No CO2

[Eskimo Spy]

Okay, I started an amber ale over a week ago, I put it in the fermenter on Sunday, December 14th. On Saturday, I checked the gravity, and it was still a couple points off, so I closed it up to wait.

As of yesterday and today, though, there is no CO2 escaping through the airlock, it's sitting flat, the internal piece is not raised up at all. Nothing! Anyway, is this normal? Shouldn't there be CO2 coming out, even if there is no fermentation happening? Should I just check the gravity and see what's happening?

 

[flyangler18]

I'd be willing to bet that there is a nice blanket of CO2 sitting on top of the beer.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

Yes, there is! I gave the lid a small push to see if I got the CO2 smell, and I did. So, then this is fine, I assume, nothing unusual about the airlock going flat after a gravity check? I only ask because I had never seen it do that before...

 

[desertbronze]

Use your hydrometer to tell if fermentation is done. Lack of bubbles doesn't mean anything.

 

[Deacon240]

Airlock =/= Fermentation Gauge. RDWHAHB

 

[Eskimo Spy]

I should have been clearer in my post, sorry. I'm not trying to determine if the fermentation is done by the airlock activity, I just thought it was odd that the airlock went flat after I checked the gravity, as I had never seen it do that before. So, I wanted to know if that was a normal thing, or cause for concern...

 

[Deacon240]

I'm not trying to determine if the fermentation is done, I just thought it was odd that the airlock went flat, as I had never seen it do that before.

Both of my brews so far have gone flat after 2-3 days. I think my oatmeal stout lasted 2 and my Oktoberfest lasted 3. From what I've found its pretty hard to hurt a beer, pretty hardy creature that beer is.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

Great, so nothing out of the ordinary about the airlock going flat after checking the gravity after a week in the fermenter. I'll check the gravity tonight, hopefully it's dropped to 1.008...

 

[giligson]

It depends on how much headspace is in your vessle and how much temperature change has occured.

Gas contracts a certain % with drops in temp. If you have a big headspace then that same % means a big volume of gas difference.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

It's just your run of the mill ale pail, what's that, a 7 gallon pail? And no major changes in temp, it's been at 69 - 72 for the week. After I checked the gravity, which required me taking the lid off, the airlock went dead.

 

[conpewter]

It is possible you didn't get the lid back on as tight, don't worry about it.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

That's what I thought at first too, but I checked the lid and the grommet, tight as could be. Oh well, I'll check the gravity when I get home, and hopefully rack to the secondary and start the dry hop.