Did I handle this correctly?

[DevilNuts]

The wife and I brewed a Fat Tire clone on Sunday, and every day I have been checking it for signs of activity. I watch for a minute or two, and so far haven't seen a single bubble in the airlock.

I know this usually takes anywhere up to 72 hours, but it's Thursday and I'm starting to get a little concerned that maybe I pitched dead yeast (We used Wyeast 1214 and the package didn't swell all that much several hours after we popped it).

Part of me feels like I should have just left it alone, but I wanted to get a reading and see if something went wrong.

This is what I saw:

The original gravity before we pitched was 1.050 (recipe called for 1.058). Today's sample measured at 1.018. The brew smells good, the sample didn't taste weird, and I'm not sure if that color is normal for this recipe or not. But the difference in gravity means fermentation is occurring for sure...right?

I sanitized everything, and sealed the bucket back up. My instincts tell me there's nothing to worry about. Thoughts?

 

[hunter_le five]

Yup, you definitely had fermentation.

It sounds like the bucket had a leak which allowed the gas escape easier than through the airlock. This is fairly common, and should not be a problem, all it means is no bubbling action in the airlock.

Let it sit a few more days and take another reading.

 

[doornumber3]

Yeah u are good. Look at the ring above the wort line. Definitely had fermentation. Agreed about the leak. Let it sit for a bit and you will be good


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[DevilNuts]

Thanks guys! I hadn't considered the bucket seal as a possibility. That definitely puts my mind at ease.

 

[RM-MN]

My thought is that you should have tasted the beer when you took your sample. It should taste like warm flat beer.

 

[DevilNuts]

My thought is that you should have tasted the beer when you took your sample. It should taste like warm flat beer.

I did. It did. Watery, warm flat beer to be precise.

 

[RM-MN]

I did. It did. Watery, warm flat beer to be precise.

Good. When it is carbonated and chilled, it will gain apparent body and won't be warm a flat. I think you have this brewing thing figured out.