Newbie question

[new2brew1221]

Saturday I brewed for my second time. I am brewing a True Brew brown ale. I followed the instructions, I noticed today that there is no activity in the air lock. Does that mean that the yeast is dead, or it is not fermenting? I don't want to open it up, so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Waynep005]

Airlock activity is not a great way to judge fermentation. A loose seal for example can let the gass out without making bubbles. If you are using a galss or plastic carboy can you see a kraeusen If so you have good fermentation taking place. If not wait a few more days and take a gravity reading this will let you kow how it is going for sure.

 

[new2brew1221]

thanks, i guess i get a little nervous since i haven't done this but once before, and it was bubbling like crazy after the first day. this go around however, there was a little action on saturday and a little less yesterday, and none today. i was wandering if the yeast was old or something like that. the first batch i used a wyeast pack, and knew it was active from the swelling of the pouch. this time i used the dry yeast, and don't know how good it was. -keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[JLem]

If you already had airlock activity and it has now stopped, it might not start up again. Meant a few days and then check the gravity and inspect for krausen. No need to worry about opening the bucket as long as you are relatively sanitary and smart about it. Fear of an infection is a powerful thing at the beginning, but beer is quite resilient and infections are rare if the basic precautions are taken.

RDWHAHB

 

[new2brew1221]

Well, if there is no activity for the next couple of days, and I check and there is kraussen, should I reseal it and let it stay unopened for the full 3 weeks?

 

[JLem]

Well, if there is no activity for the next couple of days, and I check and there is kraussen, should I reseal it and let it stay unopened for the full 3 weeks?

I would check the gravity. It's the only way to know what's happening with the fermentation. Did you take an original gravity reading (OG)?

 

[new2brew1221]

Yes, OG was 1.043

 

[JLem]

Yes, OG was 1.043

If you check the gravity and it's still at 1.043 then you know you didn't get any fermentation. If it is lower than 1.043, you did. Depending on the details of the recipe, I would be looking for an FG in the 1.012-1.016 range.

 

[borden]

I'm assuming you're using a plastic bucket fermenter. If you want to look for a visual cue without popping it open to do a gravity reading (and thereby increasing the risk of infection slightly), put the thing in a dark space and hold a flashlight to the top. See a ring of crud above the liquid? Then you're good to go. If there's nothing there, then yeah, maybe check the gravity.

I try to avoid opening the fermenter prior to bottling or racking. It's not the end of the world, but safety first, right?

EDIT: Worth mentioning that 50% of the time I don't see much (and sometimes no) bubbling from my plastic fermenters. The CO2 from the fermenting beer creates a buffer that stops nasties from the outside from getting in, though, so it's never a problem

 

[JLem]

I'm assuming you're using a plastic bucket fermenter. If you want to look for a visual cue without popping it open to do a gravity reading (and thereby increasing the risk of infection slightly), put the thing in a dark space and hold a flashlight to the top. See a ring of crud above the liquid? Then you're good to go. If there's nothing there, then yeah, maybe check the gravity.

I try to avoid opening the fermenter prior to bottling or racking. It's not the end of the world, but safety first, right?

EDIT: Worth mentioning that 50% of the time I don't see much (and sometimes no) bubbling from my plastic fermenters. The CO2 from the fermenting beer creates a buffer that stops nasties from the outside from getting in, though, so it's never a problem

I agree that you don't want to open the fermenter more than necessary, but, as long as you're smart about it, you shouldn't have a problem. Don't be afraid to check on your beer. You don't have to baby it as much as you think.

 

[new2brew1221]

I removed the air lock and peeked in this morning. It appeared that there was a layer of kraussen on top. I'm hoping that it is fermenting, just no activity showing in the air lock. I'll try the dark room and flashlight approach tonight.

 

[borden]

If you really want to, go ahead and open it up. I don't want to overplay the risk involved. It's just usually not necessary, and I'm a very risk-averse Midwesterner.

 

[new2brew1221]

Tonight, I used a flashlight to see if there was any sign of kraussen. There was evidence that it had been several inches above the fill line. However, there is still no activity in the air lock, and the kraussen is not as thick, as it was in the first batch. I don't want to open the top, I don't think it would do any good. I think I'll just leave it as it is for a couple of weeks and see what comes out.

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

Tonight, I used a flashlight to see if there was any sign of kraussen. There was evidence that it had been several inches above the fill line. However, there is still no activity in the air lock, and the kraussen is not as thick, as it was in the first batch. I don't want to open the top, I don't think it would do any good. I think I'll just leave it as it is for a couple of weeks and see what comes out.

All it takes is a c*nt hair sized twist in your lids' gasket to create a leak, making your airlock the 2nd easiest path of resistance for off-gassing CO2. Don't sweat a c*nt hair.

Write that down.

 

[borden]

Tonight, I used a flashlight to see if there was any sign of kraussen. There was evidence that it had been several inches above the fill line. However, there is still no activity in the air lock, and the kraussen is not as thick, as it was in the first batch. I don't want to open the top, I don't think it would do any good. I think I'll just leave it as it is for a couple of weeks and see what comes out.

Don't sweat the airlock, and really, don't sweat the size of the krausen. You're as good as gold. Enjoy the homebrew!

 

[codycodycody]

All it takes is a c*nt hair sized twist in your lids' gasket to create a leak, making your airlock the 2nd easiest path of resistance for off-gassing CO2. Don't sweat a c*nt hair.

Write that down.

+1 on the c•nt hair