No fermentation?

[tgmartin000]

Howdy everyone, it's my first post here, but I've already gotten a ton of great advice from this forum - thanks all! I'm a newbie, on about my 6th batch.

So, quick question - my airlock is not bubbling. I took it out, and peeked through the hole, and did see foam/krausen. Does the presence of krausen indicate that fermentation is occurring?

I made a Stone West Coast SEssion Ale clone (AKA West Coast Bitter) saturday afternoon. I pitched two packets of american ale 1056 into about 6 gallons in a 6.5 gal bucket.It's at about 70 degrees, and was pitched at about 72, after giving the packets several hours to swell.

OG was 1.051, it was a partial mash operation (just built a 10 gal mash tun this weekend), and I've never had any problems with my fermenter leaking. I assume it's got a leak somewhere.

So - please tell me the presence of krausen indicates that fermentation is happening and I'll be happy.

Course, I could test the gravity, but I think I'll hold off, don't want to give it any more chances to spoil.

 

[MrBru]

Yup, you're ok... give her a few weeks and then check your gravity...

 

[dttk0009]

Krausen definitely indicates that something is happening. I didn't have any airlock activity in my 2nd and 3rd batch either. However, I keep my fermenters in a chest freezer (w/ thermostat), and every time I'd open it up to have a look I'd get a big whiff of fermenting beer

Turns out I didn't seal the lid on my fermentation vessel properly and the air was leaking out somewhere else. This is most likely the case here as well. From what I've read, it won't be doing any harm to your beer as nothing can get in this way either (as the only entrance constantly has gas escaping).

 

[Revvy]

Airlock activity is irrevelent. Just gravity points on a hydrometer.
Airlock bubbling (or lack) and fermentation are not the same thing. You have to separate that from your mindset. Airlock bubbling can be a sign of fermentation, but not a good one, because the airlock will often blip or not blip for various other reasons...so it is a tenuous connection at best.

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.

That's why you need to take a gravity reading to know how your fermentation is going, NOT go by airlocks, or size of krausen, or a calendar, the horoscope or the phases of the moon (those things in my mind are equally accurate).

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....

You have to man up, grow some stones and get over the idea that openning your fermenter to do something positive like take a gravity reading, is dangerous. In homebrewing there is so much that we advise folks not to do, yet the one thing that EVERY book, podcast, magazine and website talks about is gravity readings....

How do you think we get them?

Do you think the advice to take them is a vast conspiracy by us old timers to ruin millions of new brewer's batches, so that they flee the hobby and give it a bad rap? Or so they make crappy beer and we kick your asses in contests?

With simple sanitization practices openning the fermenter to take a reading is perfectly safe. You won't spoil your beer.....

 

[tgmartin000]

Airlock activity is irrevelent. Just gravity points on a hydrometer.
Airlock bubbling (or lack) and fermentation are not the same thing. You have to separate that from your mindset. Airlock bubbling can be a sign of fermentation, but not a good one, because the airlock will often blip or not blip for various other reasons...so it is a tenuous connection at best.

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.

That's why you need to take a gravity reading to know how your fermentation is going, NOT go by airlocks, or size of krausen, or a calendar, the horoscope or the phases of the moon (those things in my mind are equally accurate).

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....

You have to man up, grow some stones and get over the idea that openning your fermenter to do something positive like take a gravity reading, is dangerous. In homebrewing there is so much that we advise folks not to do, yet the one thing that EVERY book, podcast, magazine and website talks about is gravity readings....

How do you think we get them?

Do you think the advice to take them is a vast conspiracy by us old timers to ruin millions of new brewer's batches, so that they flee the hobby and give it a bad rap? Or so they make crappy beer and we kick your asses in contests?

With simple sanitization practices openning the fermenter to take a reading is perfectly safe. You won't spoil your beer.....

I know, I know. It's just disturbing, after only making several batches that bubbled like crazy. You get used to the bubbling, and it soothing. The newbie homebrewer's pacifier, if you will.

I was fairly certain that krausen was a good indicator. Like I said, I'll probably give it about 10 days and check 'er.

This was my first time pitching two packets (the Wyeast activators), based on what the dude at my LHBS said. I assumed the bubbling, would be more active, which in my mind is a good thing.

That being said, would two packets do a quicker fermentation, or a more attenuated beverage?

Also, thanks for the advice, everyone.

 

[rambler]

I'm pretty sure you found Revvys pet peave...lol