Not what I expected

[nsturchio]

I began my first batch of beer 72hrs ago. A buddy gave me his old brew kit. The HME and yeast were both expired by a few months but I used them anyway. I followed all the instructions exactly. Now for the head scratcher. ...I have done much reading, research, and watching "how to" videos and all of them say you should expect a large amount of foam to form once fermentation has begun and then as it slows the residue is left on the sides of the fermenter. ..... well my batch never got more than an 1/8in foam built up then this morning no foam at all? ?? There is movement in the beer I can see particles rising and falling but no foam. Can someone please explain the prosses and if this is normal?

 

[JINKS]

What temperature are you fermenting at? Do you know the OG? In my limited experience the higher the sugar content combined with a high ferment temp means lots of krausen.
I've noticed that now that I control the beer ferment temp, to around 65 with my ferment chamber, I no longer see the explosive fermentation you are expecting.

Oxygenation is also a factor when dealing with yeast. Did you oxygenate the wort well, before you pitched the yeast?

 

[72hw]

I agree on the fermentation and oxygenation tips, but have to add that the yeast you used may not be 100% viable. Do you have photos of your fermentor to post? Are you using an airlock or blowoff tube?

I'm rather new too, so take it with a grain of salt here, but if everything else seems OK with your batch (no mold, etc) and you see SOME signs of fermentation, get your hands on another packet or vial of yeast and re pitch. Assuming it's a 5 gallon batch you still could be fine.

Lastly, it seems this was a kit you are making. Which one and how expired was the yeast exactly?

 

[rodwha]

And I've read the yeast strain makes a difference too. I've only used a handful of different types and they all seemed similar enough to me, though I never took much notice per se.

If you are seeing activity I wouldn't be too concerned. And maybe it has something to do with older yeast.

 

[rodwha]

HME. I'm guessing Mr Beer.

 

[ss4ivan]

You will find out that all beers you brew are different. Some fermentations will have little to no Krausen. Some will have very active krausen activity to where you need a blow off tube so that the airlock doesnt blow off and make a mess everywhere (walls and ceiling). You mentioned that there is visible signs of fermentation which is good. The amount of krausen you get doesnt really matter. Your making beer RDWHAHB!

Cheers

 

[BrotherBock]

Lot of factors at play. Everything everyone said above. I'm willing to bet it mostly due to the expired yeast. It's likely not very viable. Just to be safe pitch a half packet of new dry yeast to make sure things move along. It may not increase your krausen much, but it'll help maintain that you have a healthy fermentation.

Pick up some safale-05 or some nottingham

 

[nsturchio]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'll try to answer all the questions here. I am fermenting at about 68deg. It is a Mr Beer 2gal kit the expirations on both HME and yeast were 3/2014 I did oxigenate the wort well also when the foam didn't build at 48hrs I shook it real well to be sure (possible mistake after reading other posts) and finally I don't yet have tools to take the OG. THANKS again

 

[JohnSand]

I think it will be okay. MrBeer HMEs aren't very strong. The foam may have risen and fallen overnight. The MrBeer directions are somewhat enthusiastic. Try letting it ferment for 3 weeks, carbonate in the bottle for 2 weeks (with priming sugar), condition for two more weeks. Then chill for 3 days to absorb the carbonation and settle out the yeast. If you like it, you can continue to use those HMEs. You may find them for sale in stores like Home Goods or BJ's after the holidays. The MrBeer fermenter can also be used for other extract batches or all grain batches. Many of us started with MrBeer, it is the simplest introduction to brewing. Keep reading these forums, get a good book on brewing, and off you go on a great adventure. Welcome!

 

[paperairplane]

It's fine. Relax, don't worry. Let the yeast do their work.