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

[Stankonia]

I brewed Sunday and am fermenting in a 5gal sanke with the sanke fermenter kit. I was worried Monday night when I got home from work and there were no bubbles..but I woke up this morning and opened the chest freezer that I'm fermenting in and got a face (and lungs) full of CO2. There has got to be a leak/bad seal some where. I had a little trouble getting the tri-clamp fitting to seal with the top of the keg, so I'm guessing that's it. Didn't have a problem the first time I used it, but for now I just covered everything with some starsan'd tin foil

HOPEFULLY all is well :smack:

 

[nickmv]

I brewed Sunday and am fermenting in a 5gal sanke with the sanke fermenter kit. I was worried Monday night when I got home from work and there were no bubbles..but I woke up this morning and opened the chest freezer that I'm fermenting in and got a face (and lungs) full of CO2. There has got to be a leak/bad seal some where. I had a little trouble getting the tri-clamp fitting to seal with the top of the keg, so I'm guessing that's it. Didn't have a problem the first time I used it, but for now I just covered everything with some starsan'd tin foil

HOPEFULLY all is well :smack:

Wait, why do you say there has to be a leak somewhere? The CO2 has to go somewhere. That somewhere is the freezer you're fermenting it in.

I open mine during fermentation and get face-fulls of CO2 all the time. That's completely normal. Otherwise the whole thing would explode in a massive bomb of glass, wort, yeast, etc. Where does your CO2 normally go?

Maybe I'm not reading this right.


Edit: are you saying that something's wrong because you smell CO2 but see no bubbles? I think THAT'S probably what you're getting at. In that case, don't worry about it. As long as it's sealed enough to keep air from getting in, you're fine. Keep in mind -- CO2 is more dense/heavy than air, so it will not rise out of the carboy or let air in, unless you really rouse it and F with it.

 

[Stankonia]

I have a blow off tube going into a growler filled with sanitizer..there hasn't been ANY bubbles from the blow off hose..but like I said, it's definitely producing CO2.

 

[nickmv]

My carboy caps dont seal completely tight half the time. Don't worry about it. As long as CO2 is coming out and is also in the carboy, air isn't getting in unless you leave the top completely off.

That's why they always say dont trust airlock activity.

 

[homebrewnewb86]

So... about the waiting 24-72 hours for signs of fermentation to begin. I thought that I had somehow killed my yeast. I added about 1 1/2 cups of wort to a sterile mason jar and added my room temp liquid yeast, shook vigorously.

This is my first non-kit brew, by the way.

I added more yeast after not seeing any signs of fermentation (same amount of liquid yeast). Will my finished product be okay? Should I ferment as normal, or should I adjust my fermentation time?

-thanks
Partial-Mash Newb

 

[MileHiBrewingSupplies]

Hey Newb. Assuming this is an ale, a "proper" fermentation should show signs of activity within no more than 12 hours (lagers may take a bit longer). By "proper" I mean you pitched enough yeast cells, the wort is at the right temperature, and you thoroughly aerated the wort. (If you do all those things, fermentation almost always begins promptly...within several hours.) So, if there's nothing happening by 24 hours, it's probably time to take some kind of action. If you pitched enough yeast, and the wort is a little cool (i.e. low 60's), try warming the wort to 70ish. If you did not aerate the wort, that's likely your problem, and you should do so right away. If you under-pitched, pitch more right away.

Sounds like you did re-pitch, right? So what has happened since you did that?

The act of re-pitching certainly wouldn't harm your beer...and it may save it. What may cause problems is the fact that it's been sitting so long without your yeast taking hold. But it is what it is, at this point, and re-pitching was a good step.

 

[GenIke]

I need some advice....

I brewed a porter extract kit on Saturday night. As of this morning (60 hours or so) I have not seen any fermentation activity at all. I have not checked the gravity yet but am almost sure i didn't miss anything. The kit uses danstar windsor yeast.

2 possible problems... I think I pitched the yeast when the wort was too warm, probably 90 degrees. Also, my ferm temp is slightly cooler than recommend~ 60 - 62 degrees.

What should I do?

 

[MileHiBrewingSupplies]

Try warming up the fermenter to the high 60's and swirl (don't shake...) the fermenter. At this point, if it's not too much trouble, I'd pitch another packet of yeast, as well. And yes, pitching at 90 degrees is too high, and is likely to result in off-flavors (due to the yeast producing excessive amounts of by-products at that temp). It's also quite possible that the yeast was killed. So hurry down to your LHB store and get more yeast!

 

[KNOTSANE]

I need some advice....

I brewed a porter extract kit on Saturday night. As of this morning (60 hours or so) I have not seen any fermentation activity at all. I have not checked the gravity yet but am almost sure i didn't miss anything. The kit uses danstar windsor yeast.

2 possible problems... I think I pitched the yeast when the wort was too warm, probably 90 degrees. Also, my ferm temp is slightly cooler than recommend~ 60 - 62 degrees.

What should I do?

Check gravity first. Then proceed with what milehi said if no fermentation took place.

 

[GenIke]

Update: I did have fermentation. It was just much less active than my first brewing experience. Only had about 2.5" of krausen ring but gravity dropped form 1.060 to 1.029 so I think everything is fine. I did throw in another pack of yeast since I already had re-hydrated it.

Different beer and different yeast I guess. Patience

 

[Ogri]

Update: I did have fermentation. It was just much less active than my first brewing experience. Only had about 2.5" of krausen ring but gravity dropped form 1.060 to 1.029 so I think everything is fine. I did throw in another pack of yeast since I already had re-hydrated it.

Different beer and different yeast I guess. Patience

In the majority of these situations patience is the key:fro:

 

[MileHiBrewingSupplies]

That's right. All yeast strains perform a little differently...and it NEVER pays to rush your beer. Your beer should continue to drop to around 1.016 (give or take)...and it's fine that you added more yeast.

Enjoy!

 

[DerrangedPOJO]

After 24 hours the bubbles have stopped?? I made my first partial mash( Brewers Best Witbier) a 5 gal batch. The OG reading was 1.047 which was right in between the estimated og reading. Is this normal? All my other batches were Mr. Beer 2 gal batches.

 

[schokie]

If your OG was fine and you observed signs of initial fermentation, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure it's still fermenting and will make you excellent beer.

As has been said on here many times before, lack of airlock activity does NOT mean anything with regards to fermentation. The ONLY way is with a hydrometer. I have had beers that completely fermented and tasted awesome but didn't give me a single bubble in the airlock. All it takes is a bucket lid or airlock that didn't seal completely to allow the CO2 to escape without creating bubbles in your airlock.

Give it another week or two, then sample your SG twice, a few days apart, and if it's the same then your fermentation is complete.

 

[DerrangedPOJO]

Thanks, I was actually posting to state i did find this topic and answered my question. But i appreciate you answering me!!

 

[JoppaFarms]

I know the OP says 24-72 hours.....what about 2 and a half weeks? My Irish Stout has been in primary for 2.5 weeks now and I'm JUST NOW getting airlock activity. It's been in a ~70 degree bathroom in the tub half full of water and the water temp has been holding a steady 68 degrees. Thoughts? I was hoping to bottle this coming weekend but it looks like that may have to wait since fermentation is DEFINITELY still going strong.

 

[Ogri]

The patience you exhibited there, by waiting 2 and a 1/2 weeks before posting, is highly commendable. However, there must have been some kind of action going on, possibly not easy to identify (lack of a visible krausen, a subdued fermentation) but nevertheless present. Airlock activity, whilst fun to observe, isn't a reliable indicator to guage fermentation. Time to get the hydrometer out and test a sample as that's the best way to assess how your fermentation has progressed.

Certainly a bit strange that, at the temps you mention, it wasn't a faster and/or more dynamic fermentation.

 

[progmac]

no airlock activity for 2.5 weeks and then bubbles sounds like an infection taking hold to me.

 

[JoppaFarms]

It's in a plastic bucket. Should I take the lid off and peek? I don't even know what the damage looks like in there yet. I've been trying to be patient and not worry haha.

 

[progmac]

i certainly would see what is going on. and take a gravity reading. if i don't get visible fermentation activity within 40 hours or so, i always check and smell before proceeding

 

[schokie]

Could just be some residual CO2 coming out of solution. Sometimes happens if the temp rises just a bit or the bucket gets jostled. It might actually be an infection in this case, but I wouldn't panic just yet.

Take a gravity reading. If the gravity is still dropping you probably have an infection. If its stable it was just residual CO2.

 

[JoppaFarms]

Ok, so going with everyone's advice, I broke the seal on the fermentation bucket and took a sample to check the gravity. When I opened it, this is what I saw:

It smells WONDERFUL! Just like a hoppy Irish Stout should smell. I don't smell any off flavors and to me (in my EXTREMELY NOVICE EXPERIENCE) it doesn't look infected. There are obvious signs of kraussen rise (and subsequent fall), there is yeast flocculation going on (clumps floating on the surface) and no visible signs of infection. I tasted it and it's quite bitter, I'm assuming because fermentation isn't complete yet (details below). Now on to the gravity information...

My OG was 1.042, right on the bottom of the suggested OG range. Today, 19 days into fermentation, the gravity reads 1.030. Here's where I get concerned. It wasn't until this past weekend (16-17 days into fermentation) that I had vigorous airlock activity. I figured that up to this point I had a weak seal on the bucket and was just accepting that. However, with no change in temperature (maybe 1 degree) and no physical agitation over the weekend (I was out of town), fermentation kicked off and I was getting serious activity in the airlock.

To me (again, very inexperienced) it seems as though there was just a SERIOUS delay (long lag phase?) in fermentation but everything seems to be going ok now. My guess is that I'm on the tail end of the "exponential growth" phase and now heading into the "stationary phase" with the yeast. Strange as it is, I'm just going to keep it fermenting in the same place for another 1-2 weeks and see what happens.

If anyone has any insight into this strange occurrence, please chime in, I'm all ears!

**EDIT**
I forgot to add that since Sunday night (2 days ago) the airlock activity had slowed some before I check the gravity this morning. Since I've put the lid back on, I have positive pressure and continual airlock activity again.

 

[progmac]

interesting. keep us posted

 

[cookiepocket]

So I'm brewing an Irish stout and I used a dry yeast. I brewed on Sunday (almost three days ago) and there's no sign of fermentation.
I believe my problem is in my yeast, after boiling the water to hydrate the yeast I'm pretty sure I didn't let it cool enough, and hence i think i killed my yeast.
Is it too late to add more yeast and revive my beer? or should I just swallow my losses and toss the beer?

 

[bleme]

If your sanitation was good you can re-pitch. Not much to loose.

 

[cookiepocket]

If your sanitation was good you can re-pitch. Not much to loose.

Thanks for the quick reply! Will re-pitch tonight!

 

[Ogri]

Ok, so going with everyone's advice, I broke the seal on the fermentation bucket and took a sample to check the gravity. When I opened it, this is what I saw:

If anyone has any insight into this strange occurrence, please chime in, I'm all ears!

Judging by what I can see in the picture, the krausen ring in your bucket looks pretty healthy and suggests that quite a vigorous fermentation took place. Hard to say exactly but it looks like there was a good couple or few inches of krausen at peak fermentation. That would suggest, to me, that you should have had a lot more attenuation than you are reporting.

There isn't any chance that your hydrometer is knackered, is there?? I know you are still seeing airlock action but that could well just be off gassing.

 

[JoppaFarms]

Well, I couldn't resist any more so I opened her up and took another gravity reading. Just judging by the "surface floaters" the yeast are continuing to settle, there were significantly fewer floating clumps and fewer clumps in the sample I took. Gravity read 1.016, down from 1.030 from just 2 days ago. Expected FG is 1.010-1.012, so I'm right in the ball park for what Midwest said (5-7 days until fermentation is complete and ready to transfer to secondary, which I am skipping). I am at day 21 now, but 5-7 days from when fermentation actually kicked off (on day 16). The sample tasted SIGNIFICANTLY better than 2 days ago (less bitterness, more malt flavor, less hop aroma though). I know all that is still up for dramatic change and I'm not judging anything until it's complete, but it looks like I'm still on the right track. I figure another week in the primary, then I'll bottle and let it condition while I'm out of town for a week and give it a preliminary try when I get back from being out of town.

***EDIT*** (To add clarity)
Brewed: 2/7/13
Rehydrated dry Muntons at 80F & Pitched at 80F
OG: 1.042 (Expected OG 1.042-1.046)
Airlock (and Kraussen): 2/23-24/13 (Day 16-17) (I was out of town when it decided to wake up)
Gravity on 2/26/13 (Day 19): 1.030
Gravity on 2/28/13 (Day 21): 1.016 (Expected FG 1.010-1.012)

 

[SmithsonBrewer]

Brewed my first ale 3 days ago. Looks to be 2-3inches of nice yellow foam on top that started within the first twelve hours.

Had some issues with my pitching/initial fermentation temperature. Had my stick on thermometer too high up on my fermenting bucket that had my pre boiled water in it so it wasn't reading the water temp properly. I quickly cooled my wort down to approximately 80F but when I poured it in the fermenter, the stick on wasn't even registering at it's max of 82F. I pitched the pre hydrated yeast anyways which was around 80F. I assumed it would cool down quickly but after an hour and a half it still wasn't registering. So, i set up some fans and a wet t-shirt and got it in to the 68-70 range in about 2.5 hours.

As far as I can tell, the yeast is fine. Lots of foam, still there after 2 days and it smells like fermentation. But, no air lock activity. I have come to accept that the air lock is not an indicator of fermentation but I just feel like it should be doing something by now, especially with the activity inside the bucket.

Basically, I just want to know if this is a normal occurrence, when it may start bubbling and what are the consequences, if any, if it does not bubble throughout the fermentation process.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JoppaFarms]

Just give it time. You see a kraussen ring so you know fermentation is going. Forget the airlock activity mine went from 1.030 to 1.016 without a single bubble. You're at least lucky that you're in a carboy and can see the kraussen. Mine is in plastic bucket and I can't see squat haha