Inactivity! Newbie help!

[Luc_Ireland]

So last night I had a go at brewing my first beer. Yes, it was a kit and not even a particulary good one from what I've read (Hambleton bard - lager).

Temperature was a couple of degrees higher than the instructions had suggested when I pitched the yeast but I figured it would cool to the correct heat quite quickly once I put it in the basement - which it did.

I woke this morning to the beautiful sound of my airlock bubbling away and my temperature dead in the middle of the selected range. So all good!

However, I've come home this evening (almost exactly 24 since pitching) and there are no bubbles coming from my fv at all. Looks completely inactive. Again the temperature is within the suggested range but close to the higher end.

Have I screwed the brew somehow? What should I do next? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

There is also a chemically kind of smell off it but I figure that might just be the smell of the Sanatizer on the outside of the fv.

 

[MyQul]

Firstly welcome to the forum.

If you pitch the yeast at the higherend of the recommeded range (kits always recommed far too high. Ale yeast should be fermented at 18C-20C but kits usually state about 23C sometimes higher) the yeast will work quicker then when it's cooler and quickly chomp its way through the sugars giving you lots of airlock activity quickly. It will then slow down as most of the available sugars will have been consumed and ferment the last available sugers a bit slower giving you less airlock activity or no at all as FV are usually not airtight and C02 can escape through the lid

 

[strange-steve]

Do you have a hydrometer? This is the only way to check fermentation activity, don't rely on airlock bubbles. But don't worry, we all panic about our first brew, almost always unnecessarily.

 

[Luc_Ireland]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Thankfully, I've since had a few bubbles so I know it's not completely dead!

I do have a hydrometer but I want to limit its use. The fv I have doesn't have a tap so the only way to get a sample is to open the fv lid. I know this isn't a huge issue but as it is currently bubbling I'm happy to leave it do its thing. Also, the syphon I have isn't the easiest to use as it's essentially just a tube! Cheap kit I guess! Lol

Have any of you guys used the Hambleton bard kit? I've only heard bad things. On the kit it's says I can bottle after 3 or 4 days but that seems like a bad idea. Although with the fermentation already slowing down maybe it's not so crazy......?

 

[MyQul]

Bottling after 3-4 days fermentation? Absolute BS. You want leave it in the FV for about 14 days before bottling. As SS say your best tool is your hydrometer. 3 days of consecutivly the same hydrometer reading and you can bottle

Syphoning with just a tube (and a racking cane) is all down to practice. My FV's dont have a tap and I just use a plastic tube and racking can , that I bought from wilko, along with bottling wand

 

[JapanBrew]

Listen to Myqul!
Yes everyone, I'm going to type it again!
Luc, the most important part of fermentation is after the sigars are eaten. The yeast needs to obsorb the byproducts it produced during fermentation. It usually takes 3 to 4 days that's why everyone will tell you to bottle after you have had 3 to 4 days of the same reading. The biggest off flavor that can happen if you don't let it finish is Diacetyl. It's a kind of buttery flavor.
As for taking samples, you can pick up those chicken baster and just keep it in a tall glass with sanitizer in it. But, those refractometer is by far the best and not too bad of price. Well worth it since you only need a tiny drop of beer to test. I use a really small 5 ml syringe to take a quick sample. Works perfect and works great during mashing.

 

[Dutto]

When the fermentation slows down the very smallest leak you have on the FV will result in the air-lock not registering anything.

I've had whole brews where the only indication I've had that fermentation was taking place was the level of yeast in the bottom of the FV getting higher. :thumb:

 

[Luc_Ireland]

Bubbling has stopped again now.

I like that turkey baster idea. Will see if I can grab one tomorrow and take some readings.

Thanks for all the help. I'll return with updates! 😂

 

[JapanBrew]

Luc, welcome to the group and have fun brewing. Everyone here is super glad to help and pass on what others past on to us. Also don't be afraid to try cool new things.

 

[Bandy]

Luc - I'm a bit of a newbie myself, on about my 8th kit brew, but the symptoms you describe have happened to me twice. Your best tool in this situation is patience. It sounds as though a sort of low-level fermentation is still happening, so leave it until it's been in the FV for a week, because as you rightly say, you don't want to keep opening the FV and messing around, then take a single hydrometer reading. After this, leave it 3-4 days and take another. And of course, keep us updated on your progress.

 

[chub1]

Never yet had an airlock bubble!
not a problem
carry on brewing and keep calm:mrgreen:

 

[LarryF]

Never yet had an airlock bubble!
not a problem
carry on brewing and keep calm:mrgreen:

Had whole brews with not a bubble and it all fermented out fine. Had stouts where the Krausen was up and out of the FV trying to take over the world.

 

[Luc_Ireland]

Ok so I decided to leave it a few days. It's now been 9 days since I pitched my yeast.

Been taking readings the last few days with the hydrometer. Seems to have settled at 1.007 (Does that sound right?). So from my calculations it should give me something close to 4.5%ABV which sounds about right.

Still very cloudy but I don't really mind that - I pla on bottling on Monday or Tuesday so it has a few more days to clear up anyway.

I had a wee taste too. Seemed a little alcoholic taste at the start but I had another taste and it seemed ok. Maybe a slight bananna taste too.

Anyway, that's my update.

Cheers.

 

[The Idiot]

Here's a bit of advice that all new brewers seem to need. It's already been given by a few people here, and no doubt it'll be given again. For some reason it takes a while to sink in. I know; it took me a while to get it.

Slow down.

Yes, you can make beer in a few days, but it will rarely be good. Even a kit can be better, but let the fermentation finish. The initial Krausen phase makes loads of gas, but Krausen can be as short as a few days. Even a gravity reading might show it has done it's work. Take a Saison yeast. I've seen 1.060 to 1.005 in two or three days. However, that's one tiny bit of the process.

After the frantic sugar to alcohol conversion the yeast go to work on other things. They are effectively 'cleaning up' your beer. If you stop the process, then you're missing out on so much. Going back to a Saison, the first two or three days convert sugars; the next 20 or so days turn a mess into a masterpiece (or close enough).

For the sake of a week, why drink inferior beer?

I had a wee taste too. Seemed a little alcoholic taste at the start but I had another taste and it seemed ok. Maybe a slight bananna taste too.

That's the clue that it hasn't finished!

 

[ElChemist]

2+2+2+10=Gigantic Hangover.

Lemme explain further.

2 weeks fermenting, 2 weeks conditioning, 2 weeks maturing, then 10 pints on a friday night = 1 Gigantic Hangover.

The 2 weeks fermenting allows the yeasties to tidy up after their frantic meal, I call it leaving them to do the washing up. 2 weeks to condition (making the nice bubbles, and doing the hoovering) then 2 weeks to just age off and settle down to epic drinkability. It works. Flawlessly. Beer is massively difficult to cock up. I'm a grade A olympic standard nutjob and even I cant cock it up. I keep trying but all I seem to do is make great beer...

Its a real problem.

ElChem

 

[Personal91]

2+2+2+10=Gigantic Hangover.

Lemme explain further.

2 weeks fermenting, 2 weeks conditioning, 2 weeks maturing, then 10 pints on a friday night = 1 Gigantic Hangover.

The 2 weeks fermenting allows the yeasties to tidy up after their frantic meal, I call it leaving them to do the washing up. 2 weeks to condition (making the nice bubbles, and doing the hoovering) then 2 weeks to just age off and settle down to epic drinkability. It works. Flawlessly. Beer is massively difficult to cock up. I'm a grade A olympic standard nutjob and even I cant cock it up. I keep trying but all I seem to do is make great beer...

Its a real problem.

ElChem

i have never got round to bottling as still havent got the capping heads but intend to tho as its just too easy to go and pour a pint from the king keg after worm omnomnomnom

 

[Clint]

Ha! Reasurring post from ElChemist! I'm on my first brew and thought it was all going tit shaped...but after some local advice, after pitching more yeast (!) I'm not too bothered..it's still gently bubbling after a week but no airlock action,fv lid bulging though! I'm gonna leave it another week to finish and clean up before getting my new barrel out. For sampling with the hydrometer I got a turkey baster from Wilko for 50p!

regards

Clint

 

[Clint]

...day 9 and activity seems to have slowed right down and pressure in the fv lid has eased. Got another 3 shifts to do so will leave it til then. Barrel or bottles?

cheers

Clint

 

[dad_of_jon]

if fermentation has started leave it be for 2 weeks before taking a reading.

or 3 weeks for a strong brew.

I can't offer advice on kegging as I only bottle, but if bottling avoid wychwood bottles they kill all but the hardiest of bottle cappers :twisted:

 

[Dutto]

...day 9 and activity seems to have slowed right down and pressure in the fv lid has eased. Got another 3 shifts to do so will leave it til then. Barrel or bottles?

cheers

Clint

1. Bottles are a bind to clean, sanitise, fill and cap ...

... but the best there is for shelf conditioning and storage.

Bottles are also easy to regulate when it comes to consumption.

2. Kegs are brilliant to clean, sanitise and fill ...

... but they are known to leak and are seldom used for long-term storage.

3. Mini-Kegs come in between the two and are therefore favoured by many on the Forum.

I started with 500ml capped bottles and a variety of different coloured caps to identify the contents.

Then bought a King Keg for my second brew when the first 40 capped bottles were filled.

I then realised that I didn't have enough storage so I bought and hoarded 650ml flip-top bottles (Fischers at €1.41 each in France - filled with beer!) and they are now my favourite storage method.

However, I bought three MKs last month to try them out and I intend to use them regularly in the future.

In synopsis, storage is personal choice so the only bits of advice are:

o If you choose bottles make sure the they are brown or green coloured.

o If you choose to go for the 500ml capped bottles get a bench capper as they greatly reduce the work load of bottling day.

http://www.homebrewcentregy.com/bench-capper-for-crown-caps