No Airlock Activity Whatsoever

[downundah]

I've just bottled my second brew, a Coopers Canadian Blonde. The first brew I put down was a Mexican Cerveza and after a day the airlock went crazy. Then after bottled the PET bottles hardened within a few days of secondary.

However with the Canadian Blonde, I don't recall the airlock bubbling at any stage at all. I pitched the yeast at ~24 degrees and within a day the top of the wort had a thick pavlova look about it, suggesting fermentation was occurring. But even after a few more days with a constant temp of ~26 degrees there was no airlock activity. I had tested the seal at the start by squeezing the barrel and observing the airlock water levels, and it appeared to be sealed properly. After a couple of days the froth cleared and the wort started to clear out just as it did for my Cerveza. Do the Canadian Blondes produce less CO2, or could it have been the yeast becoming dormant early?

I bottled after 5 days in primary with a FG of around 1011-1012, which was constant over 2 days. This was probably a bit high to be bottling but visually fermentation looked to have stopped and the reading was the same over a 2 days period after the wort had cleared, so with the higher temps in QLD I didn't want the brew to spoil by leaving it too long. This was something I read in a book called "Understanding Beer Making".

Since bottling 2 days ago, the PET bottles are nowhere near as solid as those for the Cerveza.

Any opinions on whether it will turn out okay, or whether I've bottled a dud batch?

Cheers

 

[lonte]

I bottled after 5 days in primary with a FG of around 1011-1012,
Cheers

assuming your OG was >1012 then fermentation has occurred to drop to this FG. Give it time, it will be fine.

Edit: weather in SE Qld has cooled off last few days with this rain, might be making it a little slower than the previous one done warmer.

 

[bljpoad]

I get this from time to time too, but I usually put it down to not having a tight enough seal on my fermenter. Was there any condensation on the lid of the fermenter? I usually use that as my sign of yeasty beastie activity (apart from a SG check at the end)
- Berwyck

 

[drsmurto]

You should never rely on airlock activity as a sole indicator of fermentation. The krausen (your pavlova lookalike) is a giveaway that somethings happening. As will condensation on the lid. You need to screw the lid very tight to be able to see bubbling and over time, this kills your o-ring. As this is your 2nd brew its not an issue but something to look out for. I leave my beers for 7 days in primary if racking and up to 3 weeks if not. As for taking hydro readings, its a good excuse to taste your beer during the stages of fermentation!

If you sanitise properly its very hard to screw up home brewing......

Relax, have a home brew!

Cheers
DrSmurto

 

[downundah]

Thanks guys,

There was condensation inside the lid and from memory the OG was around 1035. Everything was cleaned and sanitised twice so this shouldn't have been an issue. A good point about the drop in temps in SEQ. First batch was pitched at 27 degrees and maintained consitently at around 28, whereas this one has been a couple of degrees lower.

I read that the wort can spoil if left in the barrel for too long after fermentation has completed, and the key was to bottle as soon as fermentation had completed. However many in here prescribe to the theory of leaving it in primary for longer, and then racking which exposes the brew for an even greater period of time.

For the people who rack, do you get many infected batches? I can only go by the stuff I read in a book I recently bought (understanding Beer Making) which was very anti-racking...

 

[shamus]

I've got a batch of Canadian Blonde going at the moment.... I'v got it at about 18-20degrees and its fermenting REALLY slowly....... after almost 2 weeks, the SG has dropped to just below 1020....the airlock is bubbling very slowly... 1 bubble every 30 sec or so.... is this somethign to do with the yeast they supply with this kit?

 

[RobboMC]

Racking exposes the brew to 2 perils, infection and oxidation. It removes it from one major peril, the dead yeast in the sediment. As with the rest of home brewing, proper cleaning and sanitation of the vessel and tubing will remove the risk of infection. By transferring slowly and carefully and making sure the end of the tube is under the liquid surface the risl of oxidation is also reduced.
I held off racking ales for nearly a year, but now I've started it I find it's quite straightforward. It removes the need to bottle TODAY when a batch is ready, now I have it racked I can leeave it in secondary until I find a spare night to bottle it, knowing it's conditioning all the time.

But make sure you rack when there's enough activity left to create a CO2 blanket in the secondary, or else you risk oxidation.

I read that the wort can spoil if left in the barrel for too long after fermentation has completed, and the key was to bottle as soon as fermentation had completed. However many in here prescribe to the theory of leaving it in primary for longer, and then racking which exposes the brew for an even greater period of time.

Don't confuse lager conditioning instructions with ale instructions. Proper lagers need secondary, I don't bother, I just make Ale and I prefer it to drink anyway. Lagers need those 2-3 week secondary periods at really cool temps, ales clear a bit but with an ale, " to rack or not to rack, that is the question?"

 

[0M39A]

Thanks guys,

There was condensation inside the lid and from memory the OG was around 1035. Everything was cleaned and sanitised twice so this shouldn't have been an issue. A good point about the drop in temps in SEQ. First batch was pitched at 27 degrees and maintained consitently at around 28, whereas this one has been a couple of degrees lower.

I read that the wort can spoil if left in the barrel for too long after fermentation has completed, and the key was to bottle as soon as fermentation had completed. However many in here prescribe to the theory of leaving it in primary for longer, and then racking which exposes the brew for an even greater period of time.

For the people who rack, do you get many infected batches? I can only go by the stuff I read in a book I recently bought (understanding Beer Making) which was very anti-racking...

ok, sounds like you have sanitation under wraps already, so i wont bother going on about that, but heres a tip mate:

dont ferment your beer that hot!!!

get your fermentation temps to 18C-20C and taste the difference. beer brewed at 26C-28C would taste terrible, not to mention the fusel alcohols that would be produced which will give you a nasty headache and a hangover to all hell.

even better would be to invest in using a better yeast than the coopers mud. dry yeasts like fermentis safale US-56 and S-04 are great for beginners and taste great.

 

[mika]

Can leave a brew for several weeks on the yeast, but I wouldn't try it at anything above 20degs C personally. And the sooner you can bottle the better....I'm just slack

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

At those temps I'm surprised there wasn't an uncontrollable foam-volcano spewing out of the airlock!

Ohyeah, too highyuckobring it down and taste (feel in the AM) the difference man, its true :beer:

PZ.

 

[jdsaint]

my brew bubbled for a day slowly now has stopped. My sg was 1.040 its now into day 4, have'nt checked it since brewing, I undone the lid check for smell of co2 it's their.so my seal maybe stuffed.

I rack and cc a ale. well it was my first try anyway, wont be tasting till nrl season kicks off 4 weeks away.

This is what I put down:
Black Rock Dry Lager
1kg dextrose
pride of ringwood hops (dry hopped)

23 ltr brew at 18-20*

Is their any other reason why airlock would be stopped? Well day for should be finished now anyway.

I want to rack this on wensday, thats a week. Any suggestions? JUst done the hydrometer reading its 1.008 Sweet! hopefully it gets to 1.004 for a 5% ablv its at 4.7% now

 

[phonos]

Lots of plastice fermenter lose the seal quickly (my coopers one only bubbled for 2 brews and the following 10 have never bubbled). Don't worry about it, just make sure you make good use of your hydrometer.

And for what its worth Jdsaint, I think your Black Rock Lager is very close to being finished....

 

[jdsaint]

Lots of plastice fermenter lose the seal quickly (my coopers one only bubbled for 2 brews and the following 10 have never bubbled). Don't worry about it, just make sure you make good use of your hydrometer.

And for what its worth Jdsaint, I think your Black Rock Lager is very close to being finished....

so I should rack it then? I was going to do this tomorrow. So I can soak my secondary fermenter overnight. :unsure:

 

[68ann69]

Hi there,

Beer brewed at 26C-28C would taste terrible, not to mention the fusel alcohols that would be produced which will give you a nasty headache and a hangover to all hell.

When I read that, I had to laugh, as that's exactly what happened to a friend & myself when he tried my 1st batch. I think I need to put it in the bath when I put it into the 2nd fermenter. It's over 40oC here where I live & have tested my beer with a digital thermometer & I'm waiting until it's finished fermenting. It's a Brewiser Pacific Draught & I've noticed that it doesn't get as frothy like the Coopers Real Ale & it takes longer to start bubbling away like the Coopers. It also stops bubbling in the airlock a lot earlier as well but it does have moisture under the lid. Is this because it's a Brewiser?

Ann.

 

[downundah]

ok, sounds like you have sanitation under wraps already, so i wont bother going on about that, but heres a tip mate:

dont ferment your beer that hot!!!

get your fermentation temps to 18C-20C and taste the difference. beer brewed at 26C-28C would taste terrible, not to mention the fusel alcohols that would be produced which will give you a nasty headache and a hangover to all hell.

even better would be to invest in using a better yeast than the coopers mud. dry yeasts like fermentis safale US-56 and S-04 are great for beginners and taste great.

I'll take that on board - thanks. As I am only starting out I haven't yet invested in anything to reduce the temps. Having said that, I tasted the Cerveza last night after 2 1/2 weeks in the bottle and it was sensational. It far exceeded my expectations.

It was extremely bright, with no off tastes. In terms of colour and clarity it matched a Corona I had sitting in the fridge, and I drank the Corona straight after the home brew and there was only subtle differences in taste and mouthfeel.

After three months in the bottle I think it is going to be a great beer...

I'll take your tips on board and hopefully can improve on it even further, but as for this batch tasting terrible due to the high temperature, I think I may have got lucky because it tasted great to me...

 

[pickledkiwi2]

Hi there,

Beer brewed at 26C-28C would taste terrible, not to mention the fusel alcohols that would be produced which will give you a nasty headache and a hangover to all hell.

When I read that, I had to laugh, as that's exactly what happened to a friend & myself when he tried my 1st batch. I think I need to put it in the bath when I put it into the 2nd fermenter. It's over 40oC here where I live & have tested my beer with a digital thermometer & I'm waiting until it's finished fermenting. It's a Brewiser Pacific Draught & I've noticed that it doesn't get as frothy like the Coopers Real Ale & it takes longer to start bubbling away like the Coopers. It also stops bubbling in the airlock a lot earlier as well but it does have moisture under the lid. Is this because it's a Brewiser?

Ann.

Hi ann,
I mixed up a Brewiser Pac Draught a short while ago and it was a bit sluggish also. All the usual brewing signs were there ie. frothing and condensation under the lid bit the airlock was really slow and lazy. All activity had apeared to have stopped at 6 days and the fg was ok at 1009ish, but I didnt keg it of until day 9 and it was flat as by then, but after gassing it was a not bad beer after 3 daysin the fridge at 3 deg
Cheers :beerbang:

 

[maxy007]

Downundah,
What was your OG and FG on the Mexican? I've got one lot bottled and another in the fermenter as we speak.

 

[downundah]

Downundah,
What was your OG and FG on the Mexican? I've got one lot bottled and another in the fermenter as we speak.

OG was around 1036 and FG was 1010.
They taste spot on, even after only a couple of weeks in the bottle.

My wife wasn't a beer drinker when I first met her, but over time I've managed to get her to drink Corona.
When I said I was going to home brew a Cerveza, she was the biggest sceptic going around. But after she tasted it (even after only 2 1/2 weeks in the bottle) she was really impressed... So much so that the following day she came home with another Cerveza kit and told me to keep on brewing !!!

I reckon Coopers have nailed the Cerveza extract. I did mine with the Brew Enhancer 2 as suggested on the pack and I'm really looking forward to drinking it after giving it some extra time to mature in the bottle.

 

[RobboMC]

A man at Coopers told me " you're never going to maintain anything near a constant temperature without a fridge "

Guys, even a non-running fridge is better than brewing with ambients of 40 deg C. Or just don't brew in Dec/Jan.

 

[Kingy]

yea my fiancee didnt drink my brews untill i done her a mexican cervesa. Now she drinks all of what i brew.

also my mates where sceptical of home brew to begin with, now they cant drink commercial beer like they used to. VB doesnt belong in our hearts anymore i have a shitload of VB merchandise and i cant even stomach the stuff anymore.

went campin on the weekend brought a 30 can pack of veeb's and im still hung over from the shit.