Fermentation can take 24 to 72 hrs to show visible signs.

[buckley28]

I just started my first attempt at brewing at home. The cooking process went great with no hang ups. However, I think I may have screwed up while adding the yeast. I used a liquid yeast that came with my kit (from Williams Home Brew). Popped the bag the day before so it had about 30 hours of actual set up time. I just poured the yeast right on top of the head in my priming tank (w/ out stirring...brain fart) put the lid on and have kept it in a closet for for the past three days at about 61-64 degrees constant. I've noticed that the frementation process is working as I have a head thats all the way touching the lid of the plastic priming tank. However, there are no bubbles in the stopper! I had a starting gravity of 1.060 and today took a reading and its 1.030 so it appears its working. My only concern is there is no visual bubbles in the stopper. Should I be worried?
Brewing an American IPA for the first go around. Thanks all.

 

[Revvy]

I had a starting gravity of 1.060 and today took a reading and its 1.030 so it appears its working. My only concern is there is no visual bubbles in the stopper. Should I be worried?
Brewing an American IPA for the first go around. Thanks all.

Nope....read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/no-visible-fermentation-28278/#post2495520

Your gravity proves you have fermentation, your airlock is irrevelant.

 

[jowilant]

Background:

- Imperial IPA recipe. Recipe called for 6 gallons of water for the batch, but I only used 5 gallons due to my equipment restraints and adjusted the recipe accordingly as best I could. However, after tasting my wort following cooling and before pitching yeast, I was very surprised at how sweet it tasted. While I'm not used to tasting beer at this stage and not exactly sure what to expect, it was incredibly sweet. Therefore, I am afraid that my adjustments did not account very well for the smaller volume (5 gallons instead of 6). Taking my original gravity confirmed my high sugar concerns - 1.095 og.

- However, I went ahead and pitched the yeast. It was a liquid California Ale yeast. Unfortunately, I did not do a starter with it ahead of time, and in retrospect I think this would have been prudent, especially considering how high my OG is. So, my batch has been in my 7.5 gallon carboy for about 15 hours now and I haven't seen any activity - no foam, no bubbling. The temp. in my carboy seems to be pretty steady at 66 to 68 degrees.

*I am fairly certain that there was not contamination along the way.

1. Should I be worried?
2. Should I add more water at this point in time to bring my OG down to a more reasonable level?
3. Should I pitch more yeast to help out with the high OG?
4. Should I wait?
5. Should I try to adjust temperature to 70 deg. plus?

Any advice here would be appreciated. I don't want to lose this batch. Suggestions? Thanks in advance...

 

[Beer_Guy]

…
for about 15 hours now and I haven't seen any activity - no foam, no bubbling.
...

The yeast are still multiplying. Relax.

 

[Neco]

I'm a novice brewer, and my wife got a pretty cool book for me called The Brewer's Companion by Randy Mosher. 1995 I really like it. Not sure if it's still in print. Mine is a thrift store find.

 

[KNOTSANE]

Quote from Neco:
I'm a novice brewer, and my wife got a pretty cool book for me called The Brewer's Companion by Randy Mosher. 1995 I really like it. Not sure if it's still in print. Mine is a thrift store find.

Not really familiar with that publication, but for a good book on homebrewing, I would highly recommend How to Brew by John Palmer. Here's a link to the online book. http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html By many, this is considered the Holy Bible for brewing beer. My copy still sits next to my laptop with Beersmith for every brew that I do. Good luck. Frequent this site often and you will quickly learn allot from these guys. They are truly a wealth of knowledge.

 

[bird_dirt]

ok, so i got a european bock for my first brew. the recipe said to expect fermentation to begin in 48 hours, and so far it has been 55 hours with nothing happening. i made sure the wort was cooled to just under 60, sprinkled the yeast across the top and mixed it in for about 10-20 seconds. the recipe said the primary fermentation should be done at 53-59 degrees (lager), and it's in my basement which has been holding steady at 55. after a few weeks when i'm supposed to switch it to my secondary, i'm supposed to take it down to 33-45 degrees for a few more weeks, which i was going to move it to my coal room which has been at 35 degrees.
given the kind of brew i'm doing, should i continue to wait and see if anything happens, or should i head down to the hbstore to get more yeast and try again?

one other question: the recipe suggested using spirits for the stopper just in case temps get below freezing, so i used some bourbon. when i just now opened the pail to check on it, some of it fell into the wort (maybe 1/2 a shot). that won't hurt anything, will it?

 

[KNOTSANE]

To see if fermentation is on track, the only "real" way to know is to do a gravity check. Plastic buckets and rubber stops have a good track record of leaking air. Just because you don't see bubbles in the airlock, does not mean it's not active. Check the gravity and that will let you know. Pitching dry yeast in cooler temps, sometimes takes awhile to kick off. I'd give it some more time, and if the gravity is locked, then repitch.
As far as the bourbon going into you wort, no worries at all. Just kicked your abv up. LOL

 

[bird_dirt]

thanks! that is kind of what i was thinking, but i just didn't want it to get to a point of no return. i haven't taken another gravity reading, but finally today i've gotten a little action in the airlock (about one bubble every 8 seconds). i'll let it roll for a couple weeks and then check the gravity reading again before transferring to a secondary.

 

[birvine]

For the new brewers out there... though I know it is an oft-asked question/topic, I thought I would share my experience from yesterday's brew. I brewed two batches of beer (slightly different ingredients in each) and to each batch I added some re-hydrated yeast from the SAME measuring cup. Within an hour one of the batches was bubbling merrily away; it is only this morning, almost a full 24 hours later, that I see the other batch just starting to bubble, and very slowly at that.

Though I KNOW that this can happen, this weekend I experienced a very marked difference in almost the same batch brewed at the exact same time. I almost second-guessed the situation, but held back, knowing full well that there are mysteries in the magical thing we call yeast!

Moral of the story... whether just starting out, intermediate or years under your belt. Remember, read your HBT "advisors" and believe... time will likely make things right!

B

 

[cbsdaddy]

I brewed an English Pale ale on Tuesday night and wednesday night I noticed bubbling and the fermentation was on. However, this morning (Firday morning) there was no more bubles going into the airlock??? This is my first home brew so i am a newbeeee! Should i leave it alone, check the SG, or what??? I do want to rack it to a secondary fermentor so should i do that now?? Please help?

 

[kellynm]

RDWHAHB!
Just leave it alone... it's doing exactly what it's suppossed too. Wait another week then check the sg. Check it a day or two later, if it's the same, then rack to secondary. Good luck!

 

[nefarious_1_]

I've always pitched the whole vial and just made my first starter. I pitched at 70F and it's been that temp ever since. On average, how long does it take for a Starter to take off?
It's been about 3 hours since pitching and still no signs of life... I assume it would start a lot faster than a large batch of wort since it's so small, is this true?

 

[pikledbill]

I've always pitched the whole vial and just made my first starter. I pitched at 70F and it's been that temp ever since. On average, how long does it take for a Starter to take off?
It's been about 3 hours since pitching and still no signs of life... I assume it would start a lot faster than a large batch of wort since it's so small, is this true?

All depends on the pitch rate, pitching temp, OG...a decently designed starter should yield visible activity within 24 hours...mine generally get going overnight (within 8 hours).

Cheers,
PikledBill

 

[K5MOW]

I have been using dry yeast and my Canadian Ale I just berwed yesterday started to show signs of fermenting in about 5 hours. 12 now and very very active.

Roger

 

[nefarious_1_]

K, thanks.
It's about 10.5 hrs. now and I definitely see some activity. There isn't much in the way of Krausen but I'm sure there's more to come.

 

[joealati]

Brewing a pale ale. I pitched a week ago. It is cool in my home. Bucket stays at 66-68. After several hours of pitching there was activity in the airlock. No noticeable activity since. A light touch to the top of the fermenting bucket releases some bubbles into the airlock. I assume if my alcohol reading is rising then I am on my way and just monitor that? I was told to add some yeast nutrients to my batch as I may have had a weak or tired batch of yeast. Any suggestions? Is there a down side to adding the nutrient if it is not really needed.

Also my SG is now 1.022. Started at 1.042. So am I right to assume i need to bottle this up? Even though i never really saw much evidence of fermentation i guess the SG tells all? Thx for guiding this newbie. I will wait for feedback.

One last question. How long can I wait to bottle this if I cannot drop everything today?

 

[KNOTSANE]

Brewing a pale ale. I pitched a week ago. It is cool in my home. Bucket stays at 66-68. After several hours of pitching there was activity in the airlock. No noticeable activity since. A light touch to the top of the fermenting bucket releases some bubbles into the airlock. I assume if my alcohol reading is rising then I am on my way and just monitor that? I was told to add some yeast nutrients to my batch as I may have had a weak or tired batch of yeast. Any suggestions? Is there a down side to adding the nutrient if it is not really needed.

Also my SG is now 1.022. Started at 1.042. So am I right to assume i need to bottle this up? Even though i never really saw much evidence of fermentation i guess the SG tells all? Thx for guiding this newbie. I will wait for feedback.

One last question. How long can I wait to bottle this if I cannot drop everything today?

Well, your gravity reading is showing that fermentation is taking place. As I stated earlier, buckets and rubber stoppers do leak, so don't ever soley rely on the airlock. On your recipe, what is the projected FG? With what you have now, you've got about 2.65abv. I'd assume your final should be around the 1.014 range to get you at 3.75 abv. I'd let it ride and check the gravity on a daily basis. When your reading stays the same for 3 days, then you can assume the fermentation is done.

 

[KNOTSANE]

Also joe, the activity you get when you push the top, is just pushing air into the lock. If It's only been a week, that kinda soon to be bottling. If indeed your yeast was crippled and the yeast is stuck, you can always re-pitch with some good yeast and let that go for another week. I don't see any downside to using nutrients when you don't need it. Just a safe measure to make sure it kicks off good. What was your wort temp. when you pitched. Also if you can get the batch to around 70 degrees, you may see more activity. I still believe your final gravity has a little ways to go.

 

[Blue_Monkey]

I just brewed an IPA today using a Wyeast Thames Valley Ale yeast starter. The airlock was bubbling within a hour!

ETA: This starter had been sitting in the fridge about 2 weeks. I let it warm up to room temp., poured off most of the spent wort, and then pitched.

 

[nefarious_1_]

How big of a starter was it, how much wort did you pitch it in, and what was OG?

 

[Blue_Monkey]

It was a 1200ml starter (before being decanted) pitched into about 6 gallons. Due to a calculation error I ended up with 6g of wort instead of 5g. The OG was 1.058 (recipe called for 1.064).

 

[joealati]

Well, your gravity reading is showing that fermentation is taking place. As I stated earlier, buckets and rubber stoppers do leak, so don't ever soley rely on the airlock. On your recipe, what is the projected FG? With what you have now, you've got about 2.65abv. I'd assume your final should be around the 1.014 range to get you at 3.75 abv. I'd let it ride and check the gravity on a daily basis. When your reading stays the same for 3 days, then you can assume the fermentation is done.

Projected FG is 1.010. I am at 1.018 today. Progress! I appreciate hearing from you to help me feel confident it is going well. This is my second time. My first batch was last fall and the end result was fantastic. I need to be out of town for the next 4 days so will not be able to bottle until next week-end. This puppy could be done fermenting tomorrow at this rate so any harm in it sitting extra days? Maybe I should add the yeast nutrient today to keep it going another few days? Will the alcohol increase if it ferments longer? Thx again for your help. This is a great forum.

 

[joealati]

Also joe, the activity you get when you push the top, is just pushing air into the lock. If It's only been a week, that kinda soon to be bottling. If indeed your yeast was crippled and the yeast is stuck, you can always re-pitch with some good yeast and let that go for another week. I don't see any downside to using nutrients when you don't need it. Just a safe measure to make sure it kicks off good. What was your wort temp. when you pitched. Also if you can get the batch to around 70 degrees, you may see more activity. I still believe your final gravity has a little ways to go.

I guess I had better not push on the lid then. My wort was just under 90 when I pitched so the yeast was safe in that regard(not too hot). It is hard to know if I can trust the bucket thermometer tape. I took a thermometer reading a few inches below the surface before adding the yeast. I really do not want to heat the whole house to get the wort warmer so how about a heating pad lol? Last year I let fermenting go 4 weeks and the wort temp was cool then as well. However I saw more bubbling activity on a daily basis where this batch (Same pale ale) I have not seen a bubble since day 1. Obvious from the SG it is not dead. I went ahead and added the yeast nutrient and I will look forward to bottling when I return from my trip.

 

[nefarious_1_]

It was a 1200ml starter (before being decanted) pitched into about 6 gallons. Due to a calculation error I ended up with 6g of wort instead of 5g. The OG was 1.058 (recipe called for 1.064).

Awesome start!
Mine actually ended up taking off within 6 hours with some violent fermentation around hour 14. Pretty happy so far... 800ml starter pitched after 17 hours into 5.5gal of 1.055.

 

[razorbrewer]

I just brewed a batch of 1554 Enlightened Black Ale (New Belgium) from Austin Homebrew Supply, liquid extract version. I didn't show active signs of fermentation until nearly 36 hours after pitching the yeast. Now I'm still very much a beginner, but the last two extracts I've brewed, a porter and an IPA that both used a White Labs Liquid Ale yeast, began showing signs of fermentation 12 hours after pitching. Is a possible reason for this the different yeast that the 1554 calls for? Even though it is an ale, it uses a lager yeast, specifically "White Labs Southern German Lager WLP838" but brews at ale temperatures. My temp has been a constant 68°F throughout fermentation. If this shouldn't be the reason, any ideas on what else it could be? The only deviation from the recipe is that it called to steep the grains in 2-3 gallons of water and to top off to 5 gal after the boil. I have the capacity to do full boils so that's what I did. I realize it may not be a huge concern, but I'm trying to better understand possible reasons for delays in fermentation. Oh, I aerated by pouring the wort back and forth from the brew pot to the fermenting bucket 4-5 times. I also added "BrewVint Yeast Fuel" per the brewing instructions. Thanks in advance.

Edit for clarity: When I say active signs of fermentation, I'm referring to visible airlock activity.

Edit #2: I did NOT use a yeast starter. I just followed the directions on the vile and removed the yeast from my fridge a few hours prior to pitching to bring up to room temp. In the 3 batches I've done with liquid yeast, I've yet to use a yeast starter and this is the first time fermentation has stalled more than 12hrs (albeit with a ridiculously small sample size).

 

[frazier]

Hello Razorbrewer and welcome. I'll take a swing at this one:

First of all, this being a lager yeast and not an ale yeast means two things to me: 1) it becomes useless to compare one to the other (even comparing two different ale yeasts is dicey); and 2) since I've never used lager yeast, I don't know what I'm talking about so all bets are off.

Second, even if you skipped making a starter on previous batches (with ale yeast), I would always make a starter when using liquid cultures, no matter what the vial says.

Third, buckets don't always seal perfectly, there's much more opportunity for leakage meaning you can't judge too much by airlock activity.

Fourth, your fermentation did start, yes? So, all is good! Two months from now when you are enjoying a beer, the extra 24 hours you had to wait will be rather meaningless.

Finally, I've had my eyes on that 1554 clone, so I want a full report when you're done. Deal?

 

[razorbrewer]

Hello Razorbrewer and welcome. I'll take a swing at this one:

First of all, this being a lager yeast and not an ale yeast means two things to me: 1) it becomes useless to compare one to the other (even comparing two different ale yeasts is dicey); and 2) since I've never used lager yeast, I don't know what I'm talking about so all bets are off.

Second, even if you skipped making a starter on previous batches (with ale yeast), I would always make a starter when using liquid cultures, no matter what the vial says.

Third, buckets don't always seal perfectly, there's much more opportunity for leakage meaning you can't judge too much by airlock activity.

Fourth, your fermentation did start, yes? So, all is good! Two months from now when you are enjoying a beer, the extra 24 hours you had to wait will be rather meaningless.

Finally, I've had my eyes on that 1554 clone, so I want a full report when you're done. Deal?

You bet, thanks for the input!

 

[azlightfighter]

I am brewing a batch of mr beer octorberfest. Its been a week and the bubbles have stoped it seems I took a reading and i am at 1.015 or so I started at 1.040. I am wondering if i should let go an other week, and will it spoil? Thanks in advance

 

[XXguy]

Welcome to HBT. Yes - let it go another week. It won't spoil.

More patience = better beer.