No Airlock Activity

[slowlearner]

Howzit all....
Did my first Wheat brew, a BREWCRAFT BAVARIAN WHEAT with the BC aust wheat conversion kit, BREWCELLAR Wheat yeast(pitched @ approx 17deg), 25gr of ground coriander, 2tbl of orange zest and hersbrucker hops. It's sitting in the can cooler bag with 3x2.4ltr bottles of frozen briny water which get replaced twice a day to keep the temps down to about 12deg approx.
I am having some concerns that there is no airlock activity, no bubbling of any sort :blink: . I've confirmed a positive seal on the lid, the seal itself is brand new, as is the airlock and the grommet. I've given the fermenter a slight roll within the coller bag without sloshing the wort to maybe get it going but no-go.
I am in danger of uttering a 4 letter word soon and it won't be something nice like f%$*...... :angry:
Anyone gots any ideas, or are wheat brews slow to go in general????

thanx in advance to any and all useful responses......

 

[MarkBastard]

there's a thread like this every day

she'll be right

 

[lczaban]

The only thing I would be checking is whether you are using a lager yeast or an ale yeast. If it's a lager yeast, it should all be fine. If it is an ale yeast, you could find that the temp you are maintaining has put your yeast to sleep. If this is the case, raising the temp or your wort to about 18 degrees should rouse your yeast into action.

Are you at the beginning of the end of your fermentation? Have you achieved for FG already if you brew is at the end of it's fermentation. If fermentation has finished, this could explain the lack of airlock activity.

Best of luck with the brew!

 

[buttersd70]

my airlock isn't bubbling either....I'm real worried. Please look at my airlock and tell me why it's not bubbling....

View attachment 24555


......FFS,

 

[chappo1970]

Have you tried clutch starting it?

Seriously it will be right! All advice above is excellent. Good point about the yeast type. Check your current gravity against your OG, if it's less then your in business, if it's the same try repitching some yeast.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[chappo1970]

my airlock isn't bubbling either....I'm real worried. Please look at my airlock and tell me why it's not bubbling....

......FFS,

AAA+ The guys on fire!

That's twice today Butters I have spilled my beer via my nose! Revenge will be mine!

 

[muckey]

from the coopers FAQ





Is my brew fermenting?
Many homebrewers wrongly assume that the yeast is not working because there is no bubbling through the airlock.

The airlock is fitted to allow gas to escape and prevent micro-organisms and wild yeasts from entering the fermenter. Do not rely on the airlock as an indicator of fermentation activity.

Rather than becoming "mesmerised" with the airlock, look for condensation inside the lid, a scum ring at the top of the wort, sediment on the bottom, cloudy / turbid / foamy brew from the tap and the specific gravity dropping (use a hydrometer).

 

[atkinsonr]

BREWCELLAR Wheat yeast(pitched @ approx 17deg), 25gr of ground coriander, 2tbl of orange zest and hersbrucker hops. It's sitting in the can cooler bag with 3x2.4ltr bottles of frozen briny water which get replaced twice a day to keep the temps down to about 12deg approx.

According to the google, that's a top fermenting ale yeast. You should be trying to keep your wort at around 18-19 degrees. I suspect the yeast have gone to sleep down at 12 degrees.

Take it out of the ice water, leave it to warm up overnight, try and keep it at around 19 - it'll start working again within about 24hours after you get the temperature back up.

Do this, and it'll be fine.

Cheers
Richy

 

[Gavo]

my airlock isn't bubbling either....I'm real worried. Please look at my airlock and tell me why it's not bubbling....

View attachment 24555


......FFS,

:lol:
Yes I can tell you why. You forgot to put the sterilized water in it and push it in the grommet. Good to see you at least remembered the grommet.

Cheers
Gavo.

Edit: does your fermenter have any condensation like Butters has Slowlearner?

 

[razE]

According to the google, that's a top fermenting ale yeast. You should be trying to keep your wort at around 18-19 degrees. I suspect the yeast have gone to sleep down at 12 degrees.

Take it out of the ice water, leave it to warm up overnight, try and keep it at around 19 - it'll start working again within about 24hours after you get the temperature back up.

Do this, and it'll be fine.

Cheers
Richy

Yep generally ale yeast 17-20 and lagers yeast 9-12 degrees

 

[slowlearner]

Yeah not bad BUTTERS. I'm also having trouble with where to put the oil in the car engine. All i have is a cap that says 7IO, not oil :blink: ....no I'm not a woman..... :icon_chickcheers:
put bathc on last night about midnight, OG was 1038.
No condensation, no scum anywhere, no other obvious signs either. I've taken the bottles of ice out as suggested, wait for temp to come up overnight. Gunna wait to see if it comes good before pitching another yeast.

It's just so heart-warming and reassuring to know that there are still people in this big bad world who are nice enough to take the time and effort to help those of us who are in need of assisstance. It gives me a funny warm feeling that..oh hang on that's something else. Wondered why the keyboard wouldn't sit still......really must take down those posters of Amanda Vandstone and Bronwyn Bishop someday. Just hard to say goodbye to old friends and move on to new ones like Julia Gillard.

 

[mwd]

If the temp is upto about 20C and no activity evident after 48 hours I would pitch some new yeast and go for a wheat yeast if you can get hold of some at short notice.

P.S. Funny how they give you transparent lids on commercial fermenters but you cannot see a thing due to condensation without the aid of a powerful torch/flashlight ( for the USA )

 

[Gavo]

put bathc on last night about midnight, OG was 1038.

Not sure what this means. Is it meant to be when you put the brew on? When did you pitch the yeast?

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[buttersd70]

Ok, so in one way I was a bit sarcy....but in another way, I was trying to make you think....which you have started to do. As you say now,

No condensation, no scum anywhere, no other obvious signs either

which is the point I was trying to make.....look for the other signs, the real signs of fermentation, and make a determination from that.....
if there is no condensation, no krausen forming, no krausen ring, no saturation of CO2 within the wort, no dropping of SG.....then you need to think about when it was pitched, how much was pitched, what is the lag, what will the lag be, does it need more yeast, is it in a growth phase, etc etc.....

You can piss in my pocket all you like, but let me ask you two questions.....has what I've said made you think hard about the status of your brew? and, secondly, what is more helpful...giving you a direct answer, or giving you a response that makes you think, and work out the answe for yourself?

btw, TB is about right in what he says....

 

[smudge]

Butters,

Don't fall for the trap that befalls many helpful posters. Either post your second post as your first or don't post at all.

Cheers,
smudge

 

[np1962]

Butters,

Don't fall for the trap that befalls many helpful posters. Either post your second post as your first or don't post at all.

Cheers,
smudge

I see nothing wrong with what butters did, he is only asking that you do a little research on your own rather than just post a question, especially one that has been asked many times before, and expect others to do the research for you.

Nige

 

[smudge]

Nige,

If you read Butter's first post as "asking that you do a little research" then we're on different planets.

The question might have been asked a thousand times before but for this bloke it has only been asked once. Doesn't deserve
the FFS! responses. There is a list as long as your arm of AHB posters who have looked after the newbies and then moved on.
I was just hoping that Butters, after 99.9% of his posts have been helpful to the newest of newbies, wasn't getting a bit jaded.

Cheers,
smudge

 

[buttersd70]

And telling me how to word my posts helps the OP in which way?
Maybe I am getting slightly jaded....I am only human, after all, smudge. What I was trying to do is not even so much say to do research, but rather to think. The OP answered his own question. Granted, it was cos he was slightly PO'd at me. But he had the info within himself...he knew the answer, and just needed the push to go with his gut.

 

[smudge]

Butters,

As far as your first post goes..... maybe just answering the question of the OP.

Cheers,
smudge

PS
I only quickly looked at your response and thought it was only one line. Without the qualification. I've seen most of your posts
and think that new members and beginning brewers have a lot to be thankful for. If you're tired of repeatedly answering the
newbie questions move on....many have before you.

Cheers,
smudge

 

[buttersd70]

maybe just answering the question of the OP.

Cheers,
smudge

As you did??? OR did I miss that?

OK, I've had it.....how many posts have I put up trying to help others....what do I get from that? Grief, nothing more.
Bugger it, I'm done.

No more questions answered by Butters. Done. Finished.

Edit in resopnse to your edited PS....
I will move on. No more answerig any questions. I will remain on the forum only as far as swap activity. No more answering PMs, no more elaborating on posts, no more going out of my way to help with recipes, calculations or information....I've had too many people shitting all over me recently. This is just the last straw. Enough is enough, and you're right. It's time to move on.