Took Longer Than Expected, Is That a Problem?

[scripto]

Just finished brewing a batch of Phat Tyre Ale Extract Kit w/ Specialty Grains on 3/8. In the kits instructions LINK it says withing 48 hours we should start to see some action. Last night was the first sign of any movement from this batch, a week+ behind schedule. The bucket thermometer shows shes around 66-68°, I think. Just was curious if this late action pushes back the next few stages? Any help would be appreciated, thanks again.

 

[AVLbrewing]

Did you use a yeast starter? If your yeast count was low/or old it may take longer for initial fermentation to start, but a week+ still seems a little long.

What were you fermenting in? If in a bucket you may have had a slight leak/poor seal somewhere. This will make it look like you have no airlock activity, but things are really fermenting fine. Did you take a gravity reading before you pitched your yeast? If so then take another reading and see where it's at.

 

[freisste]

What do you mean "the first sign of any movement"? Like airlock activity? Probably doesn't mean much. Check with a hydrometer to see what's going on. If it is at stable FG, give it a little while to settle out (a week or two), and then proceed with bottling/kegging/secondary/cold crash, etc.

 

[unionrdr]

If you pitched old yeast dry,that would account for it. Lag time would be increased as the yeast go through a reproductive phase to make enough cells to start the initial fermentation.

 

[Revvy]

There's a sticky at the top of the beginner's forum that you should read. It's entitled "Fermentation can take 24-72 hours...."

 

[scripto]

What do you mean "the first sign of any movement"? Like airlock activity? Probably doesn't mean much. Check with a hydrometer to see what's going on. If it is at stable FG, give it a little while to settle out (a week or two), and then proceed with bottling/kegging/secondary/cold crash, etc.

Ok, this should be a thread in itself for me but I CANNOT FIGURE OUT THAT DAMN THING! I have purchased now 4 as I didn't see any movement thinking the ones I've had were broken. How does this hydrometer work How much of a sample do I need to draw to take a reading with it?

 

[scripto]

Did you use a yeast starter? If your yeast count was low/or old it may take longer for initial fermentation to start, but a week+ still seems a little long.

What were you fermenting in? If in a bucket you may have had a slight leak/poor seal somewhere. This will make it look like you have no airlock activity, but things are really fermenting fine. Did you take a gravity reading before you pitched your yeast? If so then take another reading and see where it's at.

Used a kit from Northern, came with a yeast pack. Fermenting now in a fermentation bucket, transfer in 2 weeks to glass carboy. I'll check the seal. I took a sample, but can't figure out the damn hydrometer, as I just mentioned to @freisste.

 

[freisste]

You put it in the liquid and read the scale on the side. You want to use the scale with numbers like 1.050. (If the scale has %, you are using the wrong one).

You CAN just put it in your fermenter if you use a bucket. Otherwise get a thief or turkey baster to draw a sample and use a rest tube. It will require about a cup (or maybe up to 2) to measure a sample. It depends on the size of the tube you use. I use a thief and put the hydrometer in it (my thief is wide enough and my hydrometer is thin enough.

 

[unionrdr]

I use the tube the hydrometer came in. 1.000 is water at like 66F. then you see long lines with 10,20,30,etc. The smaller lines in between numbers are read as 2,4,6,8. So 2 lines below the "10" would be read as "1.014".

 

[Schol-R-LEA]

This CraigTube video on using a hydrometer may prove Illuminating fnord.

 

[scripto]

This is what I tried, couldn't read anything on the hydrometer?

 

[unionrdr]

Not deep enough. I use the plastic tube the hydrometer comes in to test with.

 

[scripto]

Not deep enough. I use the plastic tube the hydrometer comes in to test with.

 

[shuckit]

The hydrometer need to float in the sample, so the tube it floats in needs to be thin and tall. The gravity reading is taken off the hydrometer at the surface of the sample.