Opening the brewing bucket

[seele01]

So two days ago I brewed up a 1 gallon Coffee Donut stout. It will be my second brew. My first brew, I brewed in a brewing kit one gallon glass jug, and it was great being able to see my brew. I saw the krausen form, predictably freaked out, and was alleviated of my fears once I did some research. This time, however, I did my brew in a more traditional white plastic brewing bucket (I think it is 2 gallon, for a 1 gallon brew). With the top on it with air lock jutting out, the only thing I can see of the brew is the now subsided bubbles in the air lock. With my first brew, it was really nice being able to look at how it was doing through the glass jug before and after work.

The question is, is it safe from an infection standpoint to open the bucket to take a look at my brew? Right now it is friggin Schrodinger's cat. I have no idea how the brew is looking, and the child in me really wants to take a look. Is it doing well? Is it infected? Is krausen forming? All questions I want answered. But I do not want to endanger the brew by being a peeking tom and looking at it.

Should I just practice that thing called patience, and assume everything is going well, or can I occasionally pop the lid and take a look at the contents?

Thanks, and cheers!

 

[Sailingeric]

Do it two ways. Either dont open the bucket for a couple weeks or get a lighter colored bucket or a plastic carboy. I use the Brewcraft buckets and they are light enough I can see the krausen ring rise and fall.

 

[Spartan300man]

If you were getting bubbles in the airlock and then it subsided within a day or two or three, that means it was fermenting. If it is fermenting, chances are the yeast and the alcohol are doing their job, and your infection risk is low. Opening the lid increases that risk. I would give it a while and then get ready to bottle. Lately, I open up the top of the airlock and the smell is reassurance that the brewing process is working. One problem with small batches is that taking gravity readings reduces the amount of beer you have, so you just have to be patient. Even when the bubbling slows down or appears to have stopped, it is still going and you have to wait it out.

 

[Gavin C]

If you feel the need to look, don't take the lid off but just remove the airlock/bung and peek in the small hole. Put the bung back in promptly. Same approach can be used for taking gravity samples.

This way you reduce the observer effect on the wort.

Schrodinger's cat has less chance of getting oxygenated or contaminated by airborne nasties this way.

There is, IMO, a good negative correlation between the liklihood of the beer being just fine D) and the amount of tinkering with the beer in the fermentor mad:.)

∝ 1/.

 

[seele01]

Thank you for the help, everyone. I think I am going to give it a few more days, then peak in the air lock hole. No reason to risk infection (or something else stupid, like dropping my iPhone in it) just to get a good look. As for taking off the air lock to get a beer-y whiff, due to years of smoking, my sniffer ain't what it used to be...what type of smells would I be expecting?

The recipe I am using (from Brooklyn Brew Shop) says to give it 11 days for fermentation...I can practice enough patience and hold off. I hope.

Appreciate the help, folks,

 

[Gavin C]

Thank you for the help, everyone. I think I am going to give it a few more days, then peak in the air lock hole. No reason to risk infection (or something else stupid, like dropping my iPhone in it) just to get a good look. As for taking off the air lock to get a beer-y whiff, due to years of smoking, my sniffer ain't what it used to be...what type of smells would I be expecting?

The recipe I am using (from Brooklyn Brew Shop) says to give it 11 days for fermentation...I can practice enough patience and hold off. I hope.

Appreciate the help, folks,

Smells of fermentation can vary greatly and don't provide much in the way of useful information.

On occasions signs of overly warm fermentation can be smelled with certain yeast strains giving off a banana smelling volatile substance. Smelled that once on a brown ale I made before I had much idea regarding fermentation temperature control.

Other smells I've noted were a sulphury smell with a lager which is not indicative of problems in a lager as it can be in an ale.

I'd say wait two weeks with a first brew before opening it. When you do, be ready to package it up in its bottles or keg. It will be good and ready by then in all liklihood.

 

[Calder]

You had airlock bubbles - it fermented.

Leave it alone until ready to bottle, probably at 2 weeks (but does depend on the beer somewhat).

Every time you open it you expose it to potential contamination.

For my 'normal' brew, I put it in the fermenter, and leave it for 6 weeks, then bottle. Some get longer, hoppy beers are usually packaged quicker. Unless I'm adding something to the beer (dry hops, fruit, etc.) I don't touch it.

It doesn't happen often, but there is nothing worse than having a batch start to turn to vinegar.