Air Lock Not Bubbling

[ah_glenno]

hi all, got a coopers brew kit the other day, so this is my first time brewing, i added the yeast when the wort was about 28C, and it has since cooled down over a couple of days to about 24C, unfortunately i havent seen an bubblnig through the airlock. The setup is tightly sealed, and i know something has been happening because i can see there is lots of bubbles and foam on the inside of the lid. I was under the impression that a home brew kit would bubble constantly for a few days? It is set up in my garage so i am not constantly watching it, but i thought i would see it working a bit at least. Have i done something wrong or is it all under control?
cheers

 

[muckey]

before anyone else says it - ignore the airlock
if there is foam (krausen) on top it means the yeast is active and happily fermenting.

It is rediculously easy to get a lid leak so the CO2 exits places other than the airlock
try and get the temp down a bit futher to reduce esters and fusel alcohols though

RDWHAHB
:lol:

 

[ah_glenno]

excellent thanks that puts my mind at ease, should i aim for a lower temp like 21ish?

 

[buttersd70]

but i thought i would see it working a bit at least.

You are seeing it working....

i can see there is lots of bubbles and foam on the inside of the lid

This is the important bit. That is showing that it is fermenting. Airlocks are evil, and the spawn of the devil. They are liars....

Any tiny leak at all, no matter how small, around the top seal, or the gromet that the airlock pushes into, will prevent it from bubbling. So ignore the airlock.

The main suggestion I would make is to try and trim another couple of degrees off it, and get it down to 20 if at all possible. Like wrapping a cold wet towel around it, or similar.

Welcome to the obsession.

edit...bugger. Beaten by Muckey, of all people.......

 

[threeheads]

hi all, got a coopers brew kit the other day, so this is my first time brewing, i added the yeast when the wort was about 28C, and it has since cooled down over a couple of days to about 24C, unfortunately i havent seen an bubblnig through the airlock. The setup is tightly sealed, and i know something has been happening because i can see there is lots of bubbles and foam on the inside of the lid. I was under the impression that a home brew kit would bubble constantly for a few days? It is set up in my garage so i am not constantly watching it, but i thought i would see it working a bit at least. Have i done something wrong or is it all under control?
cheers

28 degrees might be a little bit high to pitch the yeast, especially since it has cooled down a bit over a couple of days. as the temperature of the wort gets cooler the yeast will slow down. you should make sure that the pitching temp is pretty close to what you want the fermentation temperature to be. I would also ferment a little bit lower, maybe around the 20 - 22 mark. it will take a little bit longer to finish but the beer will be better for it. If there is activity in the fermentor something could still be happening and the gasses may be leaking out of somewhere else. Although you could still see foam and bubbles if there is now fermentation.

How long has it been in there for now, and do you have a hydrometer. if so you could test the gravity of the beer to see if there is active fermentation. People who use coopers kits would be able to tell you what the general staring gravity normally is so that you could compare what it is now.

Hope this has helped.

 

[raven19]

Welcome to the forum Gen.

+1 for Muckey's advice.

Check your hydrometer readings, if its dropping, you are making beer!

Give it 7 - 10 days, once you have a steady hydrometer reading over 2 - 3 days, it is ready to bottle. Hopefully it will be in the 1010 +/- range

Fermenting at the higher temperatures you've stated, I'd anticipate it will finish fermenting in less than 7 days though...

And remember to relax, dont worry, enjoy & have a beer!

 

[raven19]

excellent thanks that puts my mind at ease, should i aim for a lower temp like 21ish?

18 - 20 ideally for ales, low 20's will be fine though.

 

[ah_glenno]

ok awesome thanks everyone, i started it 2 days ago, and it had an OG of 1040, at what SG should i bottle? (EDIT- didnt see raven19's post above) it is a coopers lager by the way. Also in the instructions it said that the yeast works best at 21-27C so 20C is not too low?

 

[ah_glenno]

And remember to relax, dont worry, enjoy & have a beer!

Doing plenty of that, im on holidays

 

[muckey]

edit...bugger. Beaten by Muckey, of all people.......

HA! - insulted by the duracell Bunny

 

[buttersd70]

ok awesome thanks everyone, i started it 2 days ago, and it had an OG of 1040, at what SG should i bottle? it is a coopers lager by the way. Also in the instructions it said that the yeast works best at 21-27C so 20C is not too low?

Ah, the damn coopers instructions....the bane of new brewers. No, 20C isn't too low.
After about 5-7 days (maybe less if it's been a bit warm)

1. take a hydrometer reading.
2. wait 24hrs and take another. If it's the same;
3. confirm it with a 3rd reading another 24hrs later, and if it's the same,it's done.

If it is still dropping, give it another couple of days, then return to step 1.

Once the hydrometer reading is stable, you can bottle....or you can give it another couple of days to let some of the yeast settle out (if you can keep the temperature reasonbly stable). Or, preferably, if you have the ability you can crash chill it down to close to 0C to force some of the yeast to drop out before bottling.

Edit:

HA! - insulted by the duracell Bunny wink.gif

The duracell Bunny has more hair. :lol:

 

[himzol]

The reason you airlock isn't regestering anything is probabply the ridge on the molding, if you trim this back you'll be fine. However as other have said, if you can see yeast working - no dramas.

Himzo.

 

[ah_glenno]

The reason you airlock isn't regestering anything is probabply the ridge on the molding, if you trim this back you'll be fine. However as other have said, if you can see yeast working - no dramas.

Himzo.

thanks, just filed down the ridges, hopefully that helps

 

[thunderchild]

Ah, the damn coopers instructions....the bane of new brewers. No, 20C isn't too low.
After about 5-7 days (maybe less if it's been a bit warm)

1. take a hydrometer reading.
2. wait 24hrs and take another. If it's the same;
3. confirm it with a 3rd reading another 24hrs later, and if it's the same,it's done.

If it is still dropping, give it another couple of days, then return to step 1.

Once the hydrometer reading is stable, you can bottle....or you can give it another couple of days to let some of the yeast settle out (if you can keep the temperature reasonbly stable). Or, preferably, if you have the ability you can crash chill it down to close to 0C to force some of the yeast to drop out before bottling.

Edit:
The duracell Bunny has more hair. :lol:

+1

Ignore kit instructions! The objective of thise instruction is to have you pumping out a speed brew so you can buy another kit. This forum has some great article on how you can improve your beer so enjoy!

 

[muckey]

yeah, those kit instructions are the set and forget method. I think its to make sure the yeast rips through the fermentables quickly and doesnt stall.

treat them as number loo paper

 

[ah_glenno]

lol ok thanks, enjoying reading through the other articles...

 

[Jase71]

This is pretty important stuff that poeple are sharing gen, the rules of kit brewing are nothing like they state the can. Maybe there should be four golden rules for the startup brewer:

1. Ignore the can instructions on temperature
2. Ignore the can instructions on white sugar
3. Throw away the kit yeast
4. Don't depend on your airlock

Even a dead simple kit can, plus some LDME & Dextrose, brewed at or under 22c will eventually become a reasonably fine drinking beer. Several months bottle conditioning does wonders (as I found out just this weekend on an early batch that was slated for tipping down the sink - now its happily going down our throats)

There's a SHITLOAD to pickup from everyone here at the AHB community, and plenty of people happy to anser your questions - as youve no doubt gathered already !

Start planning your second brew already ! Do it the same day that you bottle this one

 

[ah_glenno]

those damn coopers people leading me astray!!