Fermentation Question...

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

So i brewed AHS Blue Moon Clone yesterday and pitched at 3. By 11-1130 it was fermenting. I have my fermenter in a tub of water and at the time the water was 64 degrees. Before i went to bed i put some ice in it and when i woke up no fermentation. I was hoping by adding the ice it would counter the heat put off by the fermenter. By adding the ice did i get it to cold and put the yeast into dormant? When i checkd this morning the water temp was 68 degrees so i added some bottles of frozen water.

BTW i pitched a 2l starter the OG was 1.044

Thanks!

 

[Rockn_M]

What kind of yeast did you use? How are you determining fermentation? Gravity reading or airlock activity?

If it’s airlock activity that is not a good indication that fermentation is not taking place.

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

Air lock activity...I used WLP400 Belgium Wit Ale. I just thought it was weird that it was bubbling and when i woke up stopped...I had a pretty big yeast cake in my starter. I put my starter in the fridge the day before so i could poor off some of the wort but i let it take its time to come down to room temp before i pitched it.

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

The OG i previously mentioned is the wort not the starter.

 

[Rockn_M]

I'm sure it's ok. You shouldn't use airlock activity as a sign that everthing is ok. If you added ice when the water was a 64 degrees the temperature dropped a few degress for a while and the yeast probably started to go dormant. Keep it around 68 and you should be fine. Check your gravity in another week to see how things are looking.

 

[fartinmartin]

If you have had that initial rush of activity, you have active yeast in there, whatever has happened they wouldn't all have died off, hang in there, I bet it comes back and in its own time, if you have over pitched which sound likely, the yeast could have eaten it's first course, now they are just looking around for the second course. Just leave it be and take an SG reading for your next post

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

Thanks guys! Im sure i did over pitch lol

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

Has anyone fermented in a bucket where there wasnt airlock activity? I can smell the beer really well but still no bubbling...i know that the airlock isnt a tale tale sign of fermentation but i check to make sure i have a good seal but i can still smell the beer. The water temp is now at 68...

 

[fartinmartin]

Have you put a liquid in the airlock ? Lol

If you can smell it , then it's going on. Hang in there.

 

[mblanks2]

Has anyone fermented in a bucket where there wasnt airlock activity? I can smell the beer really well but still no bubbling...i know that the airlock isnt a tale tale sign of fermentation but i check to make sure i have a good seal but i can still smell the beer. The water temp is now at 68...

Yes, and this is why I don't use my buckets anymore.

 

[Hello]

Has anyone fermented in a bucket where there wasnt airlock activity? I can smell the beer really well but still no bubbling...i know that the airlock isnt a tale tale sign of fermentation but i check to make sure i have a good seal but i can still smell the beer. The water temp is now at 68...

Yes and if you just push on the lid, the airlock should bubble indicating a seal. Just control your temp and relax.

 

[fartinmartin]

If you had a hydrometer, I reckon you would have offered an SG by now, so assuming you DONT have a hydrometer, draw a sample into a thin glass, longer the better, something like a champagne flute, after the initial transfer bubbles say 30mins, you will see the fermentation in your sample, just hold it to the light and watch those little bubbles.
Put plastic food wrap over the top and watch the fermentation to the end. It wont be the same as the main brew but it will be surprisingly similar. Its a good little exercise to watch, see the colour and the watch the clarity come along with the yeast dropping out.

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

I do have a hydrometer...i have just havent wanted to open the fermenter to get a reading but i did crack the lid and there is a thick krausen ring so its fermenting. Must be a leak somewhere. Hopefully it keeps putting out CO2 so i dont have to worry about it getting infected. About to purchase a 6.5 gal glass carboy.

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

BTW I posted the SG at the beginning of this thread.

 

[fartinmartin]

The SG point is that the OG , which you did post, could be compared with subsequent SG readings, that immediately tells that things are going on without any question.

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

Just an update. I just measured my gravity and im at 1.015. Its been a week and three days. If i hit my estimated FG of 1.010 should i keg or give it another week? Not sure if there is a benefit for leaving your beer in the fermenter prior to reaching your FG.

 

[mblanks2]

I will typically go 21 days and rack to keg or bottle if FG is reached. It gives the yeast a little extra time to clean up the by-products of fermentation.
If I am dry hopping I will do the same but rack to secondary for that process.
I recently dry hopped in the keg and am liking the results, so as long as it continues to be good I may continue and not do secondary's at all.

 

[USAF_CAVEMAN]

Yea my plan all along was 21 days and when i saw that my gravity was already at 1.015 wasnt sure what was best. I did make a 2l starter on a stir plate maybe thats the reason for the fast or what i think is fast fermentation.