Hi all,
My fermenting bucket was set up on Sunday and started bubbling away happily fairly soon thereafter. I set up the airlock incorrectly at first, not realising that the cap was supposed to be pushed on fully - it seemed that clicking it fully in place would seal the airlock and not let anything out.
I realised that the airlock wasn't properly set up and fixed it, but in doing so realised there wasn't as much water in the trap as when I started. (The instructions said the trap should be half full with water.) I boiled/cooled some water, lifted the airlock open and topped up the trap, then fixed the cap in place properly.
Since doing that a day or so ago, I haven't seen the airlock bubbling. My rational brain says that by opening the airlock to add water, I allowed gas from the bucket to escape and it just needs another day or so to rebuild the internal pressure that was lost. My anxious brain says that by opening the airlock, I-KILLED-THE-ENTIRE-BUCKET-OF-FERMENTING-BEER-OH-GOD-OH-GOD-WHY-AM-I-SUCH-AN-IDIOT?!
The fermentation has only been going since Sunday 19th July, so there's no way it should have finished by now (at least, according to my very Beginner understanding) - can anyone confirm what's likely to be going on here?
My fermenting bucket was set up on Sunday and started bubbling away happily fairly soon thereafter. I set up the airlock incorrectly at first, not realising that the cap was supposed to be pushed on fully - it seemed that clicking it fully in place would seal the airlock and not let anything out.
I realised that the airlock wasn't properly set up and fixed it, but in doing so realised there wasn't as much water in the trap as when I started. (The instructions said the trap should be half full with water.) I boiled/cooled some water, lifted the airlock open and topped up the trap, then fixed the cap in place properly.
Since doing that a day or so ago, I haven't seen the airlock bubbling. My rational brain says that by opening the airlock to add water, I allowed gas from the bucket to escape and it just needs another day or so to rebuild the internal pressure that was lost. My anxious brain says that by opening the airlock, I-KILLED-THE-ENTIRE-BUCKET-OF-FERMENTING-BEER-OH-GOD-OH-GOD-WHY-AM-I-SUCH-AN-IDIOT?!
The fermentation has only been going since Sunday 19th July, so there's no way it should have finished by now (at least, according to my very Beginner understanding) - can anyone confirm what's likely to be going on here?