First Brew Fermentation

[jrsdws]

Hey all. We brewed our first beer yesterday and all seemed to go well. We did a one gallon batch of Sierra Madre from Northern Brewer.

I'm pushing 24 hours after pitching the yeast and still seeing no bubbles in the airlock. The top of the wort has a foam like frothy head. It had a bit of this after aerating prior to yeast addition.

The wort was cooled in an ice water bath to 65 degrees then siphoned to a sanitized carboy and gently shaken prior to pitching the yeast and air locking.

I have the carboy in the dark closet with a dish cloth draped around it and ambient temperature is approximately 67 degrees in there.

I feel like we did everything right and really nailed the temperatures. Should I add energizer or nutrient or just be more patient at this point?

 

[Roadie]

Patience.

 

[Tinhorn]

Let it sit and do its thing way to. Way early to worry
Relax sounds like its working to me

 

[jrsdws]

Thanks for the piece of mind guys!! We'll see how it looks tomorrow.

 

[rorypayne]

You have done everything right. I am so happy to read a thread where someone did everything right so kudos. I hope you have some great beer.

 

[jrsdws]

You have done everything right. I am so happy to read a thread where someone did everything right so kudos. I hope you have some great beer.

I hope!!! Time will tell.

 

[Pie_Man]

Patience is the first thing. Too often I hear people mention that their fermentation started in 30 minutes, or an hour after pitching and that fermentation was going like crazy right from the start, those people are often fermenting way too hot. Seems like you did everything the correct way.

It could also be a leak which is allowing CO2 out through another path. You may want to check the bung, air lock water level, air lock seating, for potential leak spots. If the CO2 was escaping from another path, it is nothing to worry about. A foam like frothy head is usually what fermentation looks like, although it could be from the initial aeration. Usually fermentation produces lots of smaller bubbles creating a thicker foam on top of the wort whereas aeration produces large bubbles. Again, it seems like you did everything right, so it's likely fine. Relax, don't worry, have a commercial brew until your first home brew is ready.

 

[jrsdws]

Ok. At exactly 24hrs after pitching.....and reading more on the forum....I went back to take a picture of the brew. While there I double checked the cap and airlock. I got a partial turn on the cap and I guess the slight movement of the carboy made some gas rise and the lock started bubbling. This "cap" is from the basic 1 gallon starter kit from NB and is just a threaded cap with a hole in the middle to press the airlock into. Maybe it was leaking by a bit or maybe it was just a matter of short time for it to build up enough to make bubbles.

I was just reading the recent thread about pitching yeast and was a little concerned because I pitched the Safale US-05 dry as per directions, but many folks saying they rehydrate it still.

Anyway it appears okay and here is the picture. I wish I would've gotten a little more volume out of the original 1.25 gallon start. I wonder if one could start with 1.50 gallons of water and not screw things up?

 

[Pie_Man]

Yeah, most likely the growler cap with a hole does not create an airtight seal with the airlock inserted through it. It is therefore easier for the CO2 to escape through the gap in the cap than through the airlock since the airlock has water which creates added pressure. From the picture, it looks like fermenting beer.

I would not worry about not rehydrating your yeast. With a small, 1.25 gallon batch, you probably have way more than enough yeast to complete fermentation regardless of yeast rehydration.

 

[BigFloyd]

For 5 gallon batches, rehydrate. Small batches like yours, I wouldn't bother.

That pic looks like an active fermentation to me. Don't worry about the airlock not bubbling.

 

[Flipadelphia]

That's fermenting beer there. Nothing at all to worry about.

 

[jrsdws]

Thanks everybody. After the slight tightening of the cap the airlock started bubbling and continues today.

I've now got a gallon of mead, a gallon of my "ghetto" wine, and a gallon of beer all fermenting nicely. It's time to start looking into 5 gallon beer batches!!

 

[jrsdws]

Day three and bubbling in the airlock is slow if existent at all. I have big bubbles in the krausen, though, so there could just be a leak still.

I see lots of yeast settling on the bottom already too so maybe the Safale US-05 is just really slowing down?

The brew instructions say fermentation will take one to two weeks give or take a few days. That's not too definitive. I assume when the krausen settles down I can call it ready for bottling?

 

[Roadie]

Let it sit a week and take a gravity reading. Then take another at day 10. If they are the same it's probably finished. Still too early. Patience.

 

[BigFloyd]

I assume when the krausen settles down I can call it ready for bottling?

Nope, you can't call it good for bottling at that point.

After the krausen settles, there is still work to be done by the yeast. During their little feast, they produced certain waste by-products that you don't want in the beer. After the fermentable sugars are gone, they start consuming many of those compounds. You won't be able to see any visible signs of it, but it's happening. Let it be for at least two weeks from the date you pitched the yeast before you even start to think about bottling. If you rush it, the quality will suffer.

 

[jrsdws]

Checked gravity on day 8 and it was 1.012. I didn't check starting gravity. Today the krausen has disappeared.

It's still got the airlock and is in the closet at about 66F-67F with a towel wrapped around it.

Stay the course and plan on bottling next weekend? I just want to make sure it's safe to leave it. I can move to secondary if necessary.

 

[BigFloyd]

Stay the course and plan on bottling next weekend? I just want to make sure it's safe to leave it.

Yes.

I can move to secondary if necessary.

Not needed.

 

[ChrisMT]

Dont worry about a secondary unless you are adding something too it. Leave it in primary for atlest 2 weeks (I leave all beers for atleast 3weeks.) The only way to know it is ready for bottle is two gravity readings 3 days apart that are the same.

 

[jrsdws]

Thanks again fellas!!!