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

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Friday i did my first batch a american ipa had a very rapid fermenting going on in 6 hrs.now its sunday and am not getting any bubbbles in airlock whst should i do i was going to go to a secondary after 5-6 days
 
jdf00280 said:
Friday i did my first batch a american ipa had a very rapid fermenting going on in 6 hrs.now its sunday and am not getting any bubbbles in airlock whst should i do i was going to go to a secondary after 5-6 days
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Give it a week or ten days. That initial rapid fermentation is done, but the yeast will probably still eating whatever is left over the next several days.
 
So on 5/25/15 I tackled my first beer. An all grain single gallon kit with 2lbs of 2row and some Amber crystal malt with American hops and a questionable packet of dry yeast. I used the biab method. Everything was kept clean and sanitary with StarSan. I got my wort cooled to 80*F with an OG of 1.06. Let me insert here that I have made numerous hard cider batches and use rehydrated Lalvin EC1118 so I'm use to a quick start. So I aerated the wort by vigorously splashing the wort into my gallon jug. Sprinkled the yeast on top and swished the fermenter around( 3:30pm on 5/25/15.) Around the 24 hour mark I swished the fermenter a little more, airlock in place with blow off submerged in sanitizer. It's been almost 30 hours with no visible signs of activity. So did I goof by using a batch of StarSan I made last Fall or am I just an impatient first timer with this ale?

This picture was taken roughly 30 minutes after pitching and transferring from my kitchen counter to the pantry. Around the 40 hour mark from pitching (7am 5/27) the top of the wort is very still with a few bubbles here and there, but none I've seen form. So if there is yeast alive, it's really taking it's time.

View attachment 1432690735337.jpg
 
I've found that using a yeast nutrient does the trick. Adding one tablespoon per gallon and my fermentations start within 5 to 6 hours usually.
 
fathertorque said:
So on 5/25/15 I tackled my first beer. An all grain single gallon kit with 2lbs of 2row and some Amber crystal malt with American hops and a questionable packet of dry yeast. I used the biab method. Everything was kept clean and sanitary with StarSan. I got my wort cooled to 80*F with an OG of 1.06. Let me insert here that I have made numerous hard cider batches and use rehydrated Lalvin EC1118 so I'm use to a quick start. So I aerated the wort by vigorously splashing the wort into my gallon jug. Sprinkled the yeast on top and swished the fermenter around( 3:30pm on 5/25/15.) Around the 24 hour mark I swished the fermenter a little more, airlock in place with blow off submerged in sanitizer. It's been almost 30 hours with no visible signs of activity. So did I goof by using a batch of StarSan I made last Fall or am I just an impatient first timer with this ale?

This picture was taken roughly 30 minutes after pitching and transferring from my kitchen counter to the pantry. Around the 40 hour mark from pitching (7am 5/27) the top of the wort is very still with a few bubbles here and there, but none I've seen form. So if there is yeast alive, it's really taking it's time.
Click to expand...

That film on the top looks like the beginning of krausen forming. Relaxxxx bruddah, your beer is on the way; the yeasties are just getting settled in.
 
VaNewbieWRB said:
I've found that using a yeast nutrient does the trick. Adding one tablespoon per gallon and my fermentations start within 5 to 6 hours usually.
Click to expand...

From what I understand, yeast nutrients are great for "big" beers, but on lower-gravity brews, they can possibly make healthy yeast work a little too hard, too fast, and you can (again) possibly get off-flavours from working them so hard.

I add some old yeast to my boil for "yeast vitamins" but I don't think I'd use packaged yeast nutrient (a blend of diammonium phosphate or DAP, yeast hulls, magnesium sulphate, and vitamin B complex) unless I was making another big beer, like a barleywine, DIPA, or Imperial stout.
 
fathertorque said:
So on 5/25/15 I tackled my first beer. An all grain single gallon kit with 2lbs of 2row and some Amber crystal malt with American hops and a questionable packet of dry yeast. I used the biab method. Everything was kept clean and sanitary with StarSan. I got my wort cooled to 80*F with an OG of 1.06. Let me insert here that I have made numerous hard cider batches and use rehydrated Lalvin EC1118 so I'm use to a quick start. So I aerated the wort by vigorously splashing the wort into my gallon jug. Sprinkled the yeast on top and swished the fermenter around( 3:30pm on 5/25/15.) Around the 24 hour mark I swished the fermenter a little more, airlock in place with blow off submerged in sanitizer. It's been almost 30 hours with no visible signs of activity. So did I goof by using a batch of StarSan I made last Fall or am I just an impatient first timer with this ale?

This picture was taken roughly 30 minutes after pitching and transferring from my kitchen counter to the pantry. Around the 40 hour mark from pitching (7am 5/27) the top of the wort is very still with a few bubbles here and there, but none I've seen form. So if there is yeast alive, it's really taking it's time.
Click to expand...

Just a little reassurance from a first-timer for anyone stressing over their first beer brew. The following picture is at roughly 65 hours from pitching dry yeast. I made the transition from cider to all-grain and I was on edge with the lag-phase of this brew. Listen to the more experienced brewers in this forum when they say chill and relax. It's truly a lesson in patience!

View attachment 1432820652920.jpg
 
fathertorque said:
Just a little reassurance from a first-timer for anyone stressing over their first beer brew. The following picture is at roughly 65 hours from pitching dry yeast. I made the transition from cider to all-grain and I was on edge with the lag-phase of this brew. Listen to the more experienced brewers in this forum when they say chill and relax. It's truly a lesson in patience!
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Congrats man! Let her ride, can I ask what temp your at? Just good practice to wrap a wet t shirt or towel around carboy if fermenting at ambient Temps to float around that 65-70 range.
 
brewmesomewater said:
Ambient at 70 means middle of the carboy is around 74, it's going to be warmer than the outside temp.
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Oh yeah I guess all that activity of stuff colliding would generate some heat. As of this morning the krausen has fallen and I'm getting a slow trickle of tiny bubbles. I'll have to remember the wet shirt/towel idea, unless it's not too late to apply it.
 
The wet tee shirt/towel idea is most effective during initial fermentation. But helping it get back down into the yeast's best temp range now would help a little during the time the yeasties are finishing up. Then start going after their own by-products to clean up the beer & settle out clear or slightly misty at the same time.
 
fathertorque said:
Oh yeah I guess all that activity of stuff colliding would generate some heat. As of this morning the krausen has fallen and I'm getting a slow trickle of tiny bubbles. I'll have to remember the wet shirt/towel idea, unless it's not too late to apply it.
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Take a gravity reading, it could just already be completed fermentation. Usually towards the end of fermentation is when you remove the wet t shirt or towel and let the fermenter warm up a few degrees keeping more yeast in suspension.
 
I might need some help here. I'm making my first ever yeast starter. I pitched it 10 hours ago and kept it steady at 68, but I'm seeing no activity at all. I used a liquid yeast that had shipped across the country. I ordered ice packs, but it was all pretty warm when it arrived. Does the heat of transport kill the yeast, or just weaken it? And should I take the gravity to see if I missed the fermentation?
 
Are you using a stir plate or are you making a simple starter, ie no stir plate, but shaking the starter every now and then?

Many starters will not show any signs of fermentation and that's normal. Keep the starter at room temperature for at least 24 hours. (I keep mine for 48). Cold crash it after that in the fridge for at least another 24 hours (I cold crash for 48-72 hours) and you should see a nice thick layer of yeast on the bottom.

I will not panic yet as it's only been 10 hours since you pitched.
 
brew_darrymore said:
Are you using a stir plate or are you making a simple starter, ie no stir plate, but shaking the starter every now and then?

Many starters will not show any signs of fermentation and that's normal. Keep the starter at room temperature for at least 24 hours. (I keep mine for 48). Cold crash it after that in the fridge for at least another 24 hours (I cold crash for 48-72 hours) and you should see a nice thick layer of yeast on the bottom.

I will not panic yet as it's only been 10 hours since you pitched.
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Just shaking it, but I have a stir plate. I'll try that next time. OK, I'll wait and see. Too bad I can't brew today.
 
So, I'll add my story to the pile. I did my first brew about 6 weeks ago, a pale ale that came out surprisingly well (two weeks in the fermenter, two weeks in the bottles). It took about two days to bubble, and only bubbled for about a day and a half, but all was well and I got several compliments on it. I did two batches this week and learned a valuable lesson (which many here already know). Sunday I did a Gumballhead clone. Now, for some reason (likely due to not paying enough attention while reading) I thought aeration was bad but it turns out it's only bad after fermenting has begun. So, I only gave it a few gentle stirs before pitching. That was Sunday, as of this morning (Thursday) I haven't seen a single bubble in the airlock but there's a hearty layer of krausen (see below), that distinct aroma, and noticeable pressure on the lid so I think all is well.


I also had a milk stout kit (I'm only doing extracts so far) but was a bit concerned as to why I was seeing such little airlock activity. So I relaxed, didn't worry, had a home brew, and read probably 50 pages of this thread. I learned that aeration before pitching was rather crucial so I stirred the crap out of my milk stout wort until it had some bubbles and foam on top and then pitched the yeast (liquid smack packs in both cases, I forget the variety). Less than 24 hours the airlock on my stout was bubbling away like crazy, while my Gumballhead was just sitting there relaxing with a bubble-free airlock. The only real difference between the two batches was that I thoroughly stirred/aerated the stout where the GBH only received a few gentle stirs.

So, the take-away here is to be sure to thoroughly stir/aerate your wort before adding your yeast so those little dudes have what they need to start their yeast party in full. Then relax, don't worry, and have a home brew while your friends feast on those delicious sugars.


Here's the krausen on my GBH clone. Looks good, yes?

Photo Jun 10, 4 11 40 PM.jpg
 
Well, I keep hearing about how much of a beast Nottingham is, so after aerating my 2.4 gallons of wort with an aggressive pour and pitching 5g or so of rehydrated Notty into it at 62° F (fermenting temp) last night, I expected to to see my little FV overflowing with krausen this morning. What I didn't expect was to see... nothing at all.

Now, I am not worried or freaking out, I know every party is a little different and will save the freaking out for Monday morning, I just hoped to see something going on already.

Watch this take 24 hours to start like my last brew did (used US-05 there) and tomorrow morning I'll be wondering how much wort I lost from overflow...

:)
 
Yep - yeast was around 70° F and wort was 62° F when I pitched.

Today, still no movement. Wort is placid, calm, and the exact same temperature as the ambient air (62° F).
 
Well, I looked in on my brew not long ago and the top is covered by a thin layer of bubbles - I believe krausen is forming! Looks like I am good to go, just took a 48-hour lag time despite all the precautions I took (hydrated the yeast, got the temps within 10° of each other before pitching, added 5g MrB yeast to the boil for "nutrients", etc) and the only thing I can think of was it started too low. When the wort got to 63 degrees is when it started showing life, so I am going to start in with ice-packs again now, but not as heavy until the next change to let the fermentation get going. I can get my cooler down to 58-59° F ambient and will keep it there once fermentation is going for the first week, then keep temps at 62 for the remainder of fermentation.

Next time I use Notty, I will make sure to get the wort to no cooler than 63 before pitching, then keep temps low after it gets going.

*thumbsup*
 
I think your start temp should be 65f or so, then try to keep it there for initial fermentation to complete. That start temp's a lil low. That can cause a slow start to initial fermentation.
 
Once I pitch 05 on top, it takes me 24-36 hours to get good action. Once it gets going, it still works like a horse even with lower temps but will lie almost dormant until the wort comes up to at least 62 degrees.
 
ncbrewer said:
I noticed you pitched 5 grams of yeast. Was this a left-over, already opened package? Maybe there was a problem with yeast viability.
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No, this was a brand-new, un-opened pack that I split (approximately) in half, with the other half being put in a freezer bag with the air sucked out and put in the freezer.

unionrdr said:
I think your start temp should be 65f or so, then try to keep it there for initial fermentation to complete. That start temp's a lil low. That can cause a slow start to initial fermentation.
Click to expand...

So I am finding out the hard way! :) But, now that it is going, I am keeping air temp at 59-60 and the wort is happy at 65. I wanted to ferment lower, but this is what I have to work with. I am sure it will be fine.

OK, so today I have a beautiful 1" thick krausen covering almost the entire surface of the wort. The smell is great, Notty even smells a little different than US-05 or Coopers yeast.

I gotta read up on this Centennial Blonde - I want to see how fast I can get this out of the bottle it will eventually end up in!

:D
 
Firewalker11 said:
Once I pitch 05 on top, it takes me 24-36 hours to get good action. Once it gets going, it still works like a horse even with lower temps but will lie almost dormant until the wort comes up to at least 62 degrees.
Click to expand...

I have only used 05 twice - the first time, it took off like a champ; the second time, it took about 30 hours to start chewing away. Both times, wort temp was ~70° F at pitching, and both times I just sprinkled the dry yeast on top of the wort.

*shrug*

As I said, every party is different, and I just let it move at it's own pace. But this one was really pushing towards the "worry" before it finally got going!

:eek:
 
That's mostly to do with initial ferment temp & the fact that dry-pitching can cause up to 50% yeast cell attrition. That's why I re-hydrate my dry yeasts now, then pitch at within 10 degrees of current wort temp. More healthy yeasties that way.
 
Just adding my own experience to this thread:

I brewed a 1.049 Blonde/Pale this past Friday, pitching rehydrated Notty into 60F wort at 10:30 am. 24 hours later, nothing...but three hours after that I started to see some bubbling. Since this is the first time I'm not fermenting in a glass carboy, plus the first time using dry yeast, it was a little disconcerting not to be able to see any signs of fermentation for so long.

Fast forward another 18 hours and this thing is getting at it!
 
I'd like to add that there are differences between the recommended rehydration methods from the various manufacturers. And within one basic method, there are still subtle differences. To make matters even more confusing, Fermentis has one set of general instructions, and a different set of instructions for the specific strains. I've never made a study of these methods, but I wouldn't be surprised if they produced different results in terms of lag time, etc.
 
Seeing a shorter lag time isn't usually bad, but a longer lag time is. Initial ferment temps are important to get in the particular yeast's sweet spot, since they now say initial fermentation is where most off-flavors occur. I've had my ESB take off visually in about 3 hours, & it was done & clearing in 10 days flat. Definitely my best ever.
 
unionrdr said:
Initial ferment temps are important to get in the particular yeast's sweet spot, since they now say initial fermentation is where most off-flavors occur.
Click to expand...

"Initial ferment temps" - To some brewers, this means beginning with the lag phase, but some don't feel that temps during the lag phase are important. From what I've read, there seems to be a difference in opinion, so I control the temp starting when I pitch the yeast. It's a little difficult because I find it heats up more during the lag phase than during active fermentation. It seems not all brewers get this effect for some reason. Has anybody else noticed this?
 
I'm not sure if this is common or not and if I should be concerned. I finished brewing a batch early yesterday morning. I pitched the yeast around 3:30am yesterday morning. Late last night the air lock had a lot of bubbles and was active. Today it seems like there is no activity. The basement temperature is 66-68 (fahrenheit) where the fermentor is located, but today is a very cold and rainy day outside. I'm not sure if an external factor like this would cause any issues or not, but thought I would mention it.

The yeast I used was a dry English Ale Yeast (Safale S-04). Any thoughts as to what might be the issue if there is one? Or should I just take a deep breath and calm down since I'm a newbie home brewer? Thanks in advance!
 
So on this cold day, what is the temp of your beer? or your basement? Have you made sure you still have water/Star San in the airlock? Any chance the seal on the fermenter lid came un-sealed?
 
NCbrewer, the temperature in the basement is 67. I do not have a thermometer for the thermowell but placing a digital one in there for a minute to see where it stabilizes is right around 71. I know this is not very accurate by any means. There is still plenty of water in the airlock and the top is nice and tight. Earlier when my father was over visiting I showed him my new setup. He mentioned he saw a bubble rise up in the air lock. I didn't see it myself. I'm kind of worried... :-( Thanks for the quick response!!
 
Reading between the lines, I think you're using a bucket fermenter and you opened the lid to check temperature. I'd recommend not opening it again for temp checks - you got confirmation that the beer temp is a little above ambient. And I think it's best to open the lid as little as possible in general. (Try a fermometer on the side of the fermenter if you don't have one - it's well worth it.) Since the temp in the basement is 67, the cold snap isn't responsible for the lack of bubbles.

When you opened the lid, did you see kraeusen? If so, I'd say it's ok. And for checking later without opening the lid, you can darken the room and set a flashlight on the lid aiming down. You can get an idea of kraeusen looking at the side of the bucket. If there is no kraeusen, it could be a problem, but I'd still wait three days total before taking action.
 

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