Give me some confidence

[boomtown25]

I have come to realize us brewers basically treat our wort as if it was a baby. We worry to death and the minute things aren't as expected, we freak out. I am one of the worst. I brewed my first batch of beer on Thursday, but believed I pitched way too cold (I know, sounds stupid). Anyways, I am fermenting in a bucket and cannot see what was going down. Next day with no air lock action I peeled the top and it was dead. Sealed it quickly to keep oxygen exposure down. Went and got drunk for 2 days and came back. It was bothering me so bad and the air lock was still inactive. I knew I can't keep risking the wort to oxygen so I removed the airlock and peekiong though the hole. FOAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who-HOOOO. Only issue now is there is still not air lock action. I have made sure the bucket is sealed and I have used the same in the past for wine with a lot of action. Someone tell me not to worry and just bottle in 3 weeks.

 

[edmanster]

Someone tell me not to worry and just bottle in 3 weeks.

RDWHAHB.. or in your case a good craft brew... never trust an airlock!!!

 

[lumpher]

as long as there is foam, there is positive pressure forcing bad stuff away, and good things are happening. there is an air leak somewhere, though. take the lid all the way off, then put it back on. pull the airlock out and make sure the grommet is flush, then put the airlock back in. that usually fixes my no-bubble problem. either way: rdwhahb; it's all good

 

[Stoutman82]

Airlocks lie! Well sometimes sounds like you might be alright.

 

[dttk0009]

If you're really paranoid, I'd also have a spray bottle with a rinse-free iodophor solution handy when doing all this moving/removing of parts. When I remove my airlock to take a gravity reading, I always sanitize the grommet again (stopper for carboy) and the airlock itself.

 

[unionrdr]

An airlock is just a one way valve to keep the air out. IDGARA if it never bubbles. That never,EVER means that it's not fermenting. Everybody does this the 1st time. Patience,young jedi,it needs little help form you...!

 

[Zixxer10R]

Here's some confidence, on the house my friend. I've been incredibly lazy with my practices and i just finished my first batch of beer completely all the way through. If i had been patient enough i would have over 50 bottles to enjoy. Alas, i was not patient, bought a kegerator conversion kit, installed it and then POURED MY BOTTLES INTO THE KEG! If that won't ruin my beer, i don't know what will.

Everything tasted great to the last drop. I will most certainly improve my practices in the future because i want to make the best beer possible, but this all goes to show that there ain't much that can harm your living breathing libation friend. If you sanitize at all, things will turn out just fine. Now every time i go home i get to RDW and HAHB. It's all good my good brew buddy.

 

[kpr121]

By opening the bucket top, you don't really need to be worrying about oxidation. Especially during primary ferment. If they yeast havent kicked in yet, oxygen only helps. Once it starts fermenting, there is a nice thick layer of krausen and CO2 to protect the beer.

I'll join the rest and say RDWHACB. I've fermented beer in buckets that were only covered with aluminum foil, no airlock. Turned out to be one of my better batches!

 

[jsweet]

Here's how I get confidence: I remember that centuries ago, people used to brew beer in horribly unsanitary conditions with undrinkable water in order to make the water safe to drink. They still made beer. They didn't even know WTF yeast was. And they still made beer.

Maybe not the greatest beer, but beer nonetheless. There Will Be Beer.

 

[BradleyBrew]

One of my fermenters was from the Coopers kit which is like a huge mason jar. I get airlock activity for about 1/2 the beers that ferment in there... Don't stress the airlock and def do not worry about. If you have krausen and the gravity is falling all is well...

 

[Bithead]

That's the problem with fermenting in an opaque bucket. You don't get to see the yeast show

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

"Give me some confidence" You have an enormous willy, I can even see it from here!

 

[JLem]

sounds like you've got fermentation...but make sure to check the gravity before you bottle, just to be safe.

 

[boomtown25]

Thanks everyone! I am so pumped up, I may start a brewery tomorrow! (P.S.- did my second batch ever in just under a week and fermenting it in my glass carboy, and the yeast in that mother lover is partyin like rock stars!)