is it fermenting or not?

[matador88]

hi,
my first post here as a homebrew noob.
i have my first batch (top fermenting lager from muntons) in fermenter now and have problem already.
its there for 2 days but still no bubbles. i am worried about killed yeast from bleach sanitation. i checked seals and it looks ok. so as i am not very patient to wait more time i took readings. it went from 1038 to 1020.
so it looks like it is fermenting, but without bubbles? what do you think?

 

[Revvy]

Hi!

Remember You should never use a cheap chinese plastic airlock as a "fermentation Gauge," it's not...It's an airlock, a VALVE to release excess CO2, to keep from blowing the lid off the fermentor...If it's not bubbling that just means that there's not enough CO2 to climb out of the airlock, or the CO2 is just forming a nice cushion on top of the beer like it's supposed to, or the airlock is askew, or it is leaking out the cheap rubber grommet, or you have a leak in the bucket seal...all those are fine...if CO2 is getting out then nothing's getting in....

Over half of my beers have had no airlock activity...

You did exactly what you should, by taking a grav reading....It is the only way to prove that you had fermentation.

Just trust that the yeasts have been doing this for over 2,000 years, they are the experts at this, not you, and they don't need you messing with them when they are trying to do their jobs.

Take a read of this blog of mine...http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/

 

[scottlabadie]

DO NOT look at your airlock as a guide for fermentation. In order for you to know weather or not it is fermenting is to do a hydrometer reading. Sure bubbling is entertaining to watch but I never let the "bubbling" be my guide. With the numbers you gave you have a 3.5-3.7 percent alcohol reading by volume. The beer will be ok just let it ferment a few more days until you reach your target gravity then move it to secondary.