Cling wrap lost seal or pressure

[trustyrusty]

Hi there,

brew had been in for four days or so, checked this am... pressure gone no bubbles.. possibly stopped brewing or it lost seal. Seal was fine.

If it got oxygen to brew how long would it take to get spoiled or infection?

I added co2 to it and then put lid on..
What are my chances? It is in a fermentation fridge and wrap still on, wrap had a little pressure on it, so not sunk. It may have just stopped brewing? I did taste it - it was not off — but could take a few days. Thanks

 

[razz]

Take a hydrometer reading TR. It may have finished.

 

[Grmblz]

Need a bit more info mate.
Is it a kit and kilo?
OG? SG? Yeast? Ferment temp?
You say cling wrap but then refer to a lid?
Did it taste a little sweet?
If you opened it up and breathed on it, chances are it will be infected although that's not necessarily the end of the world.
How did you "add co2" ?
What sort of fermenter are you using?

Yeh I know, probably not the answer you were hoping for, but these things are all necessary for an educated guess to be made.

 

[trustyrusty]

Kit and kilo
added lid after I took off cling wrap (stainless steel)
added co2 with filler gun (forgot name but fills from bottom) that has co2 option option when filling to flush out oxygen and leave co2 head ...
Not it did not taste sweet but still alot of yeast in suspension (I find they are a bit sweet in beginning as brew goes on ..not so...

I will take a reading

thanks

 

[trustyrusty]

1010, so near end ... seemed quick at 20 degrees

 

[philrob]

4 days for an ale is all it should take for an average batch. Pressure will equalise once fermentation slows down, unless you brew in a closed system. Don't worry and leave well enough alone.

 

[Grmblz]

So, just about finished, well done, and relief all round. OGs' & FGs' are a great help.

 

[raturay]

I use cling wrap on my fermenter. A few layers held on with a rubber ring. The wrap won’t seal the fermenter and CO2 will find its way out. If it couldn’t I think it would get blown off before fermentation finished. It goes a bit slack at the end of fermentation as pressure equalises (as philrob mentioned). Never had an issue with the method - well apart from once when a monster Nottingham yeast tried its best to blow the top off!

 

[trustyrusty]

Ok thanks guys

 

[trustyrusty]

I use cling wrap on my fermenter. A few layers held on with a rubber ring. The wrap won’t seal the fermenter and CO2 will find its way out. If it couldn’t I think it would get blown off before fermentation finished. It goes a bit slack at the end of fermentation as pressure equalises (as philrob mentioned). Never had an issue with the method - well apart from once when a monster Nottingham yeast tried its best to blow the top off!

When it was brewing early it was sealed so it must have been finished.. I pushed down on wrap and it felt firm - no air esacaping, so I think it was ok.. ? I put in keg now.. When I have done it before they pressure never really dropped although had finished...pressure should not really go away ..like a keg... that is what I thought anyway.

 

[Grmblz]

It's amazing how hard it is to completely seal a vessel, it's one of the reasons why airlock activity (or the lack of it) is not to be trusted when determining end of fermentation. hydrometer checks 3 to 4 days in a row with no change is almost fool proof, I say "almost" because there are unusual circumstances (hop creep/diastatic yeast/bugs etc) but that's a whole different conversation.

 

[trustyrusty]

It does not worry me because I add to keg early - generally and finishes in keg, a bit of pressure fermentation... Done it for years and no issues... if generally goes in around 1012 so not overly critical if finished or not...but in the keg is less chance of infection..