Now Sure If It Actually Fermenting?

[scoundrel]

hi guys i just put down a cherry royal oak amber ale monday night (1.5 kg blended seeded cherries, 1 can morgans royal oak aber ale, i pk ultra brew {500 g dextrose, 250g corn syrup, 250g light malt}) and pitched my yeast at 31 - 33 deegrees. set the airlock up like i did ast time and haven't seen so much as a bubble out of it? whats going on? newby brewer needs help.

 

[buttersd70]

Airlocks are evil lying scum.


More importantly, has a krausen formed? has the gravity dropped? if not, was it kit yeast, or something else? rehydrated or dry? what has the temp been since pitching? Is the sun in the seventh house, and is Jupiter aligned with Mars?

Ok, scratch that last one.

 

[scoundrel]

if the krausen is the foam then yes but i thaink that colapsed yeasterday, it was just the morgans kit yeast, sitting at about 28 in the laundry.

 

[jonocarroll]

<snip> sitting at about 28 in the laundry. </snip>

Ouch. You'd be wise to do something about your temperature control - a few extra cool wet towels would probably help. You really want to keep an ale below 22, 18 if you can help it. The kit yeasts are a little more forgiving, but they can still throw in some off flavours at those high temps.

If you've seen a krausen (yep, the foam) and/or condensation under the lid, you're all set. You can also check the gravity reading to see if it has gone down. Only bottle once the reading is constant three days in a row.

Most importantly - relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!

 

[buttersd70]

if the krausen is the foam then yes but i thaink that colapsed yeasterday, it was just the morgans kit yeast, sitting at about 28 in the laundry.

yup, the krausen is the foam. If that was there, it was fermenting. If it's collapsed, its either finished, or close to it. Only way to tell if it's finished is to take a gravity reading with a hydrometer, then another one 24 hrs later. If stable over 2 (or 3) readings, it's done.

Agree with QB about getting that temp down, though.

 

[scoundrel]

yeah its down to 1020, and theres definately condensation on the lid, and better yet it actyally smells like its fermenting ( that can't be a bad thing can it) ill go do the towel thing now

cheers guys.

 

[buttersd70]

yeah its down to 1020, and theres definately condensation on the lid, and better yet it actyally smells like its fermenting ( that can't be a bad thing can it) ill go do the towel thing now

cheers guys.

If it's down to 1020, it's a fair whack through, but has a bit to go yet. Ease the temp down gently, keep an eye on it, and check it again in a few days.

 

[raven19]

+1 to what Butters said (if I had a dollar for everytime I said that...)

Krausen good sign, dropping gravity a great sign. Airlocks - can only be used as a guide only... dont rely on them EVER! <_<

I would certainly aim for a lower fermenting temperature if at all possible, but its all a great learning experience. Take notes and measurements for comparison next time.