Fermination issue. No bubbling. More yeast?

[Gagunga]

I just brewed a SMASH ale 5 days ago, fermenting in a brew bucket. I used BRY-97 yeast. The past 5 days there's been no bubbling. OG 1.042. Just checked the gravity last night, 1.014. I don't understand why there was no bubbling at all. I wanted to see if I could get that gravity lower. Is it wise to add more yeast for a secondary ferm? Will the second addition of yeast effect the flavor? I have US-04 which always proves to be a beast. Could I add a little bit of corn sugar to up the alcohol content more? Why no bubbling? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[grampamark]

Bubbles are for entertainment purposes only. Your fermenter isn’t airtight so no CO2 exited through the airlock. Your beer is fermenting. The yeast has taken out 28 gravity points in 5 days. That’s 67% attenuation. BRY-97 should be good for 75%, maybe a bit more. You’re making beer; give it another 5 days.

 

[balrog]

Do the smell test. This works best if the fermenter is in a closed space like a closet, or corner.
If you smell the fermentation, then it's working. It may not be coming out the airlock bubbler due to bucket/fermenter seal, but if you smell it, gas is being produced and it is escaping to the local environment. And you really answered your own question by measuring SG. The fermentation gods have visited. Or goddesses. Whatever.

 

[nebulabrewing]

It sounds like your beer is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing. Based on what I'm reading, you're only five days in. Give it another ten days. I don't check my beers or pull samples until at least day ten. Yeast need time to do their thing. Adding more yeast won't probably do much. I'd account for these things on your next brew and let this one currently ride.

If you're using a plastic bucket, odds are c02 is escaping from the lid. Bubbling of the airlock is an indirect action of brewing and doesn't directly help you make decisions on your beer. Use SG's for that.