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oxsin

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Hi guys, sorry if my total lack of experience sickens you but I've just put up my first pitch...an Indian pale ale wort with approx 3 ltr's of water, a handful of boiled hopps and added a tube of burton ale yeast.....then sealed it very tightly.....but 3 days later it's still not bubbling....there is a very small (half to 1 inch) layer of foam but nothing great.....am I being impatient or is there something wrong?

Thanks!
 
If it's got a krausen (foam) it's fermenting away. Probably no bubbling through the airlock because there is a leak in the seal but nothing to worry about. Just use your hydrometer to check when fermentation is complete
 
Oxsin, I had the same thing happen to my last batch (completely different beer & yeast), and as Sam said, the round fermenter lid wasn't sealed tightly enough. Give it another go to see if you can get it any tighter. :)

Tim.
 
cheers Tim, I spoke with the guy who sold me the equipment and he's going to give me another lid for the fermenter :)
 
You seem to have missed "shook the crap out of it to aerate the wort" That could lead to a slow begining to your fermentation.
 
I must admit that I did 'shake the crap' out of the wort' to oxygenate it, then let it to settle a bit until the foam reduced before adding the yeast.....problem?
 
Don't get too hung up on whether your airlock is bubbling. You want to lid to stop any nasties crawling/falling in.

If it seals tight, then thats good but if it doesn't don't be too worried about it.

I've heard of brewers who've never had their airlock bubble and haven't experienced any dramas.
 
When wort is boiled, all the dissolved oxygen in the water is driven off. The wort is hot packed by racking and has no oxygen added at this stage. When you pour the wort into your fermenter, you need lots of splashing to reoxygentate your brew. Oxygen is very important for 6 hours at the very start of fermentation for yeast health. Do not try to oxygenate now. You will do more harm. Oxygen is the enemy of finished beer.

Different yeasts produce different amounts of krausen or foam. The presence of foam probably means all is fine with your brew.

Next time you want to add some more hops, don't just boil in plain water, add some of your wort to the saucepan and boil in that.

Don't try and seal your lid too tightly, or you will have big problems getting it back off again.

The wort kits make a great beer. I am sure it will be fine. India pale ale is full of flavour. One aspect of beer brewing is different styles and how they originated. India pale ale has its roots in England for shipping to the colonies. It has a higher alcohol content and more hops to help preserve it for the long voyage. It has nothing to do with American Indians, which is a common misconception.
 

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