Nothing's Happening with the Air Lock?
- Thread starter EmilyJ
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You "racked" your beer? You mean in to a seconday? If so you, and you did it right, waited til fermentation was complete and confirmed it with 2 gravity readings over a 3 day period, then there should be NO NEED for your airlock to bubble...No fermentation should occur in a secondary, it's purpose is to clear and bulk age beer (UNLESS, you are adding fruit or some other fermentable with the beer.) Fermentation should have been complete before you racked it, so therefore little if any co2 should be generated there.
If fermentation is done, why would you think you need more yeast?
What's the gravity of the beer?
Also, read this for info about what an airlock is or isn't.
If fermentation is done, why would you think you need more yeast?
What's the gravity of the beer?
Also, read this for info about what an airlock is or isn't.
RIC0
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing they brewed up some beer and see no airlock activity in the primary???????????????????
I'm guessing they meant to pitch their yeast after brewing. That's a fairly long time to go without any yeast activity, but thankfully we know that the airlock isn't a reliable indicator of fermentation.
OP, take a peek inside the fermenter and see if there are any bubbles, or any foam on top. That would be Krausen and it would indicate that fermentation has commenced.
The lack of foam or bubbles *might* indicate that fermentation has not started. In this case you might take a sample (being very sanitary) and measure it with a hydrometer to see what the gravity is. Compare with the OG of the batch.
Check back here with the results. Yeast are not hard to get going as long as you don't expose them to too much heat (say wort that was above 100 degrees for Ale Yeast) and you give them something to eat, which would be the sweet wort. Generally as long as the temps are correct (for most ales in the low to mid 60's) they will do their thing.
I'd like to caution you about buckets. Although they can be a great choice for fermenting in, they always carry the risk of having small leaks around the lid, which isn't really a "risk" per se. It just means that bucket are less often apt to bubble through the airlock, as the CO2 gas can escape through the bad seal is all. It's not a problem.
If you are using a carboy of some sort and know you have a good seal on the airlock then not seeing any bubbles in the airlock *might* mean that fermentation is not happening, but you can usually just look in the carboy and see that it's not happening.
Also, you DID remember to fill the airlock with water, Starsan, or Vodka, up to the line, right?
OP, take a peek inside the fermenter and see if there are any bubbles, or any foam on top. That would be Krausen and it would indicate that fermentation has commenced.
The lack of foam or bubbles *might* indicate that fermentation has not started. In this case you might take a sample (being very sanitary) and measure it with a hydrometer to see what the gravity is. Compare with the OG of the batch.
Check back here with the results. Yeast are not hard to get going as long as you don't expose them to too much heat (say wort that was above 100 degrees for Ale Yeast) and you give them something to eat, which would be the sweet wort. Generally as long as the temps are correct (for most ales in the low to mid 60's) they will do their thing.
I'd like to caution you about buckets. Although they can be a great choice for fermenting in, they always carry the risk of having small leaks around the lid, which isn't really a "risk" per se. It just means that bucket are less often apt to bubble through the airlock, as the CO2 gas can escape through the bad seal is all. It's not a problem.
If you are using a carboy of some sort and know you have a good seal on the airlock then not seeing any bubbles in the airlock *might* mean that fermentation is not happening, but you can usually just look in the carboy and see that it's not happening.
Also, you DID remember to fill the airlock with water, Starsan, or Vodka, up to the line, right?
Thank you! We decided to do a kit for our first time, just to get the basics down. We had it in a bucket for the first four days, and things seemed to be going well. On Tuesday we transferred to a carboy. I did remember to put water in the airlock.
It's at my friend's place - I've asked him to check the gravity and get back to me.
It's at my friend's place - I've asked him to check the gravity and get back to me.
RIC0
Well-Known Member
You should have just left it in the bucket and done nothing it was minding it's own business and doing fine. Or started it out in the carboy but either way you should have left it alone to be honest.
freisste
Well-Known Member
So you don't know that fermentation was compete when you racked to secondary?
Actually, it is probably to be expected that there is no airlock activity. If fermentation was completed in primary, there would be no fermentation in the carboy.
Actually, it is probably to be expected that there is no airlock activity. If fermentation was completed in primary, there would be no fermentation in the carboy.
Or if you saw bubbling slow down or stop & you racked it,thinking it was done. Most of the time when the fast bubbling slows or stops,it's just initial fermentation that's done. It'll then slowly,uneventfully creep down to FG. Leaving it in the primary bucket would've been better.
RIC0
Well-Known Member
and since no one has mentioned it, leave it in the primary bucket for 2 weeks minimum preferable 3 weeks.
Always start with a gravity reading just after you have pitched the yeast to the "fermenter" ( the original container used when you poured the wort into) and write this down in your notes.
Leave the brew in this container! Leave it alone! Rdwhahb..
Patience is the best thing, rarely do newbie brewers have a problem with contamination, they are always sanitizing everything so the risk is lower than you would think. Honesty experienced brewers have a better chance at infection because they become relaxed in their technique.
Fermentation can and will take awhile at times. I just brewed a Pliny clone last night, everything is perfect and its been 14 hours with no airlock activity. Am I worried? No believe it or not yeast is pretty dam resilient.
Next time leave it in the primary. You rack to the secondary or bright tank after fermentation has concluded. Even then it's not uncommon that some fermentation can still commence in the secondary.
Leave the brew in this container! Leave it alone! Rdwhahb..
Patience is the best thing, rarely do newbie brewers have a problem with contamination, they are always sanitizing everything so the risk is lower than you would think. Honesty experienced brewers have a better chance at infection because they become relaxed in their technique.
Fermentation can and will take awhile at times. I just brewed a Pliny clone last night, everything is perfect and its been 14 hours with no airlock activity. Am I worried? No believe it or not yeast is pretty dam resilient.
Next time leave it in the primary. You rack to the secondary or bright tank after fermentation has concluded. Even then it's not uncommon that some fermentation can still commence in the secondary.
I preffer to take the OG test before pitching yeast,not after. Don't want yeast all over the test tube. Waste not,want not.
