funny, but based on the responses I get with that answer, I don't "freak out the new brewers" I actually calm them down.

Maybe if you read some of the responses to this answer that I give 50 or more times a day, you would realize that......


You may think it's an over the top analogy, but you're in the minority.
I get a dozen responses like this every day;

Chill out dude it's just an opinion.

Sorry I can't read the responses to your 50 answers a day I have a life

 

[BlueSunshine]

I haven't been here that long, but I'm going to have to say that Revvy is the most helpful person on this site.

 

[Shooter]

I haven't been here that long, but I'm going to have to say that Revvy is the most helpful person on this site.

The guy definitely would be on the ballot for that vote. I do know that.

 

[TheSnakeJake]

thanks for the advice from everyone. i decided to not touch anything and see what happens... i just went and looked and my airlock is finally bubbling at a steady pace. it took 96 hours, but maybe it will turn out OK after all...