# No bubbling



## toughen (1/10/13)

Hi Guys,

Been reading for a while but first post/brew.

I put together my first home brew on Sunday:

- Coopers Pale Ale
- Deliverance Yeast 11g (the people at TWOC said I should use this)
- "Premium Sugar Mix" from TWOC (500g Light Malt, 250g Dextrose, 250g Corn Syrup)

Anyway, it's now Tuesday and my airlock is not bubbling. There seems to be mixed responses from people regarding whether this is a problem or not.

This might sound dumb but I wasn't sure when adding the yeast what I was supposed to do. I sprinkled the yeast across the surface and it seemed to sit on the foam. Is this correct or was I meant to mix it in? The temperature of the wort was about 25 degrees at the time and it is now fairly consistent at about 18-20 degrees. The airlock seems to have positive pressure in the fermenter so I guess that is a start.

Any advice would be great. Thanks


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## benno1973 (1/10/13)

Sprinkling on the surface is fine, no need to mix it in. There's discussion on here about whether rehydration is better than just adding it directly to wort, I'll let you do the searching/reading and make up your own mind, but as far as what you've done, no need to panic. 18-20C is a good temperature to hold the ferment at. It may just not be bubbling because your fermenter isn't sealed properly. If you can see in the top (without opening the fermenter up), is there a foamy mass on top? And condensation on the lid of the fermenter?


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## toughen (1/10/13)

I'm actually at work but I think this morning I remember seeing condensation on the inside of the lid. Not sure about "foamy mass". How thick should this mass be? When I put the lid on I checked the O-Ring looked good and clean, also making sure it was tight. I guess I'll see how it goes.

Original Gravity was 1055, but again this was measured at about 25 degrees. Is this normal too?


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## hsb (1/10/13)

All sounds fine. As above - see if there is any Krausen (ie foam) on top when you get home. Any foam is a sure sign of fermentation but the only infallible way to know is to use the hydrometer to take a gravity reading and see if any sugar has converted to alcohol. 
25C is fine, google "abv calculator" and you can punch your numbers in (including temperature.)

Everything you described above sounds absolutely in the ballpark for beer making results. 

If I had only one tip it would be - ignore the airlock! It means nothing!

Good luck and learn to love your hydrometer before you break it, then buy another one and love that one! cheers.


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## benno1973 (1/10/13)

Krausen thickness will depend on the yeast, but it should be a couple of centimeters thick I guess. 1.055 sounds about right too.


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## toughen (1/10/13)

Thanks for the help guys. Put my mind at ease. Don't want to ruin my first brew!

I have somehow ended up with like 4 hydrometers so should be ok 

I think looking from the side there was a few cm of foam.

Thanks again.


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## Dunkelbrau (1/10/13)

I can say for one, i have NEVER had bubbles through my air locks, i have 4 fermenters and 2 different types.. to be totally honest, i didnt even notice it wasnt! I wouldnt worry about it as a sign of fermentation.

A few cm of krausen and a drop in S.G. over a few days is all you need to look for!


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## Forever Wort (1/10/13)

Like so many others on this forum I have put my airlocks to the side and started using glad wrap exclusively. I find the visual confirmation by simply looking in for signs of fermentation is much better than staring at the opaque lid and watching the odd CO2 bubble.


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## manticle (1/10/13)

I use my airlock to tell me if my bath is warm enough.

I also use it to measure the internal temperature of steak.

I'm surprised at the idea of mixed responses unless you are looking at US forums where the plastic barrel fermenter is less popular and the demijohn/carboy style is mostly used. Most common question for noobs and most common answer is do not rely on the bendy piece of plastic with water in it to tell you much of anything.


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## Black Devil Dog (1/10/13)

When you're having a bath and you try to fart and there is no bubbling, but there is a krausen in the bath, be concerned, however, when brewing and your airlock isn't bubbling but there is a krausen, stay calm.


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## toughen (2/10/13)

Thanks everyone. I just got home and there is about 1cm of foam on the top of it. Also I gave it a slight squeeze and can see the water move in the airlock so I think it's fairly air tight. Anyway, I'll just check the gravity in a week or so and see how it goes.


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## vittorio (2/10/13)

I hear this bubbling question all the time, when i first started brewing i used to think the same way but after years of brewing i started to understand it more. all bubbling means is that their is air inside the fermenter which the air lock is pushing out. bubbling or no bubbling the beer will still turn out fine bro no stress!


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## Nort (2/10/13)

Hi.
I have four fermenters for my Spirits which I have been brewing now for around 10 years, and very rarely do the air locks bubble. I also have four fermenters for my beer which I have only been brewing now for about 2 months. Two have the air locks and the other two don't. I have only had three times that I have had any bubbles. The SG and foam mentioned above is all you really need. Don't worry, I know I did with my first one and it turned out very good. Even my neighbour likes it, and he is very fussy!


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## paulmerrick (2/10/13)

I agree with Forever Wort, next time just use the o-ring to hold down some glad wrap over the top, prick a tiny hole in the glad wrap. Throw the air lock and lid away. Happy brewing!


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## mwd (2/10/13)

My airlock always bubbles I find the bloop bloop comforting. Clingfilm is for hippies


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## damoninja (3/10/13)

Mine usually only bubbles when fermentation is at its most vigorous.

It does show positive pressure at other times, I've obviously got a leak in the lid somewhere. 

What am I gonna do about it?

Nothing


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## BeardedWonder (3/10/13)

I stick with the airlock because the "BLOOP" noise soothes my soul.

I'm thinking of sampling it and playing it on and infinite loop while I sleep......


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## James85 (3/10/13)

My fermenter is 5 or 6 years old now still with original rubbers and it still gloops while fermenting. I also find the glooping comforting also.


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## wide eyed and legless (3/10/13)

I have no issues with anyone preferring glad wrap, but I have mentioned this before that a smear of Vaseline around the "O" ring will cure those airlocks which don't warble.


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## syl (3/10/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> My airlock always bubbles I find the bloop bloop comforting. Clingfilm is for hippies


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## hsb (3/10/13)

A balloon with a hole in it can provide erectile noise-pollution-free fermentatory satisfaction.

If you need the bloop, get a fish tank.


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## damoninja (3/10/13)

hsb said:


> A balloon with a hole in it can provide erectile noise-pollution-free fermentatory satisfaction.
> 
> If you need the bloop, get a fish tank.


I like this idea, I might give it a shot. My fv resides in my living room on account of limited real estate so the blooping can get a little annoying.


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## yum beer (3/10/13)

Aside from the airlock, I seriously think 1.055 for those ingredients is severally off the mark.
Make sure you draw some wort off from the tap, throw it away, then take another sample to do your hydro reading.
Would have expected 1.038-1.042


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## damoninja (3/10/13)

yum beer said:


> Aside from the airlock, I seriously think 1.055 for those ingredients is severally off the mark.
> Make sure you draw some wort off from the tap, throw it away, then take another sample to do your hydro reading.
> Would have expected 1.038-1.042


Unless he deviated from the kit and final volume was like 17L? 

The crowd pleaser I just made I brought down to 20L opposed to 23L for a bit more body...


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## toughen (3/10/13)

My final volume is right on 23L according to the side of the fermenter.

Also, I tried to use the Kit and Extract Designer spreadsheet but with what I've used it says FG will be high, EBC and IBU will be low. Should I be worried about any of that or is there anything I can do to "fix" it?


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## Alex.Tas (3/10/13)

toughen said:


> My final volume is right on 23L according to the side of the fermenter.
> 
> Also, I tried to use the Kit and Extract Designer spreadsheet but with what I've used it says FG will be high, EBC and IBU will be low. Should I be worried about any of that or is there anything I can do to "fix" it?


Depends what you want to get out of your brew. If you want to brew something closer to the style you are after, then you need to alter your recipe. if you wanna make something taste how you want it, dont worry what the spreadsheet tells you.
The spreadsheet like kind of like guidelines, rather than rules - like the pirates code.


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## damoninja (3/10/13)

toughen said:


> My final volume is right on 23L according to the side of the fermenter.
> 
> Also, I tried to use the Kit and Extract Designer spreadsheet but with what I've used it says FG will be high, EBC and IBU will be low. Should I be worried about any of that or is there anything I can do to "fix" it?


It's low/high only based on what the spreadsheet recommends the IBU EBC gravities etc for that type of beer.

If you've just followed a recipe don't worry or change anything. 

Edit: Broke some words


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## toughen (3/10/13)

Ok, thanks. You guys are full of info.

Now I need to find some empty bottles quick smart. I kind of bought my brew kit and put on a brew spare of the moment and hadn't been saving empties. I also can see myself becoming slightly obsessed with this. I might need another fermenter to start a second brew. I have 2 but want to bulk prime.


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## Nort (4/10/13)

As most of mine don't bubble, I decided for my last brew I would spray a small amount of Canola Cooking spray around the rubber. Voila, I got bubbling. I don't think the spray would affect the beer, what do you Guys think? My friend puts a little honey around the rubber. That should also be OK, although I would think it would make it rather sticky.


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## brianman (4/10/13)

Do not over tighten the lid, it will help sealing, but i think i know how one of my fermenters has a small crack in the joining seam at the neck.
If you don't have ants, honeys probably as good a lubricant as any, i find the residue from the sanitiser works well.


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## Alex.Tas (4/10/13)

petroleum jelly. otherwise know as Vaseline. just dont get it in your beer.


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## Forever Wort (4/10/13)

toughen said:


> Ok, thanks. You guys are full of info.
> 
> Now I need to find some empty bottles quick smart. I kind of bought my brew kit and put on a brew spare of the moment and hadn't been saving empties. I also can see myself becoming slightly obsessed with this.


I started with 14 PET Coopers bottles, two steins to drink from, a hydrometer and a single fermenter about eight weeks ago.

I now have about 80 PET bottle of various sizes, three steins, six pilsener glasses, two schooner glasses, three fermenters, a dry hopping ball, several varieties of hops and malt extracts, and dedicated strainer and stove pot.

My girlfriend is not impressed. She likes the beer though.


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## damoninja (4/10/13)

Mine's the airlock not sitting perfectly in the grommet. Bit wetting it does the trick but I'm really not bothered.


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## damoninja (4/10/13)

Forever Wort said:


> I started with 14 PET Coopers bottles, two steins to drink from, a hydrometer and a single fermenter about eight weeks ago.
> 
> I now have about 80 PET bottle of various sizes, three steins, six pilsener glasses, two schooner glasses, three fermenters, a dry hopping ball, several varieties of hops and malt extracts, and dedicated strainer and stove pot.
> 
> My girlfriend is not impressed. She likes the beer though.


I'm in a similar spot, except I started with about 80 glass bottles and now they're just about all full!
I simply have to drink some to make room for my next batch currently fermenting at day 2 (plenty of time left!)


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## slcmorro (4/10/13)

Forever Wort said:


> My girlfriend is not impressed. She likes the beer though.


I get mine to help and be involved with recipe designing/research, and we also make cider. It's a great way to get off the hook, so to speak!

Even better when you send her to the LHBS to get a couple of things, and then text her some extras you 'forgot'. Seems to work better that way...


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## brianman (4/10/13)

toughen said:


> Ok, thanks. You guys are full of info.
> 
> Now I need to find some empty bottles quick smart. I kind of bought my brew kit and put on a brew spare of the moment and hadn't been saving empties. I also can see myself becoming slightly obsessed with this. I might need another fermenter to start a second brew. I have 2 but want to bulk prime.


I am proud of myself, when i started brewing i kept buying for 5-6mths to build up empties stock and to let the early brews develop, hard to drink megaswill when you know there's something better in the cupboard, all grain now but still bottle, and always have 7-8 different brews on hand.


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## MaltyHops (4/10/13)

syl said:


> > My airlock always bubbles I find the bloop bloop comforting. Clingfilm is for hippies


I'd like to see an airlock fitted through clingwrap. :blink:


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## toughen (5/10/13)

I've just been reading about "Boonies LCPA Clone" and I want to tip out my brew and start again 

Now that I've done a very basic brew and I get the process better it seems pretty simple really.

Can't wait to get my next brew on.


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## toughen (5/10/13)

Ok, so I've just gone to check the gravity and when I first opened the tap into the container a bunch of chunks came out.. :huh: Is that just sediment that was in the tap or something? Is it infected? how do you know if it's infected?

Anyway, I emptied it out and cleaned the hydrometer and container again then turned the tap on slower, this time not getting any chunks. The gravity is now at 1022-ish (fairly bubbly), temp is at 20 degrees.

If nothing else I thought it tasted pretty good 

Edit: Just FYI - it has now been in fermenter for 6 days


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## brianman (5/10/13)

Yes that is sediment, i normally turn the tap off & on a couple of times to clear sediment, be careful the tap doesn't spin in the fermenter instead of turning off, hate wasted sweet wort. looks like it still has a little way to go, check every couple of days until steady. Then leave a week to clean up.


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## mwd (5/10/13)

Just yeast and hop debris if you dry hopped. Just chuck the first bit and take another sample.
I always wait until the bubbles stop and the krausen disappears before taking readings saves disturbing the sediments too much.


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## paulmerrick (6/10/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> My airlock always bubbles I find the bloop bloop comforting. Clingfilm is for hippies


I always thought hippies used a bit of old hessian or hemp cloth over the top.


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## toughen (7/10/13)

Hi guys, its now day 9, gravity is about 1018-1019 so it's only dropped by about 3 in 3 days. Has my ferment stopped?

I gave it a 'swirl' on Friday because I was worried it wasn't fermenting. Any advice would be great. I still have the kit yeast from the Coopers Pale Ale as I didn't use it in this brew.

Temp fluctuates a little between 18-22ish (day/night). My next brew I'm putting in the laundry cupboard because I think it will have much more stable temp. I've still got to con...vince my wife that I need a bar fridge and temp controller for this project 

Cheers


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## MaltyHops (7/10/13)

Do a _fast ferment test_


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## JoeyJoeJoe (7/10/13)

Sorry toughen I dont think it is finished 

You can look up stalled ferment for many soloutions. Or you could try boiling 3-5 teaspoons of yeast nutrient with 150grams of dextrose in 2 cups of water chucking that in and giving it a dam good shake it worked for me last time.

Deffinitly too high to bottle in glass though PET might be ok.

JJJ


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## damoninja (7/10/13)

JoeyJoeJoe said:


> dam good shake


Oxygenate the beer too?


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## mwd (7/10/13)

As above gentle stir but make sure you rouse the yeast from the bottom of the fermenter.


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## damoninja (7/10/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> As above gentle stir but make sure you rouse the yeast from the bottom of the fermenter.


Agree. But a damn good shake is just asking or trouble, right?


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## manticle (8/10/13)

Depends how damn your good is but yes. Gentle agitation from stirring, rocking or racking can work but as malted says - fast ferment will tell you what to expect. Then work out how to get there.


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## Yob (8/10/13)

JoeyJoeJoe said:


> Sorry toughen I dont think it is finished
> 
> You can look up stalled ferment for many soloutions. Or you could try boiling 3-5 teaspoons of yeast nutrient with 150grams of dextrose in 2 cups of water chucking that in and giving it a dam good shake it worked for me last time.
> 
> ...


Holy shit snacks!!! That's a lot of nutrient!! Consider that I put 1 semi heaped teaspoon in a full sized AG batch..


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## JoeyJoeJoe (8/10/13)

I agree it seemed like a lot to me to. Got to stir the lazy buggers up some how


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## toughen (8/10/13)

OK so as I was running out the door this morning I sterilized my giant spoon and popped it open and stirred up the sediment. I noticed there was no krausen on top so I guess that confirms fermenting has stopped. Is that right? I'll try the fast ferment thing too.


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## JoeyJoeJoe (8/10/13)

Sounds like a plan. Give it another test in a day or so and let us know if it has started to come down.


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## toughen (10/10/13)

FYI, I was going to do the fast ferment but to be honest I have no way of keeping the temp up for it so I decided to add more yeast. I used a tablespoon of sugar dissolved in a cup of warm (boiled) water and added the yeast and let it come to life then chucked it in the fermenter. (It even bubbled my airlock which my first yeast didn't!) It is now still holding positive pressure and has some foam back on the top so hopefully it's fermenting more. Someone is probably going to yell at me for doing it all wrong, but I'm just winging it 

I'll post back when I check gravity again.


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## MrTwalky (10/10/13)

toughen said:


> Someone is probably going to yell at me for doing it all wrong, but I'm just winging it


Mate, your heart is in the right place. If you care about your beer and are generally clean then no one can tell you you're doing it wrong, freedom of home brewing, boo yeah!!!!
If it doesn't work out...oh well...just make another one , don't loose faith in homebrewing if this beer turns out average. The more you make, the better you get.
Happy brewing,
Twalky


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## toughen (11/10/13)

Hi guys, I checked last night and gravity is down to 1010! Finally.. Thanks for your help.. 

I put another brew on last night and have some questions. Am I best starting a new thread?


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## damoninja (11/10/13)

toughen said:


> Hi guys, I checked last night and gravity is down to 1010! Finally.. Thanks for your help..
> 
> I put another brew on last night and have some questions. Am I best starting a new thread?


You'll probably get more responses if you do, maybe just link it here if you want the same people to see it


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## toughen (17/10/13)

Bulk primed and bottled this on Sunday. I used 125gm sugar dissolved in water, according to the spreadsheet that will be 2.3 Vols CO2 and comes under "low" but being my first I am scared of bottle bombs... However, it's now Thursday and nothing has exploded. I made sure to use 1 clear bottle so I can see the colour etc and it looks a little cloudy. I just want to crack one open.

I know the longer you leave them the better, but how soon could I expect them to have reasonable carbonation? they are sitting in the garage so probably between 18-22 degrees.


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## Yob (17/10/13)

A couple of weeks is a good rule of thumb, probably carbed in less, but 2 weeks is a good minimum


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## mwd (17/10/13)

If you are worried about bottle bombs use PET. I usually bulk prime 23L with 150-160g of dextrose and no problems.

Up here in the tropics average 25C they carb up in under a week and may take another 2 to clear fully. I am impatient so have to take a check taste as soon as they carb up. It is hard to restrain myself but usually the last bottle of the batch tastes the best.


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## damoninja (17/10/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> If you are worried about bottle bombs use PET. I usually bulk prime 23L with 150-160g of dextrose and no problems.
> 
> Up here in the tropics average 25C they carb up in under a week and may take another 2 to clear fully. I am impatient so have to take a check taste as soon as they carb up. It is hard to restrain myself but usually the last bottle of the batch tastes the best.


I don't think you'd have any worries with that volume of sugar in glass over 23L, 5.2 grams per bottle isn't extreme a teaspoon is about 4.4. 

I've heard some say 25 degrees is perfect for bottles to carb up others reckon it makes em too fluffy and low head retention. 
I lived in Darwin for 2 years so I know what it's like, not a whole lot of choice in the matter unless you get an epic big fridge or cellar.


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