Fermentation can take 24 to 72 hrs to show visible signs.

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My Red Ale finally started showing some bubbling in the fermentation lock last night. It took about 67.5 hours before I got any signs other than the odd smell at about 45 hours. Any word on how often the lock should bubble for a good rate of fermentation? Mine is going about once every 3 seconds last I saw. Last night it was going at once every 4 seconds but it sped up over night.
 
Hi, I just did my first batch 36 hours ago. Not worried that I don't see any action yet. But people say to check the gravity again to see if it really started. What should I expect to see? My OF was 1.042 and if I test in another 24 hours if I don't see anything what should I expect to see if fermentation has started? Thanks.
 
96 hours. Not a bubble at 90 hours this morning, and when I came home, magic. I was about to crack the lid on the bucket this evening; I felt I was pretty dang patient. :)

That said, that's the last time I 1) ferment in a bucket, and 2) use dry Nottingham. I'll go back to Safale dry yeasts. Better yet, I've been reading up on using starters with liquid yeasts, and I think it's time.
 
torque2k said:
96 hours. Not a bubble at 90 hours this morning, and when I came home, magic. I was about to crack the lid on the bucket this evening; I felt I was pretty dang patient. :)

That said, that's the last time I 1) ferment in a bucket, and 2) use dry Nottingham. I'll go back to Safale dry yeasts. Better yet, I've been reading up on using starters with liquid yeasts, and I think it's time.
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If you check the Fermentation/Yeast forum on this board you'll find a thread about a nottignham batch that was having slow starts. I wouldn't poo poo using their yeast becasue of one bad result. Alot of the brewers on here love it for Ales.
 
Cheaton said:
I wouldn't poo poo using their yeast becasue of one bad result. Alot of the brewers on here love it for Ales.
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True, though it was the first time I've used it, and it took that long to really start. Dunno. It WAS in a kit, but my LHBS keeps their kits rotated pretty well; they're hardcore like that. The pouch said to use before 11/15/09.

Speaking of, how long of an expiration period can we expect on dry yeasts? Like, if my packet said "Good thru 11/09", what's the full life in the packet? 3 months? 12?
 
my first brew, been in the primary for 30 hours, i was gettin kinda spooked because this moring (15 hr mark) all i could see was tiny tiny bubles in the airlock. when i got home from work tonight(29hr) there was absolutely no sign. so i got on here did a litle reading. then i put a heating pad at the base of the pail and just as i was turning it on, IT GURGLED!!!
now, 2 questions:

1. how much activity (tiny tricle bubbles, hot tub aerator bubbles or water cooler type glugs?

2. the lid stays on the airlock, right?

RECIPE:
7LBS muntons irish stout

centennial hops

peat moss roasted barley

oats

pure dark brown cane sugar - for a little added octane

starting gravity 1.048
 
2) I would recommend that the lid stays on the airlock, but if you have an over-enthusiastic fermentation, all bets are off, and you should be looking for a blow-off setup.

1) Yeast know what they are doing, whether you have water-farts or no action at all in the airlock. DO NOT LOOK AT THE BUBBLES AS A SIGN OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN BUBBLES.
 
well with the room temp at 63 deg f i thought it would be a little chilly so with a heating pad in my "mini cellar" i got it up to 67 deg f and the yeast are running like the wind.
 
This thread ended up being a lifesaver. Had a Brewer's Best Weizen kit going on Thursday night (first one using the new setup from Midwest, graduated from a Mr. Beer), had issues getting the temp down. Once it did, pitched the yeast, and waited....and waited...and waited....
Close to 80 hours later, wake up , and it's bubbling in the airlock! Since then, it's slowed down to a bubble every 3 seconds. Was sweating it out pretty bad, kept trying to relax, but was getting tough. SO...if you're starting to panic, deep breath, it'll be fine. :)
 
No, I thought I did, but I can't find it. I had the hops labels in the extract label, I guess the yeast fell out and got thrown away. (It was Nottingham)
Gone from once every 2 seconds to once every 7, 3 days later.
 
This past Saturday I used liquid yeast for the first time. I didnt see any "signs of life" till late last night. Thanks to this post, I didn't freak out and repitch.

Good sticky
 
I hate to post here because I feel like it's admitting defeat, but I'm at hour 60 and still no activity. I'm doing a Pliny clone, so the OG was pretty high (1.074) and I should have used a starter or used two vials of yeast but I didn't and now I'm worried about a very expensive batch of beer. I used the White labs California Ale yeast and aerated the heck out of it before pitching. It's been kept at a steady 68-70 degrees and after 60 hours, no airlock activity and the OG reading hasn't moved.

My OG readings have actually been 1.090 but I know that's not right since I did an extract batch. But both the initial reading and the reading I did at 60 hours read 1.090, so I know there has been no fermentation.

What should I do?

Should I give it another day or so? Should I try shaking it up again or stirring it to agitate the yeast? Do I need to aerate it again? When should I pitch more yeast and if I do, what yeast should I use? Unfortunately I don't have any more yeast other than some champagne yeast for apfelwein, so I guess I'll need to stop by the local homebrew shop today to get some more yeast.
 
Revvy said:
we say 72 hours, but you know, it could be 73, or 80, it's still nothing to sweat about....Remember with LIVING MICROORGANISMS, anything we suggest is just a "rule of thumb," or average, based on our experience, but that doesn't mean the yeasties don't have their own timeframe and agenda...they are the beer bosses, not us.
Click to expand...

I'm making my first cider (which is my first anything) and I'm freaking out because nothing is happening. I've tried to be patient but it's been over a WEEK! I think the first 3-4 days were too cold, especially at night it got less than 60F, but I warmed it up and now it's been sitting between 65-70F for 3 days.

I used Lalvin EC-1118 yeast that wasn't refrigerated at the store and looked kind of dusty (expiry was 2011) but it foamed up a lot when I mixed it with warm water.

I'm worried that I didn't give the campden tablets (actually used potassium metabisulphite) enough time to dissipate. I put in enough for 100 ppm (1 teaspoon/5 gallons) and left it for 27 hours. The other thing I did was mix the pectin enzyme with the yeast right before dumping it in. The cider is now very clear... so I guess that worked anyway.

Everyone says to wait and not panic, but how long is too long? And then what do I do, just throw in some more yeast?
 
Ok, I checked the seal on the airlock for the 100th time and it was loose! Maybe from too much checking :p Well, now that it's sealed properly it is bubbling very, very slowly. I didn't check the gravity because I don't have a wine thief.

But what worries me is that the cider looks exactly as it did the minute after I pitched the yeast, except that it is so clear. I thought the yeast was supposed to make it cloudy, then after 2-3 weeks when it cleared the yeast were done eating, and you leave it for another week to be certain before bottling. But mine cleared in a couple of days. I know I should have faith in the cider gods but should I give them a hand and try this:

Revvy said:
I was worried about the fact that there was no activity after 3 days on my apfelwein. Yesterday I needed to get something out of the closet where I keep my carboys, and not wanting to knock it over while rummaging around, I moved it for a bit, then put it back. Evidently that was enough to kickstart fermentation, and it's been bubbling like crazy ever since.
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I want to thank all the pros for putting up with us worriers. It's just so hard when it's your first attempt and there's nothing you can do.
 
NoFiller... A turkey baster works well as a wine thief, too :)

I'll bet that you will be just like me... "Don't worry about the bubbles, just check your gravity"!
 
That's a great tip Vuarra. But I just looked and I don't have one of those either, haha: the life of a student.

Oh well, it'll just have to be a surprise I guess.
 
I have brewed 30 beers in the past 9 months using dry, cultured, liquid WL and Wyeast and all have showed airlock movement within 24 hours. My last beer brewed on Sunday was Black Forest Stout from Jamil's book and it was a last minute make since I had family in that wanted to see me brew. So instead or making a starter off of a single smack pack I used three packs per Jamils book. Letting them swell for about 6-7 hours before pitching. Still today not a thing going on that I can see. I opened the fermenter and its just jet black wort nothing floating no foam, no build up on the walls nothing. This was the most yeast I ever pitched. The room temp is at 68 and I bumped the temp up to 71 the other night and still nada. I really don’t want to spend another $25 on yeast for this. I didn’t have time to take a gravity reading this morning but I will tonight.
 
Hmmm... so I checked my SG (used the racking cane) and it hasn't changed at all from the OG. I tasted it and it tastes just like apple juice, with a very slight after taste of yeast (like when you open a jar of bread yeast). So I guess I'll go ahead and re-pitch?
 
I bought some new yeast (from a different store) and threw it in after stirring the cider up really good. What a difference it made. The cider didn't clear right away and the foamy bits on the top are getting bigger, not staying exactly the same. At 36hr the airlock isn't bubbling (at least not very quickly) but every once in a while a bubble goes up through the cider. I guess I was the one in a million who got the dead yeast.
 
Orfy said:
It is also worth noting that no bubbles in the air lock does not mean it isn't fermenting.First brew, and worried - Home Brew Forums
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NewB here and I have a different question. After transfering my wort to the primary, it began to ferment roughly 5 hours after pitching the yeast. Within 24hrs, all signs of bubling stopped in the airlock and in the wort.

I'm wondering if this is normal, or did the yeast run out of oxygen and go dormant? Can fermentation really only last a day, or is it still going without showing any visible signs? My sp.gr = 1.064 right after I pitched the yeast. What number should I expect when fermentation is done? Btw, I'm brewing a british pale ale.
 
Yes the main ferment can take place in 24 hours.
With a little more reading and experience you will learn that bubbles in the air lock are only one sign of fermentation taking place and not the most reliable one.

Unless you did something drastically wrong then it's unlikely that your yeast pooped out.

If it where me I'd probably just leave it 2 - 4 weeks and then cask. (But I know my set up and my brews)

If I were you I'd leave it 3 days then check the gravity. If it is close to the FG then carry one with your normal routine.
 
Hello, this is my first post and my fourth brew is now in a secondary with an ounce of fresh Simcoe hops in a nylon hop bag. I brewed a partial-mash "pale-ish ale" (my first recipe) on the 20th of Sept and used the Whitelabs American ale WLP001. No starter but let it sit on the counter for over 5 hours prior to pitching and had no signs of fermentation after 3 days. After taking a gravity reading I consulted my LHBS and they advised to re-pitch with another vial of WL. Within 3 hours, visible signs began. It had been going strong for 12 solid days with bubbles coming through every 8 seconds. Consulted my LHBS again and they said that racking to my secondary would not be a bad idea as I wanted to begin the dry hopping regiment. My question is should I have let it sit in the primary longer? I didn’t take a gravity reading when I racked to my secondary as I know it’s still going. What happened? Even the guys at the LHBS thought it was odd, but I am slowly learning not to trust them.

Glad to be a part of the community. You guys are way more helpful than my LHBS
 
I just brewed my second batch of beer, and of course totally freaked out at the slow start. My first batch had started bubbling the airlock after 2 hours, and had huge krausen and constant bubbling a couple of hours later. By the end of day 2, it was all done. The outgas smelled like fruit cocktail.

This time around, with liquid yeast and slightly lower temperature (70ºF), I had nothing -- no airlock bubbles, no krausen, no anything -- for nearly two full days. The first night, the airlock level actually went backward. But finally, this afternoon, I got some positive pressure and bubbling (still no krausen, but I'm learning to relax and not worry). It smells much cleaner than last time.

While I was waiting, I freaked out about yeast temperature (I let it stay at room temperature too long), aeration (did I shake the bucket long enough), pH issues (I heard something about pH and assumed that I had accidentally reached some kind of deadly acidity).

So, for me, all the advice about relaxing for 72 hours turned out to be true. I wonder how many times it'll take before I can actually stop worrying...
 
JAXGuitar said:
NewB here and I have a different question. After transfering my wort to the primary, it began to ferment roughly 5 hours after pitching the yeast. Within 24hrs, all signs of bubling stopped in the airlock and in the wort.

I'm wondering if this is normal, or did the yeast run out of oxygen and go dormant? Can fermentation really only last a day, or is it still going without showing any visible signs? My sp.gr = 1.064 right after I pitched the yeast. What number should I expect when fermentation is done? Btw, I'm brewing a british pale ale.
Click to expand...

This happened to me three weeks ago, also with a british pale ale. I used a dry Windsor yeast at kind of a warm temperature, and all fermentation took place within the first day or two. My OG was 1.050, and final was 1.018 (4% ABV). I measured my final gravity 10 days after starting, and again at 14 days to confirm that fermentation had stopped.
 
crudebrews said:
Hello, this is my first post and my fourth brew is now in a secondary with an ounce of fresh Simcoe hops in a nylon hop bag. I brewed a partial-mash "pale-ish ale" (my first recipe) on the 20th of Sept and used the Whitelabs American ale WLP001. No starter but let it sit on the counter for over 5 hours prior to pitching and had no signs of fermentation after 3 days. After taking a gravity reading I consulted my LHBS and they advised to re-pitch with another vial of WL. Within 3 hours, visible signs began. It had been going strong for 12 solid days with bubbles coming through every 8 seconds. Consulted my LHBS again and they said that racking to my secondary would not be a bad idea as I wanted to begin the dry hopping regiment. My question is should I have let it sit in the primary longer? I didn’t take a gravity reading when I racked to my secondary as I know it’s still going. What happened? Even the guys at the LHBS thought it was odd, but I am slowly learning not to trust them.

Glad to be a part of the community. You guys are way more helpful than my LHBS
Click to expand...

Does it look like it's nearly done, yeast dropping out into trub, krausen fallen, starting to clear a bit?

It'll probably be fine. I fermentation carries on below the expected FG, I mean way below then it can mean you have an infection.

That's probably not the case for you.

The good news is a long slow ferment can mean a cleaner tasting beer with less of the nastier compounds being produced by the yeast.


Take a gravity reading to satisfy your curiosity. If it's nearly there then you can rack to secondary or leave a little longer in the primary.
Either way you won't hurt the beer.
I personally would let it sit a bit longer.
 
it deffinatly looks like it is done... great clarity and big fat layer of trub with a few odd looking rocky heads (i assume that is the krausen). I use a glass blow-off tube and it was clear for some reason, but i dont think that i have ever seen heads like these. It seems like it has quite a bit of carbonation to it already and smells great. now with the hops in my carboy it smells amazing. i plan on hopping for 10 days and im going to use some oak cubes for about 5-6 days for an oaky finish. I have done quite a bit of reading on the utilization of oak in brews, but what are your thoughts on oaking?
 
Hey all,
I just picked up my first kit from a local shop here in New York. It is an Irish Red Ale. I got everything going last night per the instructions provided and left it to ferment in the carboy while I slept. I woke up to bubbling and activity, exciting. My concern is that the foam is brown and muddy rather then white and frothy like the pictures/videos ive looked at. Should I be worried or is it one of those things that I just need to wait out?

It also appears that much more evaporated then it should have.

Picture below:
beer.jpg
 
Charon said:
Hey all,
I just picked up my first kit from a local shop here in New York. It is an Irish Red Ale. I got everything going last night per the instructions provided and left it to ferment in the carboy while I slept. I woke up to bubbling and activity, exciting. My concern is that the foam is brown and muddy rather then white and frothy like the pictures/videos ive looked at. Should I be worried or is it one of those things that I just need to wait out?

It also appears that much more evaporated then it should have.

Picture below:
beer.jpg
Click to expand...
Looks good to me.
 
Im hoping its just another case of RDWHAHB but I put a Black Rock Cider on on Monday and now 72 hours later there has been absolutely no sign of fermentation. What should I do? :confused:
 
Pommy said:
Im hoping its just another case of RDWHAHB but I put a Black Rock Cider on on Monday and now 72 hours later there has been absolutely no sign of fermentation. What should I do? :confused:
Click to expand...

Tellus a bit more about what you did and the way you did it.
What temperature did yo pitch at and what temperature is it sat at?
 
I pitched the yeast at 22C and its been sat there since. I just followed the standard instructions that came with the kit as this is the first cider ive tried and wanted a benchmark. Mix with 2L hot water, add 1kg table sugar, top up, stir in yeast usual jobby. I moved it into the bedroom where the sun can get to it before work this morning and it seems to have got going, hopefully its fermentation and not just caused by the increase in temperature inside the fermenter.
 
Not sure if this was covered or not, but i started my first batch exactly one week ago in about 3 hours. I did everything as i have read and stuck to the book as much as possible for fear if messing up my first batch. I noticed my fermentation took off about 4-5 hours after pitching and my airlock started to slowly increase in activity over the rest of that day. It stayed pretty active for about 2 1/2 days and started to slow down. I had about 20-30 sec between bubbles in my airlock at about 3-4 days. Now its day 7 and i havnt seen any activity at all. Is this normal? It smells lke beer, so im assuming thats good, but should i be worried that i have no apparent activity? Is this normal? Everything i read says about 2 weeks before priming/bottling. Am i on track? should i consider bottling early?
 
congratulations, your first beer is a success! wait until it reaches 2 weeks then bottle and you will have a textbook fermentation :)
 
A buddy and I just brewed our first batch of beer (Brewers Best Dunkelweizen) and I haven't noticed any fermentation. I have been contacting someone at Brewers Best and am now worried that the beer won't ferment. The kit called for an OG of 1.045-1.053 and as of last night (3 days after brewing) I had a reading of 1.096. A lot higher than it should be and I hadn't noticed any signs of fermentation. Should I be worried that my beer won't ferment and will be wasted or is there some way to ensure it does? As this is my first beer I didn't realize that when my friend put the air lock on the glass carboy that he didn't put the lid on it. I know that's not fully the issue but should I be worried that we just wasted a $40 kit?

As a first time brewer what are the most important things that we missed?
 
If you are using an extract only kit and have added the correct volume of water there is no way you can have a 1.096 gravity. If you've used sugar you would of need to add a massive amount to gain that sort of gravity.

Have you mixed it correctly?
What temperature was the brew when you pitched the yeast?
 
It was the Brewers Best Dunkelweizen kit and it is an Extract kit. I measured 5 gallons in the carboy and filled the wort up to that level when we siphoned it from the brew pot. We cooled the wort using a wort chiller to approx. 70 degrees and added the water at the same temperature. Once we added the yeast we stirred the wort and followed everything to the instructions provided. I didn't realize that the OG was way off.
 

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