No krausen, no anything

[bransona]

Hey, all.

So I just brewed my first homemade recipe (an all-grain, biab porter) on Sunday. I pitched the yeast around 74 degrees, but I didn't think it was warm enough to cause a problem. Fermentation seemed to begin, as there were plenty of bubblies in the airlock throughout the next morning. I know airlock bubbles don't mean fermentation, and I know the lack thereof doesn't mean no fermentation. I gave it a shake earlier to give the yeast some more oxygen and maybe get things going again. However, it literally seemed to have stopped altogether. So, beginner that I am, I just opened my fermenter and there appeared to be NO KRAUSEN. NONE! I know I may have shaken some of it down into the wort, but shouldn't there have been some on the sides? I can't take additional gravity readings because it's only a 1.5 gallon batch and that would be wasteful. Is my beer ok? Should I do something to save it?

Yeast used was Windsor and the batch was OG 1.062

 

[unionrdr]

Maybe initial fermentation ended quickly? It does happen. But shaking what krausen ring might've been there can add a nasty bitterness to the beer. Leave it to settle some till the weekend, then test it.

 

[Brettomomyces]

Did you pitch a whole packet of Windsor? Like union said, it may be finished with primary. That temperature and a large pitch of yeast considering it's only 1.5g might do it. When you opened it did it smell sweet or like beer? There's usually a very distinctive sweet wort smell when fermentation has not started.

 

[bransona]

Since I can't do any gravity readings, should I just wait and bottle it and try it? I know there are 132487916587256489 threads that end up in "Eh, just try it and see." I just wanted to make sure I shouldn't like...restart the ferment? Add yeast? I would love to RDWHAHB, but unfortunately, my first batch is still in primary </3

 

[bransona]

It was half, maybe slightly more than half, of a packet. And it kinda smelled like both? The strongest thing I smell is the fuggles hops, but beneath that it's hard to tell.

 

[unionrdr]

I still say let it sit till the weekend. It might start finishing up? But definitely get a hydrometer. It's the only real way to know for sure if it's done.

 

[Brettomomyces]

There should be a brown, cruddy looking ring around the waterline inside the fermenter if krausen is indeed over. The other thing you can do, if it is a bucket fermenter, is just sanitize the hydrometer and drop it right into the bucket and take the reading from there instead of pulling a sample.

And then you probably still have the other half of that yeast packet too? Good backup just incase.

 

[bransona]

I have a hydro. I just didn't want to waste enough beer to measure it out of such a tiny batch. :\

 

[bransona]

Clever idea! How could I keep my beer safe while I got a reading though? And yes, I do indeed have the rest!

 

[unionrdr]

Do it quickly & re-seal.

 

[Brettomomyces]

If it's open for just a minute or so that's fine, just don't let your pets come wandering in or drop something funny in it. You could pull some saran wrap over the top if you wanted some extra security while you're checking.

 

[bransona]

Fair enough. Should I check it asap? Or leave it til the weekend and then see if the gravity is at a reasonable place?

 

[Aristotelian]

I have a hydro. I just didn't want to waste enough beer to measure it out of such a tiny batch. :\

If you are careful with sanitation, you can dump it back in. Since you seem to be at or near the end of fermentation anyway, the worst risk of contamination has passed. If you find that the wort hasn't fermented, well, you are probably going to toss this batch anyway.

 

[bransona]

Well, I decided to just pop it open and do a gravity test. Had to siphon it into the hydro beaker, but I sanitized well, so if the shaking around/having it open didn't mess anything up...

IT IS FERMENTING! WHOOP WHOOP! SG is around 1.03. Time to ride it out and hope for no baddies

 

[jbb3]

... I can't take additional gravity readings because it's only a 1.5 gallon batch and that would be wasteful. Is my beer ok? Should I do something to save it?

I don't waste the beer from my gravity readings but I'm sure there are others who disagree with my methods. After I read my sample, I pour 90% of the gravity tube back into the fermenter and save the the last 10% for a taste test.

I try to clean and sanitize my sampling/testing stuff thoroughly, and thus far I have had no issues with my pour back method. BUT, I've seen others post; "I'm not going to take the chance of contaminating my beer by pouring back a gravity sample". And that is a legitimate approach/concern.

I have to assume you oxygenated your wort prior to pitching? Either by shaking the crap out of it for several minutes or other method?

You said you pitched on Sunday; I would suggest that you wait until the following Sunday and take another gravity reading. Whether you pour the sample back or not is your call. But after a full week, it should be pretty close to FG. It will let you know if you are ok or if you have incomplete fermentation for some reason.

 

[bransona]

Thanks, jbb. I actually just got done doing EXACTLY that. Gravity had dropped by ~.03, so we're rolling! And I snagged a taste---delicious Yup, the yeast had plenty of oxygen apparently. They have some more now, not that they'll use it... Lol.

 

[jbb3]

Well, I decided to just pop it open and do a gravity test. Had to siphon it into the hydro beaker,

Get yourself a wine thief. Under $10...

 

[bransona]

Yeah, I know :\ Unfortunately, I've not gotten my hands on one yet. I actually mentioned it as I was dealing with the siphon. Lol. I'm just about to go out of town and didn't want to bother leaving this batch if it wasn't fermenting. I'm glad it'll be home working away