buckets and bubbling?

[feffer]

Wine maker, but new to beer. Uncertain if my fermentation is OK. Making 2 extract recipes: a stout and a pale ale. They are being fermented in common type 6 gal buckets with lids. Each has a blow-off tube. The pale ale showed very quick activity, then stopped bubbling entirely. The stout never bubbled at all, but had foam build up in the bucket.

Worried, I checked the SG. The pale ale (OG = 1.062) was now 1.023. The stout (OG = 1.068) was now 1.036. So clearly the ferment had started, but was not finished. Both beers had a healthy looking foam krausen which looked "active," but no bubbling was happening. So I took off the blow-off tubes and put regular air-locks on; still NO bubbling at all. The liquid level of the air-locks stayed level.

Here's what I'm wondering: can those buckets/lids fool us because they may not be air tight? So if there is really vigorous activity, it overwhelms any leaks between the bucket and lid, and comes out the blow-off tube or air-lock. But when activity slows up some, it all just comes out around the lid...so no bubbling? Is there a way to get a better seal w/o going to a carboy and stopper?

Do others think this is what's happening? Is this a common problem?

 

[menerdari]

You are correct, air leaks from the lid will render airlocks inactive.
It is said over and over again, never rely on airlock activity as a sign of fermentation.

 

[feffer]

You are correct, air leaks from the lid will render airlocks inactive.
It is said over and over again, never rely on airlock activity as a sign of fermentation.

Is there a way to seal these common buckets better, so the air-locks would work? I tried some package tape, but that didn't help.

 

[menerdari]

Not that I know of

 

[eadavis80]

I have found my buckets don't seal as well as they used to - it's just wear and tear on them I guess. Whenever I can, I use my Bubbler, so I can see fermentation happening, but if I have two in primary, I have to deal with a bucket with a leak and never see the airlock do anything. I just have learned to trust my process and believe it's fermenting. I check gravity after a week and it's fine.

 

[Sailingeric]

Save poor sealing lids here. I know I have fermentation because of the krausen. Relax!!

 

[ncsuwerewolf]

As long as your ferment started you have a blanket of CO2 covering your beer. You may want to agitate your buckets and bump a few degrees to get em active again. But they may start again on thier own. I like to bump my ales about 3 degrees prior to cold crashing to chew off any diacetyl that may be present prior to 4 days minimum cold crash.

 

[C-Rider]

Is there a way to seal these common buckets better, so the air-locks would work? I tried some package tape, but that didn't help.

The 6 1/2 gallon bucakets I bought from my LHBS have a rubber gasket in the covers. They don't leak. But the 2 gallon ones I now use from HD do not but who cares? Nothing is going in. I don't watch bubbles. I just let the yeast work for a month and then bottle.