Ooops! Yet another did i screw it up question

[BullF-16]

I read the sticky for "did i ruin my first batch" and found some similar posts but not exactly my situation.

My first batch(india pale ale) had been fermenting for about 30 hrs, and i noticed the grommet was pinched between the lid and the airlock. So i took out the stopper and tried to reset the grommet. Oops, i went thru to the wort. I fished it out with a sterilized strainer and re inserted it. the airlock continued bubbling after about 5 minutes. I then noticed about 3 hours later that the bubbling had stopped. the first 24 hrs of fermentation the airlock was was bubbling about every second. The temp was 76 degrees in the fermenter. there was a noticeable amout of sludge around the ring of the fermenter above the wort (Krauzen), and foam on top. So, why did the bubbling stop after less than a day and a half. is the fermentation already done and should i rack it to my secondary or just wait for a few more days. I popped the lid this morning and took a gravity reading. It was approx 1.02, i couldnt tell exactly becase of a thin l(ess than an 1/8th of an inch) layer of green foam on the surface. Will the bubbling continue eventually?

Thanks

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Airlock activity is not a reliable indicator of fermentation, just one tiny leak would cause the bubbling to stop. Use your hydrometer to tell you when fermentation is completed, it IS reliable. Do not rack to secondary until you're sure it's completed. Personally, I'd leave it in primary 3-4 weeks and skip the secondary.

Either way, don't rush it. Let your yeast do their job, they are very good at it and don't require intervention. And oh yeah...relax!

 

[fat x nub]

Just because the airlock isn't bubbling doesn't mean fermentation is not taking place!!! (It seems like i read that and say that a lot). Trust your hydrometer...it never will fail you

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Trust your hydrometer...it never will fail you

Well, at least until you accidentally break it. (And you will!)

 

[TheFlatline]

Relax. Don't worry. Give it 3 weeks in the primary, rack to the bottling bucket, and so on.

Next time, check all of this before you brew, and if it's something small after you pitch, let it go. A pinched grommet is less dangerous to your beer than a strainer taking a dip (even sanitized).

Your beer should be fine though. Relax and let the yeasties work.

 

[BullF-16]

i think the initial ferment may have been too warm, 76deg for the first 12 hrs. i just took another hydrometer reading. 1.019, earler this morning about 10 hrs ago it was about 1.021. still not bubbling, but the sample smelled good and tasted like beer considering it was started friday afternoon, only 48 hrs ago. I think my first batch will work out ok, just that the ferment was done at 76-77 deg instead of the recommended 68-72. any ideas of how to keep the fermenter at that range in the summer. i have the bucket under a window a/c set to 72 deg. is there a better way, or am i being too anal about temp for the next batch. Thanks for helping a learning newb out. this site is awesome so far.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I think my first batch will work out ok, just that the ferment was done at 76-77 deg instead of the recommended 68-72. any ideas of how to keep the fermenter at that range in the summer. i have the bucket under a window a/c set to 72 deg. is there a better way, or am i being too anal about temp for the next batch.

You're right...your batch will work out OK. Still, temperature control is one of the most important steps to go from making good beers to making spectacular beers.

One time proven method is to place the fermenter in several inches of water, cooled with ice or frozen water bottles. Before I bought my chest freezer I used restaurant bus tubs. A towel or t-shirt wrapped around the fermenter will wick water up from the tub and provide another few degrees of cooling by evaporation. Point a fan (or your AC unit) at the wet towel and you can probably knock it down a few more degrees.

 

[jds]

i think the initial ferment may have been too warm, 76deg for the first 12 hrs. i just took another hydrometer reading. 1.019, earler this morning about 10 hrs ago it was about 1.021. still not bubbling, but the sample smelled good and tasted like beer considering it was started friday afternoon, only 48 hrs ago. I think my first batch will work out ok, just that the ferment was done at 76-77 deg instead of the recommended 68-72. any ideas of how to keep the fermenter at that range in the summer. i have the bucket under a window a/c set to 72 deg. is there a better way, or am i being too anal about temp for the next batch. Thanks for helping a learning newb out. this site is awesome so far.

Excellent. Your beer is fermenting. Now comes the hard part. Find a dark, cool corner, try the "carboy wet t-shirt" method for cooling it down a few degrees (this works for buckets too), and leave the lid on for at least two weeks. I know, it's hard. Your yeast farm will reward your patience.

Every time you take the lid off to check something, you risk a problem (contamination, ill-timed sneezes, fido deciding to sample it). Let the beer do what it will, and come back to it in a couple of weeks.

Yes, brewing is easy. It's patience that is hard. You're doing fine.