Talk me in off the ledge

[Brew]

I brewed my first batch on Saturday
I felt like i did everything well except for some trouble trying to transfer the wort to the fermenter......the temps and Starting Gravity were good......its been 2.5 days and I see very little activity within the air lock........couple questions

do i need to see activity within the air lock to confirm fermintation is going on
i used dry yeast, sprinkled it on top of the wort and stirred it in...should have i waited before mixing it into the wort...followed directions but not sure they were very good
should i check the SG now or just wait until the 7 days are up and then check
i feel like if I check the brew now i could contaminate the beer
Someone tellme it's going to be ok

Thoughts

 

[Tiako]

Pretty sure you are not suppose to stir the yeast in.

 

[Donner]

this is a common thing, i'm sure Revvy will be along to properly educate you soon enough.

In short, you are fine. The airlock is a terrible indicator. As long as the bucket isn't sitting in a place that is too cold (sub 60 for ales) then you are fine.

There is a saying, Relax, Don't Worry, Have a HomeBrew (or in your case, a brew of any form).

 

[BioBeing]

Step 1. Relax.

Step 2. Drink a Homebrew .... or a craft brew if that is all you can get.

Revvy will be by in a minute - probably before I have finished posting - to say the airlock is no indicator of activity. If ya got bubbles, you're probably OK. If not, do you have a leak somewhere? Chances are high that your yeast is doing its stuff just fine. Sure, maybe you could have rehydrated it first - it helps prevent osmotic shock. But it will still work. Sure, if you sprinkle, you are supposed to give it a few minutes before you mix it. But it will still make beer.

You can check it now, if you like, with your hydrometer. Just sanitize well. But, if you have any sign of activity, I'd say wait at least a week, maybe 2 weeks. Then, check your hydro. That is the only way you will actually know.

 

[Brew]

to stir it in........today i did some reading and feel like i should have let it sit on the top of the wort and then lightly mix

the temp is steady at 66 deg..........it is in the basement and if i set it in a warmer place it will be near unwanted activity so i felt safe and cool was better then warm and dangerous

 

[azscoob]

relax, the brew is just fine, the airlock is perhaps a rough estimate of activity at best, I have had batches ferment with hardly any airlock activity visible, beer turned out great! the best way to see if fermentaiton is complete is by checking the specific gravity over several days. where is Revvy? he has this info down solid!

 

[Wrathbone]

Just to make sure we have the complete picture - what kind of yeast did you use and where did you get it?

Also, is there a krausen layer in the fermenter?

 

[northernlad]

You are going to be just fine.
What do you use for a fermenting? A bucket or a carboy?
I judge the beginning of fermentation by the change in the top of the beer. After you have transferred and pitched, the foam will settle down and the top of your wort will clear. When fermentation starts, the top will begin to foam a little. You can be reasonably sure things are starting to happen. The only real way to tell is gravity readings, but i would give it a few days before you check.

 

[Rushis]

Ignore the airlock, take a hydro reading after 7 days and read this thread. Patience is key!

Hell, for the matter read all of Revvy's blog. You'll be FAR better off if you do so.

Thank you Revvy and Orfy for the education.

 

[Teufelhunden]

Did you cool your wort down around 75df before pitching?

 

[Brew]

Yes I did cool the wort down to around 70-75

One of my issues is that I have a bucket so I can not see anything......I do not want to open the lid and risk contamination

I think that a carboy for Christmas would be a good answer....that way I could see what is actually happening

Thanks again for the input.............I will check the SG in a couple days

 

[azscoob]

the only downside to a carboy is the "ugg is it supposed to look like that? is it infected?" that will pop in your head once you can see the ugly business of fermentation. I would recommend better bottles over glass, I use glass but you need to be VERY careful not to break one, a trip to the hospital will likely result from that.

 

[Revvy]

You guys all did very well without me.

 

[BioBeing]

Yes I did cool the wort down to around 70-75

One of my issues is that I have a bucket so I can not see anything......I do not want to open the lid and risk contamination

I think that a carboy for Christmas would be a good answer....that way I could see what is actually happening

Thanks again for the input.............I will check the SG in a couple days

Nothing wrong with a bucket. Just lift the lid and peak in. You aren't going to contaminate it unless you sneeze in it or something.

 

[mattmcl]

A couple things you can do to help yeast get started earlier:

Whether dry or liquid, make a yeast starter. Just search this forum for it.
If you don't do a starter, at least rehydrate dry yeast. Mix it into a (sanitized) cup of 75 degree water until it all dissolves.
Aerate your wort before and after pitching yeast- use a sanitized spoon or something and make a whole lot of bubbles, stir very vigorously for a few minutes.

 

[HomerJR]

Pretty sure you are not suppose to stir the yeast in.

Hmmm...... I'd never heard that before. I used US05 for the first time this past Sunday and whipped the hell out of it with my paint stirrer. Fermenting like normal Monday morning.

What's the reasoning for not stirring?

 

[Shooter]

Hmmm...... I'd never heard that before. I used US05 for the first time this past Sunday and whipped the hell out of it with my paint stirrer. Fermenting like normal Monday morning.

What's the reasoning for not stirring?

Some people like to let the yeast rehydrate a little on the surface and then stir, some don't stir. I rehydrate in a separate bit of water and then pitch that. I think any of those methods will make beer.

 

[jackson_d]

ther is nothing wrong with stirring

 

[Hoppus_Poppatopolis]

You already know that all is well. Go ahead and take a peek. Fermenting beer has a protective layer of CO2 on top of it so unless you reach in or otherwise introduce something to the beer, you'll be fine.
I peek at nearly every beer I ferment. It's educational to watch what it does at various stages.