No Life...

[Lengie10]

Hi all

Put a festival Alex - Father Hooks on last week (Thursday) along with a Wilko Newkie brown. Followed the instructions to the letter as usual. The Wilko one has gone mad bubbling away through the air lock. The father hook has done nothing - had a slight swell on the FV lid but nothing bubbling. Ideas? Suggestions? Do I decant to a new FV and hope it reinvigorates the yeast??

 

[Simonh82]

Could be a poor seal on the fermenter or could be duff yeast.

You could repitch with more fresh yeast, or if the other one is going strong you could top crop some yeast from that and pitch it into the other brew.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Try taking a gravity reading. As Simon said, it could just be a duff seal on the FV.

 

[Sandimas]

Or just lift the lid, you should be able to see a Krausen or remnants of previous activity. Quite often FV lids and/or airlocks don't seal, so there's not enough pressure to bubble the airlock.

 

[Lengie10]

not sure I am confident in taking a top crop - will probably make it worse.

The seal does seem ok but could be that - it did bulge a little and I have put the heat band on in different places too?

got a thick krausen on the base but this could mean nothing.

I am more concerned that it would sneak out the side rather then through the air lock - surely their is more resistance on the FV than the air lock?

I plan to do a second ferment in another FV with both as this tends to make a much cleaner nicer beer - might do that and add the hops as per instructions - does that sound sensible or do you think leave it?

 

[chub1]

I am still a relative newbie BUT as yet apart from one cider i have yet to have an airlock bubbling and all brews so far have come out ok!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

This may sound strange but have you put your ear to the side of the FV near the top, i have one decent FV and a **** one which doesn't seal, when i use the **** one i can hear fermentation using this method.