Fermentation Chamber - No Airlock Activity

[DCM5150]

I finally got around to getting a chest freezer to use as a fermentation chamber. I know my temps are usually high, so I did expect to see a reduction in fermentation activity, but I have brewed 5 beers now (well, one went in on Saturday) and none of them have showed any activity in the airlock (fermentation temp has been set at 68F). I know that doesn't mean nothing is happening and my final gravities are coming out in the correct range, but it is still bothersome not to see those happy little bubbles telling me everything is happening, no worries.

These are also big beers that I have done which often times would require a blow off tube (OGs ranging from 1.066 to 1.082).

Any reason why no activity in the airlock? Should I do anything different?There is certainly plenty of CO2 sitting in the freezer.

 

[day_trippr]

Using buckets?

 

[DCM5150]

Using buckets?

Yes, buckets.

 

[mongoose33]

Yes, buckets.

Your seal around the rim of the bucket isn't perfect. There's a leak there so no pressure buildup inside the bucket, ergo, no bubbles in the airlock.

 

[DCM5150]

Your seal around the rim of the bucket isn't perfect. There's a leak there so no pressure buildup inside the bucket, ergo, no bubbles in the airlock.

Are you saying that fermentation may be going slower than before and that I have always had a small leak around the lid but the fermentation activity was such that the leak was not enough to let all the CO2 out so there was activity in the airlock? And now the fermentation activity is slow enough to the point that the CO2 is not enough to both escape around the lid and through the airlock?

 

[flars]

That is it. Just a more controlled fermentation happening. Pull your newest bucket out and hold a flash light to the opposite side. You will most likely see a faint krausen above the level of the beer. You could also pull the airlock and look inside also. Sanitize the area first.

 

[mongoose33]

Are you saying that fermentation may be going slower than before and that I have always had a small leak around the lid but the fermentation activity was such that the leak was not enough to let all the CO2 out so there was activity in the airlock? And now the fermentation activity is slow enough to the point that the CO2 is not enough to both escape around the lid and through the airlock?

No--you're getting fermentation judging by your final gravities being where you'd expect them to be. There's only one way for those gravities to be where they are, and that's through fermentation.

Fermentation produces CO2, rather prodigious amounts. That CO2 must exit the bucket somewhere. Assuming your stopper is sealed to the bucket lid, and the airlock is sealed to the stopper, there's only one other place for that CO2 to be escaping the bucket--the seal around the lid.

Since there are no bubbles, there must be another another place where the CO2 is exiting the bucket. The likely culprit is that your lid isn't sealing against the bucket, creating another path through which the CO2 may escape. I'd bet you $50 or two cases of excellent craft beer that this is the case.

 

[Lefou]

This is exactly the reason why I ditched the plastic buckets in my first kit and went to stoppered glass carboys. I use the extra 6gal. fermenter as a sanitation bucket.