No Fermentation after 15hrs?

[brewster13]

Just did a Austin homebrew blue moon clone and after 15hrs there is no sign of fermentation. The only issue I have had twice is 1/2 of the water in the air lock keeps disapearing. I filled it last night thinking must be I screwed up and didn't fill it all the way. But when I checked it this AM same result half full. Is it possible that there is such a large amout of fermentation going on that it is blowing the water into the fermenter. That is really the only place I can see where it could possibly go? But when I sit and watch it there appears to be nothing happening, no bubbles nothing.............maybe a bad air lock how ever that might be

 

[Starderup]

Just did a Austin homebrew blue moon clone and after 15hrs there is no sign of fermentation. The only issue I have had twice is 1/2 of the water in the air lock keeps disapearing. I filled it last night thinking must be I screwed up and didn't fill it all the way. But when I checked it this AM same result half full. Is it possible that there is such a large amout of fermentation going on that it is blowing the water into the fermenter. That is really the only place I can see where it could possibly go? But when I sit and watch it there appears to be nothing happening, no bubbles nothing.............maybe a bad air lock how ever that might be

There is usually a line about halfway down (on the part that holds the water) of the 3 part airlocks. That's how full it should be.

 

[Germelli1]

or, the temperature of the beer is dropping causing less pressure inside of the fermentor.

That is why you are getting suckback.

 

[SurlyBastard]

I wouldn't worry yet. Some of my beers have taken a full 24 hours to really take off, and some have exploded in 6 hours. There are a lot of factors at play. If I were you, I would give it a full 2 days and if you still don't see anything, open the bucket and check and then evaluate from there (potentially pitching a packet of dry yeast).

 

[COLObrewer]

or, the temperature of the beer is dropping causing less pressure inside of the fermentor.

That is why you are getting suckback.

+1, this is whats happening, if you are fermenting at a temperature lower than when you pitched the yeast you will easily have enough vacuum (as the beer contracts before fermentation starts) to suck in the small amount of water(liquid) in the airlock.

Also I would not worry about lack of fermentation "signs" until about 4 days, depending on temperature. Airlock activity means nothing, it's only a means to allow co2 to escape, the lid on your bucket (if that's what you are using) may not be sealed which is fine, the only way to know for sure if fermentation is happening is with a hydrometer.

What yeast are you using? What temperature did you pitch at? What temperature is it fermenting at?

Keep on brewing my friends

 

[brewster13]

Yeast is White Labs WLP400 I pitched at 75 degrees and it fermenting at 68-70degrees. Should I keep adding water to the air lock to bring it to the full line...

 

[brewster13]

Is it possible that it is somethings to do with the yeast. This is the first time I used a liquid yeast and I had it shipped from texas. I did have it shipped with a cold pack but, it probably sat over the weekend. The cold pack was not cold when I got it.

 

[Revvy]

Your beer is fine.

#1 https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/, and by visible signs we don't necessarily mean a bubbling airlock. And last I recall, 15 hours is less than 72 hours.

It IS a sticky at the top of the beginners forum for a reason, afterall.

As already stated in the linked sticky, Fermentation often can take up to three days to start. And by visible signs they do NOT mean airlock bubbling.

I don't see anything by what you are saying to indicate that your fermentation actually wasn't. All I see is that your airlock wasn't bubbling, and that you didn't take a gravity reading before panicking and and starting this thread.

BUT without a gravity reading all you are telling me is that your airlock wasn't bubbling....That is NOT the same thing as a fermentation happening.

Whether it's in a conical, a bucket, or a carboy, it's the same thing. An airlock is a VENT, a VALVE to release excess co2, nothing more.

If it's not bubbling it just means that there no excess co2 to be vented out.

In your case, more than likely hadn't even started yet, or that it was working fine, and just didn't need to vent any co2 yet.

A beer may ferment perfectly fine without a single blip in the airlock.

That's why you need to take a gravity reading to know how your fermentation is going, NOT go by airlocks. The most important tool you can use is a hydrometer. It's the only way you will truly know when your beer is ready...airlock bubbles and other things are faulty.

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?

So wait at least 72 hours and take a grav reading if you are worried still.

 

[MrWiggles]

I had a weizen that took 5 1/2 days to show ANY sign of fermentation with WL hefe liquid yeast. Trust me, you've got nothin to worry about.

 

[COLObrewer]

Yes you can add to the airlock, it should stop sucking in when the wort temperature has reached equilibrium, then fermentation should start in a day or four.

 

[brewster13]

So most of my question was about the airlock loosing it water!!! I KNOW HOW TO USE A HYDROMETER AND I DID TAKE A READING BEFROE I PITCHED. I know what I am doing for the most part I have never seen the airlock suck water back as it is doing! rest thanks for your help I will sit on it for a while...rt

 

[Revvy]

Sorry but going by the title of your thread

No Fermentation after 15hrs?

Not to mention the fact that you used the word "actvity" in your post AND didn't give us a hydromter reading, or even said you took one, how do we know that know how to read a hydromter?????? You didn't give us that info...you gave us the EXACT phrasing of the 20-30 OTHER threads exactly like this a day on here, and THOSE people don't KNOW how to use a hydrometer and when THEY say activity THEY MEAN AIRLOCK BUBBLING. You had what amounted to a two folld question, something about airlock suckback and wondering if you had fermentation....Someone answered about the suckback, and I gave the answer that gets given by me and other folks multiple times a day, and we're usually right. We don't know YOUR level of expertise....We answer questions, usually the same ones over and over and over again, because we're trying to help people. But excuse us if we're not pyschics to your level of experience.

 

[Starderup]

So is this thing still sucking?

 

[brewster13]

No the sucking back is over and it appears to be rolling in the right direction.