Bubbles

[Yob]

Gday all, as per previous thread I pitched my 2 Brew yesterday with a far greater controll than my first.. well done me!! Yay!.... Temperature has been a little kinder to me too...

A few hours after piching yesterday I saw evidence of bubbling, not loads but if I stood there for a few minutes there was some action (I just love the bloop)... the brew was then at at 22'C-24'C, thismorning it is a lovely 20'C and here is little to no action/Talk from it.. is this a good, bad or a nothing thing?... No "Ring" has fromed yet either..?

Concerned Father

 

[zephon]

Gday all, as per previous thread I pitched my 2 Brew yesterday with a far greater controll than my first.. well done me!! Yay!.... Temperature has been a little kinder to me too...

A few hours after piching yesterday I saw evidence of bubbling, not loads but if I stood there for a few minutes there was some action (I just love the bloop)... the brew was then at at 22'C-24'C, thismorning it is a lovely 20'C and here is little to no action/Talk from it.. is this a good, bad or a nothing thing?

Concerned Father

No reason to be concerned.

What yeast are you using? Some yeasties have been known to occasionally rip through the majority of a ferment in 24 hours and then slowly finish it off over 5-6 days after that.

Your hydrometer is your friend. If you're worried, take a reading today and then one tomorrow. If they are different it's still fermenting. Once the SG stops changing, it's done.

I had a similar experience recently with some US-05, went crazy for 24 hours, showed only a little activity for the next 48 hours and after that it was done.

 

[levin_ae92]

Just a heads up, but you'll get plenty of replies in the form of 'a bubbling airlock (or lack thereof) is not a reliable sign of fermetation'!!

By no ring forming do you mean theres no krausen? thats a waorry, as thats a very reliable indication of a healthy ferment. did you rehydrate the yeast? was it active when you did?

the best way to check is keeping track of the SG, if it keeps dropping its still fermenting.

if its not you may have to repitch

 

[roverfj1200]

You'll be right should take off in the next 24 hrs...

 

[Yob]

No reason to be concerned.

What yeast are you using? Some yeasties have been known to occasionally rip through the majority of a ferment in 24 hours and then slowly finish it off over 5-6 days after that.

Your hydrometer is your friend. If you're worried, take a reading today and then one tomorrow. If they are different it's still fermenting. Once the SG stops changing, it's done.

I had a similar experience recently with some US-05, went crazy for 24 hours, showed only a little activity for the next 48 hours and after that it was done.

Gday, I just used the yeast from the can which was a coopers Pale Ale. There is waste forming at the bottom however...

When you use the Hydrometer are you not concerned about the backflow of air or are those worries for larger volumes of air ie. removal of the lid?

 

[Yob]

Just a heads up, but you'll get plenty of replies in the form of 'a bubbling airlock (or lack thereof) is not a reliable sign of fermetation'!!

By no ring forming do you mean theres no krausen? thats a waorry, as thats a very reliable indication of a healthy ferment. did you rehydrate the yeast? was it active when you did?

the best way to check is keeping track of the SG, if it keeps dropping its still fermenting.

if its not you may have to repitch

...erm.. as I posted Im quite new to all this, excited too.. Krausen, The ring at the top yeah? above the bubbles.. No rehydrating was done. Whats the advantages sof doing so... I will have a bit more of a read up on that one cheers..

 

[raven19]

There is waste forming at the bottom however...

Hopefull that is your yeast trub, hence you have fermentation.

Once it starts fermenting you will have a layer of CO2 on top of the wort/beer - as such taking a hydrometer sample wont be an issue from the tap - if it draws in some airlock water & air - so be it.

Drape a clean sanitised tea towel over the lid & airlock maybe if you are concerned, but I would not worry about it personally. Just top the airlock back up after sample is taken.

 

[zephon]

Gday, I just used the yeast from the can which was a coopers Pale Ale. There is waste forming at the bottom however...

That probably a good sign.

When you use the Hydrometer are you not concerned about the backflow of air or are those worries for larger volumes of air ie. removal of the lid?

As Raven19 said, the layer of c02 on top of the beer should protect you. I usually remove the airlock (or top of my 2 piece airlock) from the lid before drawing my sample as I don't really like the idea of sucking in airlock water. To be honest I never really considered the potential of drawing oxygen in when I first started doing it and I have never had an issue.

 

[svyturys]

Gday all, as per previous thread I pitched my 2 Brew yesterday with a far greater controll than my first.. well done me!! Yay!.... Temperature has been a little kinder to me too...

A few hours after piching yesterday I saw evidence of bubbling, not loads but if I stood there for a few minutes there was some action (I just love the bloop)... the brew was then at at 22'C-24'C, thismorning it is a lovely 20'C and here is little to no action/Talk from it.. is this a good, bad or a nothing thing?... No "Ring" has fromed yet either..?

Concerned Father

Here's a little check list for the first day or so when you are a "Concerned Father".

(It's easy to do for me as I cover my fermenter with gladwrap and have dispensed with lids and airlocks ages ago. I can easily see what's happening to my baby."

1) Condensation should form on the underside of the lid. This can be seen through a normal lid. This often forms within hours.

2) The surface of the wort will start to form "scummy bubbles" which will get more and more dense over a day or so. This is called "Krausen". It might be visible if you shine a torch through the lid.

3) White sediment, "trub", will form at the bottom of the fermenter, this might not be apparent for a few days.

4) Once the Krausen is in full party mode it will form a scum ring, which is easy to see.

5) If this is not happening take a SG readings over consecutive days. If there is no change in the reading, consider the possibility of a stuck ferment and take steps to get it going. (lot's of info here on that.)

6) Don't Panic.

Cheers

 

[RobboMC]

It's possible the slow early bubling was being caused by slight expansion of the air above the wort as the temperature increased slightly, in which case the ferment didn't start. However formation of a trub is a good sign, and a straight kit brew may not form much a a scum ring though there might have been some bubbly foam on top.

Yes the only answer is your hydrometer - that's why Coopers and most other 'brew box' suppliers include a cheap one with every brewing set.

 

[Oatlands Brewer]

I too put down my 2nd brew on the weekend.

My airlock hasent bubbled at all for either brew.....there is a slight pressure diffence in the airlock with the levels being uneven, but as the guys have saidi look for the white trub at the bottom and the foam on top to show fermentation.

Im guessing its a poor seal on the lid,

It also seems to have run through a big portion of the fermentation over the first day as mentioned above, it had a huge krausen with about a inch of trub.

This morning the krausen has died down and left the ring of crap and the hydro had moved 15 gravitys/points or whatever there called.

So i wouldnt worry to much mate all should be good with the brewing gods.

I did re-hydrate my yeasties for the first time aswell...i must say it did make for a faster starting and apprently more eager ferment.

 

[Yob]

All helpful, Ive pulled it out of the off fridge to have a good Butchers at it and there is a layer of brouw crust (suspiciously yeasty coloured) on the foam, is it possible that as I didnt stir the yeast in that the ferment hasnt' started at all??
Im a litle confused as there is residue in the bottom and about an inch of foam (with said brown crust on) on top but no ring to speak of.. if that were the case what would be the method to repitch? Scrape off the old and in with the new? Stir or not to stir the yeast that is the Question..??

:wacko:

 

[Pennywise]

Doesn't make a difference IMO wether you stir yeast in or not, they're hungry little buggers, they'll find the sugaz.

 

[Yob]

Doesn't make a difference IMO wether you stir yeast in or not, they're hungry little buggers, they'll find the sugaz.

Just had another look and the Temp is about 21-22 and has started to bubble quite alot more, feelin ga little better about it all,

CHEERS!!

 

[Oatlands Brewer]

Sounds like every thing is a-ok to me, i wouldnt touch it except to take hydro readings

ive learnt to turn the tap on really slowly to get the brew out into the test tube.

My last brew every bloody time i tested it........SSSLLLLURPPP Bubble bubble bubble gasp...as the air lock water got sucked in.......and every time i smacked myself in the head for it. Itryed my first from that batch yesterday and not a thing wrong with it.

Ive been a lot more delicate with this brew and have been boiling the kettle to top up the airlock

 

[stm]

Cling wrap!!!

 

[mfdu]

Cling wrap!!!

double layer of cling wrap, held in place by the o-ring from the lid.

 

[Ales_Away]

:icon_offtopic:




Ref: Cling wrap.

Does the build up of CO2 pop it off the top?

Do you ever release any pressure from the fermenter?


I spose, drawing a sample every couple of days might equalise the pressure inside the fermenter?

 

[mfdu]

Ref: Cling wrap.

Does the build up of CO2 pop it off the top?

Do you ever release any pressure from the fermenter?


I spose, drawing a sample every couple of days might equalise the pressure inside the fermenter?

i've never had a problem - the wrap has always stayed in place, even when harnessing the awsome powers of t-58 yeast and the krausen touched the underside of the wrap.
and once the yeast is pitched i generally don't draw a sample until krausen has subsided, so no manual pressure release (err, um? pardon me, sailor?)



in fact, slightly off topic myself, i just dropped the third brew off the one pack of us05!!!
like, two consecutive brews immediately onto the trub of the previous.

risky maybe, it's meant i can bottle and brew in the one day. the first two (from packet, then from trub) are great.
fingers crossed for the the one i put down today that it comes out ok.

 

[RobH]

I spose, drawing a sample every couple of days might equalise the pressure inside the fermenter?

That's what I have always thought, as I have at times taken up to 4 or 5 SG readings throughout the fermentation process (was just interested in seeing what it was at and how it tasted) ... and I have never had the air/water suck back into my fermenter ... I always put that down to the fermenter having a positive pressure in there - more than the amount of beer that I tapped off for a reading... however as other people have mentioned, it is possible to not seal the fermenter lid properly at times, so I always check for that.

But as we can see from the replies in this thread ... different brewers have different experiences and methods that work for them ... the more conventional the method and experence is, the greater the chance that it will work just fine for you.

OP: Regarding your Krausen (brown foam on the top) ... if it didn't rise very high it may not have left much of a visible ring ... but as you say, the brown foam is there, and there is a slurry forming on the bottom - so as long as your SG tests show that fermentation is happening, and it tastes ok, then don't sweat about the bubbles

PS: I rarely see my fermenter airlocks bubbling ... probbly mainly because after I mix & seal it up I take it down under the house (nice and cool... and roomy under there) and am usually too busy to check on it for the next 3-4 days ... after which time most of the fermentation has finished and the krausen has risen and dropped back down leaving a ring of scum on the fermenter just above the water beer line.