Raging fermentation with no bubbles

[Ibanezmunky]

I currently have a beer fermenting like crazy but I dont see much bubbling (if any) in the air lock. Im using a large mouth bubbler and I thought it was sealed well but I must have a leak somewhere. Any thoughts on how to approach this? Thanks!

 

[Rockn_M]

I wouldn't worry about. This is perfectly normal.

 

[hunter_le five]

It doesn't matter. Ignore it.

There is a small leak in the seal that is preventing it from building enough pressure to bubble the airlock. It will still ferment fine and produce perfectly good beer. The airlock is just there to keep the fermenter from building up pressure and exploding beer everywhere.

 

[Paradigm]

Dump it!

But seriously, I've never had that issue but it sounds like it's nbd. If your fermeneter is a few years old it might be a cracked seal on the bucket lid?

 

[Ibanezmunky]

Dump it for sure!!! I ended up replacing it with another bung and airlock. I think I was given the wrong size bung for it because the one I have for my secondary (that I haven't used yet) is a bit bigger and seems to do the trick. I thought about leaving it but after the primary fermentation is settling down I don't want any risk of air getting in. Thanks for all the responses!

 

[Ibanezmunky]

I guess that might not have fully worked after all. Some air was definitely coming through with the exchange but it settled and nothing again. I'm tempted to take the lid off and clean it with a sanitized cloth and re-attach it to see if that works but I think I'm going to just stop and hope for the best. I feel if i stay paranoid and play with it too much I'm just going to make it worse. After the fermentation is done and I transfer to secondary to dry hop, I'll look further for cracks and what not on the lid and go from there.

 

[hunter_le five]

I think you're more likely to screw it up by messing with it. Just leave it be and let it do its thing.

One of my fermenters has never sealed properly, and thus never shown airlock activity... it has produced plenty of good beer, zero infections. The positive pressure from fermentation should be enough to keep anything out.