Untested primary bucket and air-lock

[MarkB]

Hello all!

So, divided up a Cream Ale (extract) kit into two separate 2.5gal batches. First batch brewed last Wednesday, everything went splendidly. Put batch in my first bucket and in the basement where I've placed the other two batches before it.

Realized that I needed another primary, I bought another bucket and air-lock. Saturday morning, brewed the 2nd half of the batch. Again, everything went amazingly well. Placed it downstairs next to the already working/bubbling batch 1 and left well enough alone.

The reason for splitting this particular batch was so I could add some honey to this portion, so I can compare the two for myself to see (taste!) the real differences. Since I'm really new to this, this would be batch 3 and 4, I figured deviating from the original recipe will give me a handle on how things work out later when I'm designing my own brews.

So....

That was Saturday. As of this morning, batch 1 is still going from what I can tell in the air-lock, but much slower than it was on Tuesday. Batch 2, nothing. The airlock has zero activity. Since I use Starsan in the airlocks when it does start working there are tell-tale 'bubbles' inside the airlock because of the Starsan. Batch 2, nothing. The inner chamber of the airlock doesn't look like it has even raised up in the least.

Now... Patience is a virtue, and I'm trying to extol that. BUT, with never having tested this primary system for batch 2, I'm a tad worried. I probably will just wait the full 2 weeks before I open it up for a gravity reading, and then again a couple days later if it is less than the OG, but I'd kinda like to know if something is actually going on in there.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do (well, aside from waiting that is), or at the very least what I should look for?

Thanks again!

 

[Malticulous]

Push on the lid and see if it bubbles. If not your bucket is leaking around the lid. Look at it. If it's fermernting you can see and smell it. Usually by 24 hours you can see low kraeusen (there is enough yeast that you can see them.)

 

[brewd00d]

How much honey are you adding?

Honey ferments about 95% so you'll need at least a few pounds to get some honey flavor.

 

[kh54s10]

After a few days you could open the top to look for krausen or it's residue. You could also take a gravity reading then to see if there has been any change. As often stated in any fermentation you may or may not see any airlock activity. It is dependent upon many things.

 

[eastoak]

Hello all!

So, divided up a Cream Ale (extract) kit into two separate 2.5gal batches. First batch brewed last Wednesday, everything went splendidly. Put batch in my first bucket and in the basement where I've placed the other two batches before it.

Realized that I needed another primary, I bought another bucket and air-lock. Saturday morning, brewed the 2nd half of the batch. Again, everything went amazingly well. Placed it downstairs next to the already working/bubbling batch 1 and left well enough alone.

The reason for splitting this particular batch was so I could add some honey to this portion, so I can compare the two for myself to see (taste!) the real differences. Since I'm really new to this, this would be batch 3 and 4, I figured deviating from the original recipe will give me a handle on how things work out later when I'm designing my own brews.

So....

That was Saturday. As of this morning, batch 1 is still going from what I can tell in the air-lock, but much slower than it was on Tuesday. Batch 2, nothing. The airlock has zero activity. Since I use Starsan in the airlocks when it does start working there are tell-tale 'bubbles' inside the airlock because of the Starsan. Batch 2, nothing. The inner chamber of the airlock doesn't look like it has even raised up in the least.

Now... Patience is a virtue, and I'm trying to extol that. BUT, with never having tested this primary system for batch 2, I'm a tad worried. I probably will just wait the full 2 weeks before I open it up for a gravity reading, and then again a couple days later if it is less than the OG, but I'd kinda like to know if something is actually going on in there.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do (well, aside from waiting that is), or at the very least what I should look for?

Thanks again!

sounds like it could be a leaky bucket but even if you never see any bubbles that does not mean it's not fermenting unless it's really cold and the yeast are dormant. open the bucket and i bet you will see signs of fermentation. if you are to scared to open the lid, pull the airlock out and look into the hole. like someone else pointed out honey will ferment and thin your beer out with very little if any honey flavor. honey malt will give a honey flavor without thinning out your beer.

oh, i went to college in goshen

 

[MarkB]

I did check this morning before I left the house to notice it still hadn't done anything, so I pushed the lid down, and noticed the Starsan level change in the airlock, so it appears that the bucket is sealed if that is the only test I can do with it.

Since the batches are so similar, I would have figured that they'd both display the same behavior and have their airlocks bubble? Since one was, wouldn't the other, with the very similar batch? Same storage location, same boiling schedule, etc?

I did add a pound of honey in a 2.5gal batch, so I'm guessing I'll get 'some' hint of flavor out of it. Since I'm so new, I'm not entirely sure what 'ferments about 95%" means to the overall ending product, but can harbor a guess that the yeast will eat all but 5% of what was put in.

I'm sure what I'll do is open it up on Saturday (will have been in a week) - for an observation of conditions and then take out a sample to test its gravity.