Air lock bubbles

[finigan4710]

How long does it take until I should see bubbles escaping my airlock

 

[freisste]

Depends on a lot of things.

Assuming you have a perfect system (where all the CO2 comes out your airlock), you have to get to the point where the yeast are producing CO2. This is after a lag period when the yeast are multiplying. It can sometimes take 72 hours, but will often take off faster. If you have good temps and your yeast are healthy and you rehydrated or used a starter, that helps. If you didn't do that it may take longer.

The other possibility is that your system is leaking CO2 somewhere else. If you don't see bubbles for 48 hours or more, open the bucket to see if anything is happening. If it looks different from when you started, ignore airlock activity or lack thereof.

 

[homebrewdad]

Airlock activity is nice, but it doesn't mean much.

It can take up to 72 for visible fermentation to start. If you pitched the right amount of yeast, it's often 6 hours or less.

Visible means bubbles, krausen forming, etc.

Vigorous bubbles tell you that you have fermentation. Lack of them tells you nothing - the CO2 could be escaping around your airlock, or in the case of a bucket, around the seal (buckets are notorious for this).

 

[finigan4710]

Ya. My seal actually fell into the wort.... Dumb mistake. So I taped the outside of the airlock really good. Could it be escaping from that? And what shold I do if it is

 

[freisste]

Ya. My seal actually fell into the wort.... Dumb mistake. So I taped the outside of the airlock really good. Could it be escaping from that? And what shold I do if it is

Don't bother doing anything. The CO2 produced by fermentation will keep a positive pressure on the system, keeping anything from entering.

 

[finigan4710]

So I'm okay?! Good. I've been worrying about my wort. It's my first one. I want it to be healthy

 

[finigan4710]

/ how will I know when it's done fermenting if the airlock is not bubbling

 

[freisste]

/ how will I know when it's done fermenting if the airlock is not bubbling

Hydrometer reading is the ONLY way. Make sure it is the same for a three day period.

 

[finigan4710]

Can you explain that more? And how do I get a good reading without infecting the wort

 

[freisste]

Sanitize a thief (or a turkey baster) to get a sample. Put it in a sample tube (for me, I use the thief). Insert your hydrometer and take a reading. I don't put the sample back in the bulk. I drink it because I like to taste what is happening.

 

[finigan4710]

How often? And when. I'm brewing a amber ale

 

[freisste]

When you think it is done and three days after that. Keep in mind, that just means that it is done FERMENTING, not necessarily done. Most believe that most brews benefit from more time in primary. Exceptions are brews that are best young (wheats and IPAs, for example).

 

[finigan4710]

Just to be sure. If I did not COMPLETELY seal off the hole around the airlock with tape. And there was a slight hole it will be okay?