Bubble bubble toil and trouble

[2cranky]

Hi,
I did my first two brews on the weekend one is bubbling away but the other is not.
Saturdays brew is now hitting 84 hours and is bubbling away, has a good cake etc. started bubbling in 36 hours. Yeast pitch at 18 degrees
Sundays brew is now hitting 60 hours no bubbling but seems to be foaming up ok. Yeast pitched at 22 degrees.
Both used the same us#05 yeast, both in the same freezer @ 18 degrees.
The Saturday brew I just sprinkled the yeast on top after agitating with a spinning mash paddle. But Sunday's brew I stirred after sprinkling.
Should I be concerned about Sunday's brew? Something is happening.

 

[ScottyDoesntKnow]

Hey mate, general rule of thumb is air locks are NOT a reliable way of telling if fermentation is active. They can often fail to bubble due to a poor air tight seal among other things. The only truly reliable method to tell if your yeast is active is to take readings with a hydrometer. You'll find a lot of people don't use air locks and just put a couple of sheets of glad wrap over the top of which fermenter, held down with a rubber band. This is what I do, that way I can get a good visual inside the fermenter without exposing it to infection. I record my starting gravity then check every few days and watch as the krausen forms. I generally won't even bother taking hydrometer readings for at least 7 days or until I see that krausen begin to drop out. Don't stress.

 

[Grott]

but seems to be foaming up ok.
Should I be concerned about Sunday's brew? Something is happening.

No concern at all and ScottyDoesntKnow is quite correct. Bubbles, condensation are a good visual indication of fermentation and as stated a hydro test about 5 to 7 days is a good idea.
Cheers

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

He is going to need a kitten

 

[2cranky]

Thanks guys!
I'll just try and ignore it for a few more days then. Don't get that kitten just yet!

Both recipes say dry hop after 6 days. should I be counting days or activity here?

Plenty of CO2 being produced. I have then in a commercial/retail ice cream freezer. Nearly passed out reaching in to take a sample! :lol:

 

[ScottyDoesntKnow]

From what I've read, it seems dry hopping yields a slightly better result when there is still some active fermentation happening. The only way you can really work that out and try and time it correctly, is by taking regular hydrometer readings. In saying that, leaving your beer in the fermenter for another 6 days once fermentation is complete will not do it any harm. Personally I just wait till I hit my expected final gravity, which is usually around a week with US-05, and dry hop for the nominated time from there. I work away for 8 days at a time so it works well for me e.g. beer ferments for the week or so whilst I'm at work, get home for my week off, check final gravity has been reached and dry hop for 5 days, bottle and head back to work.

 

[Engibeer]

You work 8/6 Scotty? Same as me. What do you do?

 

[ScottyDoesntKnow]

Dirty stinkin miner