Day 5 and still nothing

[bajarob]

I brewed a Sweet Stout. I had no problems. I did a full boil and started with 5 gallons of water but after removing the steeping grain bags and through evaporation I lost well over a gallon. So I topped it off to 5g and was careful to pitch the yeast at a room temperature to my wort at around 75 degrees. I shook the crap out of it as I always do then put on the airlock and absolutely nothing has happened. The temp here in Baja is about 70+. This is my 6th brew all of which have been successful. I'm use to blowing the airlock off and having a mess on day 2 and 3. I am considering re-pitching a Hefe liquid yeast tube I have sitting around waiting for my next brew. Am I in big trouble?

 

[McGarnigle]

After five days, I would pitch something else. Is a hefe yeast your only option? Can you run out and buy a packet of Safale something?

Sometimes just going to the LHBS to buy new yeast causes the original yeast to start working. It just knows somehow.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

check for leaks first, look at it is there any thing, foam movement at all?

 

[flars]

Some extra information will help.
Are you fermenting in a bucket or carboy? What yeast did you pitch? What was the production date of the yeast? What was the OG of the stout?

 

[McGarnigle]

I will amend my advice above to say that it assumes you are sure there's been no foaming of the wort, and aren't just going by bubbles.

 

[bajarob]

No bubbles at all. The yeast was a London something. The date was good. I checked for leaks. I'm in Baja and have no other yeast available but I do have a liquid Hefe tube and or I can get some Mexican baking yeast. Should I pitch the Hefe yeast. Remember my wort is a sweet stout.

 

[MattyIce]

Have you taken any hydrometer readings?

 

[bajarob]

Oops sorry. I'm using a Bucket.

 

[flars]

Was the yeast dry or liquid? If dry, did you rehydrate? If liquid, did you make a starter?
Have you looked in the bucket for krausen formation?

 

[duboman]

You might have a bad seal on the lid and the co2 is escaping, check gravity, most likely it's fermenting

 

[hunter_le five]

As always, a lack of airlock bubbling DOES NOT necessarily mean the wort is not fermenting. The only way to tell for sure is to take a gravity reading.

Bucket fermenters are notorious for developing leaks in the lid seal. This is not a problem; it just means you won't see bubbles in the airlock.

Check the wort directly (visually) for signs of activity. Krausen, foam, bubbling, etc. If you still can't tell, take a gravity reading.

 

[bajarob]

I took a peak and there is some foam on top. Not a lot though and it looks as if I may have lost a half inch of wort. I put the lid back on tight and guess I'll wait it out. I've never opened the lid before. Scared I'd contaminate it.

 

[number40fan]

I bet that it is done or almost done. What looks like a loss of wort was the top of the foam build up which has receded.

 

[Potamus]

If you've got krausen on top you've got fermentation, regardless of what the airlock is doing. What looks like the loss of wort is probably the high point the krausen reached before falling back down. Leave it alone for another week or two and it will be fine.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

brewed a beer a couple weeks back... pitched a starter at high kraussen.... locked everything up and went inside....next morning opened the ferment room and no bubbles in the airlock.....that evening looked again and no bubbles in the airlock.. this went on for 3 days... pulled the lid( bucket) and the beer was basically finished. it had fermented really quickly...so quickly I missed it. If you have a ring that looks like you have lost wort, you had a high kraussen that has fallen. take a gravity reading.. bet it is done or near done.