3 Days Since Pitch - No Activity

[Screwtop]

I pitched the yeast (and mixed it in) @29deg, then chucked it under the house where is stays a constant of between 17-18 deg.

All the great advice available here on AHB and you pitched at 29C :huh: Surprised it's not all done and dusted, strange behaviour indeed for 05, maybe it was not in good shape, you could be lucky and not actually make fruit beer. Good Luck!

Screwy

 

[stm]

I might also buy an S-bend type airlock for my new fermenter as well, as my other one always gives me an acurate indication of when I should be confirming sith SG readings that it is ready to bottle...

Glad wrap!

 

[marlow_coates]

+1 for gladwrap.
Just switched for latest brew and can view fermentation daily without risk of infection.

 

[EK]

Well, it seems that (as I have read in every book/on every forum) you should ONLY trust your hydrometer in these situtations. My SG has magically droppped from 1057 --> 1049 with very little visual indication that it was doing anything! Although, when I got home last night and checked it again (I just twist the top off, lift it 1/2 inch and peek in), there is about a 1 inch ring of very fine bubbles around the outer edge of the top of the wort.

I reckon I will just let it do it's stuff and see how it goes. I might also buy an S-bend type airlock for my new fermenter as well, as my other one always gives me an acurate indication of when I should be confirming sith SG readings that it is ready to bottle...

Thanks for your advice everyone, I will post the results once/if it's done.

If your airlock doesn't bubble, then make sure that the lid is screwed on really tight. This should produce a seal good enough to see bubbling.

You can also tell if brewing is occurring if there is trub/sediment at the bottom of the fermenter.

Also if you have a plastic fermenter with the handles recessed in, you can check for bubbles sliding up past the handle.

If you have a clear lid, you can have a look for krausen. Alternatively you should be able to see the height of krausen on the side of the tank (at least while it is building up, the sludge will remain after it is settling down again).

All of these are indications that there is some fermenting going on and are useful if you have your fermenter in a cooler (or something) that does not allow you to easily take hydrometer readings.

:icon_cheers:
EK

 

[fergi]

hi guys, well heres something i do every time i brew,when the lid is screwed on and the airlock is inplace i gently squeeze the sides of the fermenter so as to push air out through the airlock.just gentle enough to displace say 3 bubbles of air,then gently release your squeezing pressure from the sides of the fermenter,if the lid is sealed properly your airlock will be holding a slight vacum in the fermenter,that is the water level in the airlock will be lower on one side,this should hold like this for about a minute,if this happens then you have a good seal,if the airlock water goes straight back to being level on both sides then you have a slight air leal and the lid should be tightened a bit more and repeat the first steps again by gently squeezing the sides of the fermenter again,once you have the airlock holding that pressure you have a nice seal.i too have been caught out in the early brewing days by repitching more yeast when in fact it was the lid sealing incorrectly,now i do this every batch.
cheers
fergi

 

[BrownCow]

the water level in the airlock will be lower on one side

Maybe it is just shy. I can sit there for 5 minutes watching and nothing happens. The water levels in the airlock seem to always be significatly uneven (different each time I look tho) and there seems to be some fine bubbles forming on top of the wort. Also the SG dropped 0.008 over the first 3.5 days. So it seems that my fermeter has a good seal, and the fermentation is working, but just not when I am watching.

Very strange if you ask me.... but my experiences are 9 lager brews in total so far.

 

[raven19]

It certainly appears something is happening with the SG dropping. Looking forward to hearing it all went well and the sample tastes like (flat) beer once fermentation has finished!

The ale I currently have fermenting is bubbling away slowly, and it took a good 2 - 3 days to kick off. I pitched some yeast from my previous ale (after collecting a yeast sample and storing in the fridge for a week or so), and my wort was around 18 degrees at the time. Looking forward to trying this beer when ready...

Keep us posted on developments.

Cheers.

 

[Cube]

Both my fermenters are now leaking. My 30L one has a broken seal...came apart at the join. I still use it, just fed it back into the lid. No biggie. My other and newer bunnings 25l water fermenter never sealed properly. The threaded top is just to flimsy I think. My past 3 brews now have never bubbled.

I now know to just trust the following signs:

* Condensation signs
* Frothy on top
* give it 3 days to start... worry atday five no start. In saying that, mine have all started by 24 hrs.....
and my fav....
* stick ya ear to the fermenter, sounds like a million little bubbles popping.... active yeast love!.... seriously, it works.


Since I've been fermenting in my washing tub last 4 brews, I just leave it for 7 odd days, then onto a bench to settle five or so more days then bottle.

I take maybe 3 SG reading. OG, one on removal from cool water tub a week later, then a day before bottling.

I used to love the bubbling, listen to it and watch it...now I can't care less about them. I should just use glad wrap.

 

[Gavo]

I used to love the bubbling, listen to it and watch it...now I can't care less about them. I should just use glad wrap.

Glad wrap is great, particularly on a fermenter that doesn't seal, You can see exactly what is going on. only thing better is a 23 lt glass carboy.

 

[KGB]

Brown Cow: As stated its good to have a spare yeast satchet - I use s-04 or s-33 or whatever and throw the supplied yeast in the freezer for emergencies. I usually keep about 2-3 in there.

without starting a new thread im having a similar problem.
brewing my first lager in a fermenting fridge with saflager at 12 degrees. pitched at 23 on sunday night and no activity. i did put the yeast in after taking it out of the fridge so i spose it could be shocked? i guess all i can do is buy another pack of yeast and chuck it in and hope to save it.

What temp did you pitch the yeast at? If you pitch at 12 degrees you should pitch double yeast to make sure it starts ok. Otherwise pitch around 20 and gradually bring down to 12 degrees over 24-36 hrs if possible.

 

[Beer&Kebab]

With using glad wrap - do you have to place any pin holes in it so it doesn't blow off the fermenter ? How does the Co2 escape ?

 

[Gavo]

With using glad wrap - do you have to place any pin holes in it so it doesn't blow off the fermenter ? How does the Co2 escape ?

I use a pinhole in the gladwrap on my glass fermenters because they get a perfect seal and will bulge and probably break, however on the plactic fermenter with the large round screw type lid I have found that this is not necessary at the CO2 finds it way out somewhere. I guess you will know by looking at it after some time. If it if bulging then put a pinhol in it.

Cheers
Gavo

 

[stm]

No, I don't put a pin hole in my gladwrap. (Plastic carboy-shape fermenter with o-ring from the old lid holding the wrap.) It does bulge up but the CO2 finds a way out (thru the wrap or squeezes out between wrap and thread, presumably).